Ecesis Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ California Society for Ecological Restoration

8/9/2019 Ecesis Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ California Society for Ecological Restoration

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Ecesis is published quarterlyby the California Society

for Ecological Restoration,

a nonprofit corporation, as aservice to its members.

Newsletter contributions ofall types are welcome and

may be submitted to any of

the regional directors (seepage 2). Articles should be

saved in RTF format; withaccompanying photos saved

as jpg or tif files.

Above: Area of concern after

two years growth.

Oops! Many thanks to Board

Rep Erin Gates for her article

last issue on SERCALs first

student chapter.

Also featured inthis issue...

2-4... SERCAL 2005

Updates on Bass Lake,

Keynote Speaker &

First-Ever Art Exhibit

4... Report on RiparianGuild Workshop

8... Noteworthy Natural

Resource Events

10... Professional &

Student Opportunities

Ecesisecesis \I-se-sus, i-ke-sus\ noun [from Greekoikesis meaning inhabitation]: the establishment of an animal or plant in a new habitat.

The Quarterly Newsletter of the California Society for Ecological RestorationSummer Solstice Volume 15, Issue 2

The constraints listed in Part 1 of this article are only the first we encountered in developing the managedvegetation project. Others arose as a result of implementing the project and are described here. Alsodescribed are the project components that allowed for reliable achievement of managed vegetationperformance criteria in the presence of the described constraints.

General Layout

Project water supply comes from outlets in the Los Angeles Aqueduct (LAA) which flowssouthward above the western shoreline of Owens Lake. These outlets are near the northern andsouthern ends of Owens Lake. Water is conveyed in a looped pipeline that forms a backwards C-shaped arc inside of the eastern lake shoreline. Water in the pipeline flows by gravity, and it feeds dustcontrol facilities in the dust control area (DCA) generally along this route. For much of the pipelineslength, a parallel saltwater pipeline conveys subsurface drainage among areas producing andconsuming these flows. Vegetated and flooded areas are interspersed throughout the DCA. Regulatingstorage of saltwater is provided by several storage ponds and the deeper portions of shallow floodedareas.

Managed vegetation areas are generally sets of 16-hectare, drip-irrigated blocks, with about 16 suchblocks served by a turnout. Each turnout contains filtration, blending, and injection facilities to control

water quality going to the turnouts. All of the irrigated area is underlain by subsurface drainage, whichis collected in sumps and recycled in the saltwater pipeline.

Shallow flooding areas are irrigated with networks of alfalfa risers and contained by berms.Tailwater and perimeter subsurface drains capture water at the downgradient end of bermed basins forrecycling through the alfalfa risers.

Stormwater Flow Management In general, where concentrated flows of stormwater meet the upper margin of vegetated fields,

grade control structures function as weirs to protect facilities by converting concentrated flow to sheetflow. Facilities are mostly either raised or underground to resist damage as stormwater flows across theDCA. Roads contain culverts where they cross flow paths. In general, this layout has worked well,minimizing erosion and associated damage, even though developing saltgrass stands as yet afford littleprotection to the land surface.

Stabilizing Owens Dry LakeSurface with Irrigated Saltgrass

PART 2: THE MANAGED VEGETATION PROJECT

continued on page 5

John Dickey1, Maurice Hall1, Mark Madison1, Jason Smesrud1, Margot Griswold2, Quitterie Cotten1, Mica

Heilmann1, Greg Roland1, Jim Jordahl1, Richard Harasick3, Wayne Bamossy3, Richard Coles1, Lizanne

Wheeler4, Pat Brown4, Kevin Burton1, Rick Fornelli1, Ileene Anderson2, Melissa Riedel-Lehrke2, Ron Tiller5,

and Jim Richards5. 1CH2M HILL, Inc., Sacramento; 2EARTHWORKS, Los Angeles; 3Los Angeles Department of Water& Power, Los Angeles; 4Sonora Pacific Group, Inc., Lone Pine; 5University of California, Davis.


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2 Ecesis Summer 2005 Volume 15, Issue 2

SERCAL Board of Directors

President Paul Kielhold, Michael Brandman [email protected]

President-Elect Regine Miller, H.T. Harvey & [email protected]

Past President Michael Hogan, Integrated Environmental

Restoration Services, Inc. [email protected] Coy, Jones & Stokes [email protected]

Treasurer Bo Glover, Environmental Nature [email protected]

Directors

Region 1 Nicholas Pacini, Humboldt State [email protected] NORTHERN INTERIOR (Lassen, Modoc,

Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity)

Region 2 Mark Stemen, California State [email protected] SACRAMENTO VALLEY (Butte, Colusa,

Glenn, Lake, Sacrament o, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, Yuba)

Region 3 Brad Olson, East Bay Regional Park District

[email protected] BAY AREA (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin,Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma)

Region 4 Regine Miller, H.T. Harvey & [email protected] SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY (Amador,Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Mariposa, Madera, Merced, San

Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne)

Region 5 Margot Griswold, Earthworks Construction &Design [email protected] SOUTH COAST (Los Angeles,

Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura)

Region 6Joe Donaldson, ASLA, Cal [email protected] CENTRAL COAST (Monterey, San

Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz)

Region 7 Erin Gates, Humboldt State University

[email protected] NORTHERN INTERIOR (Del Norte,Humboldt, Mendocino)

Region 8 Michael Hogan, Integrated EnvironmentalRestoration Services, Inc. [email protected] SIERRA

(Alpine, El Dorado, Inyo, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra)

Region 9 Mark Tucker, Wildlands, [email protected] SOUTHERN INTERIOR (Imperial,

Riverside, San Bernardino)

Guild Chairs

Sage Scrub Margot Griswold, EARTHWORKSConstruction & Design [email protected]

Dunes Vince Cicero, California Department of Parks &

Recreation [email protected] Karen Verpeet, H.T. Harvey & [email protected]

____________________

Administration:Susan Clark [email protected] 20th St., Bakersfield 93301

tel. 661.634.9228 fax 661.634.9540

Newsletter Editor:Julie St. John [email protected]

Webmaster:Steve [email protected]

The Pines Resort & Conference

Center at Bass Lake

A classically pretty mountain lake ringed by tall ponderosapines (Sunset Magazine), Bass Lake is nestled in the Sierra NationalForest at 3.400 feet. Only an hours drive from Fresno and 14 milesfrom the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Bass Lake isCentral Californias most popular mountain retreat.

The Pines Resorts Conference Center, located in The PinesVillage overlooking the lake from the north shore, offers spaciouslakeview meeting rooms with all the amenities necessary for

conference presentations, plus a fully staffed catering department.Duceys Lodge, part of the Conference Center complex, features 2unique restaurants which can accommodate a wide variety of tastesand choices.

For the SERCAL Conference, there will be two types ofaccommodations available. The Pines Chalets (mountain condos)have fully equipped kitchens and are able to accommodate up to 6persons. Duceys Lodge offers lakefront suites (with or without spatubs) which will accommodate up to 4 persons. SERCAL hasreserved a large block of both room types at special conference rates.(Unreserved rooms will be released on 18 September). Conferenceattendees will book lodging reservations directly with the Pines

Resort.

If the conference schedulefour pre-conference workshops,plenary speakers, concurrent technical sessions, poster and exhibitordisplays, catered meals, an art exhibit with cocktail reception andthree post-conference fieldtripsisnt enough to keep you busy, thePines Resort and surrounding communities have a wide variety ofoutdoor activities and opportunities available to enhance yourconference experience!


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Volume 15, Issue 2 Summer 2005 Ecesis 3

On Thursday morning, October20, the SERCAL 2005 conference

will kick-off with a spectacular slidepresentation by author,photographer and environmentalist,Tim Palmer. Tim has written sixteenbooks on rivers and the

environment over a 25 year career,during which he has canoed orrafted on more than 300 differentrivers throughout North America. Aresident of California for manyyears, he has traveled extensivelythough our state on foot, by canoeand whitewater raft, on skis, bymountain bike and in his well-equipped van.

Tims travels, experiences andvision have produced a wide range

of highly acclaimed publications,including Pacific High: Adventuresin the Coast Range from Baja toAlaska; The Sierra Nevada: AMountain Journey, The Heart ofAmerica: Our Landscape, OurFuture, The Columbia; Sustaining AModern Resource, Yosemite: ThePromise of Wildness, CaliforniasThreatened Environment, Stanislaus:The Struggle for a River, America byRivers, Lifelines: The Case for RiverConservation, Endangered Rivers

and the Conservation Movement,and California Wild(Voyager Press,2004) which will be the focus of hisSERCAL plenary presentation.

An editorial review ofCaliforniaWildnotes: Tim Palmers bookcelebrates the beauty of the GoldenState, interprets its natural wonders

and inspires you to care for thisremarkable place with joy, foresightand stewardship. While much of theCalifornia landscape has beenchanged in the past severalgenerations, much still remainsundeveloped. This books captures the

spirit of that wildness and reminds usthat the exquisite workings of natureare essential to all of life.

In addition to being an awardwinning author and photographer,Tim Palmer is recognized as aremarkable communicator, which heacknowledges as a highly rewardingsidelight of his work. Just a few ofmany endorsements of Tims abilitiesas a public speaker and his slidepresentations are listed below.

Among the hundreds of publicpresentations I have witnessed overthe past fifty years, I would rank TimPalmers among the top two or three.Our audience was overwhelmed byhis stunning photography, but perhapseven more by the force and eloquenceof his environmental message.

W. Zelinsky, Professor Emeritus ofGeography, Pennsylvania StateUniversity.

A brilliant photographer and prolificwriter, Tim Palmer has a specialability in bringing his years ofexperience to life. To layman andscientist alike, he is an excellentcommentator and instills a greatappreciation for our naturalresources.

A. Benke, Professor of BiologicalSciences, University of Alabama.

If one wants to learn about thestewardship of Americanlandscapes, then come listen to TimPalmer. He brings aconservationists heart and ascholars mind to very subject aboutwhich he speaks.

J. Freemuth, Professor of PoliticalScience, Boise State University.

Tim Palmer speaks with eloquencethat inspires. His clear, passionatedefense of water and land makesresponsible action possible.

T. Shallat, Professor of History,Boise State University.

Tims words and images bringsubjects to life in ways that fewspeakers can. He gives humandimension to complexenvironmental problems andweaves natural history, geology,sociology, and history into a rich,seamless fabric.

K. Cline, Professor ofEnvironmental Law and Policy,College of the Atlantic.

SERCAL feels fortunate to havebeen able to engage Tim Palmer asthe opening plenary speaker for our12th Annual Conference. We feelsure that this is a presentation you

will not want to miss and will notsoon forget.

Noted rivers advocate TimPalmer to kick off

SERCALs 12th AnnualConference


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A Report on the 2005SERCAL Riparian Guild

One-Day Workshop:

Floodplain

RestorationFriday, April 8, 2005, at the East

Bay Regional Park DistrictsTrudeau Training Center in

Oakland, CA

Ten speakers, listed below,presented information ongeomorphology, permits andproject management, design, soils,revegetation, implementation, andlong-term maintenance to 50

workshop registrants. Thepresentations were followed by amoderated panel discussion andQ&A session.

Mark Tompkins University ofCalifornia Berkeley, Departmentof Landscape Architecture &Environmental Planning

Rhonda Reed CALFEDVirginia Mahecek Valley &

Mountain ConsultingJeff Haltiner Philip Williams &

AssociatesDr. Roland Meyer University of

California Davis, Land, Air, &Water Resources

Neal Funston Cornflower FarmsDan Stephens H.T. Harvey &

AssociatesBill Vandivere Clearwater

HydrologySusan Schwartz President, Friends

of Five CreeksDave Yam Caltrans

Our thanks to theparticipating speakers, and toKaren Verpeet, SERCALsRiparian Guild Chair, for heroutstanding job in developing andpresenting the workshop. Thanksalso to Brad Olson, SERCALRegion 3 Director, for facilitatinguse of the beautiful TrudeauCenter in the East Bay hills forthe workshop.

Announcing

SERCALs First-EverConference Art Exhibit

How better to

celebrate the

Heart of California

than to spend an

evening with local

fine artists who

have captured thebeauty of this

landscape?

A Call for Artists will be sent out this summer to

prospective artists. If you know of a fine artist

whose subject matter is California land orwaterscapes, please send their contact

information to Julie St. John at [email protected]

And look for a unique Patron of the Arts

opportunity in our upcoming Call for Sponsors!


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Subsurface Drainage SystemApplied water is needed for plant use and to wash excess

salt out of the soil (see reclamation section on p. 6). As

mentioned previously in Part 1, groundwater gradients on thePlaya are generally within a meter of the surface. This situationrequires that shallow groundwater be removed from deepersoil to make way for percolating irrigation water. Even whereshallow groundwater is not near the surface, application ofsufficient irrigation water (in the absence of artificialsubsurface drainage) to meet plant and reclamation demands

would raise groundwater levels into the root zone over most ofthe Playa.

Perforated, plastic drainage pipe was laid out much as inconventional, poorly drained agricultural fields. Pipe wasencased in a filter fabric sock. Sand from onsite dunes (adriving force for dust storms) was purchased from the State ofCalifornia, mined, and used as drainage envelope material.Spacing between drains was established based on available soilmapping and permeability data, and in consideration of theeffect of water movement in relict soil cracks. The drainagesystem was designed with the goal of accommodating long-term, average drainage loads, so that initial (reclamation andestablishment) loads during the first year would result insomewhat higher groundwater elevations. Severely waterloggedareas were replanted as irrigation rates were lowered anddrainage improved.

Areas with poor soil-bearing capacity were generallyknown, and measures to facilitate early de-watering were

planned. Nevertheless, equipment was ultimately put onto matsto access these areas, significantly slowing drain installation.The drainage system functioned as anticipated, providing

an adequately drained root zone for plant establishment overmost of the site. Some topographic lows in approximately 5%of the area (the site was not leveled) had groundwater near thesurface. In some of the wettest areas receiving subsurfacerecharge from the Playa margin, drain installation wasextremely difficult. These areas drain more slowly than otherportions of the site.

Water SupplyWater applied to vegetation must be sufficiently saline to

avoid soil dispersion, dilute enough to be usable by plants andto remove excessive salt from the root zone, devoid of particlesthat would plug the drip irrigation system, and of a chemistry

that favors plugging of emitters by neither biological growthnor mineral precipitation.

Because water from the LAA is quite pure (low in salt), it isnot suitable for direct application to fine textured soils thatdominate most of the planted area. The most ready source ofsalinity is shallow groundwater that collects in drains and isavailable from the saltwater line. Fresh and salt waters are,therefore, blended to provide a target salinity for irrigation

water, set on the basis of empirical soil dispersion results.This target mixtureabout 6,600 mg/L TDSresults in

significant scaling (precipitation) potential in the irrigationsystem, when calcium and magnesium from the LAA andbicarbonate and carbonate from recycled saltwater arecombined during blending. This is managed by injection of apolymeric scaling (precipitation) inhibitor.

Plugging by biological growth, foreign material, or soil isavoided by filtration, and by periodic injection of chlorine andflushing of drip lines. Fertilizer (principally nitrogen,potassium, and magnesium) is added with acid, based onempirical studies of saltgrass response to soil conditions atOwens Lake. Root intrusion is prevented by extremely lowconcentrations of herbicide. These are all common dripirrigation practices.

Irrigation SystemSubsurface drip irrigation was selected to deliver water to

vegetation because (1) it makes the most efficient use of water,(2) minimizing applied water also minimizes drainage loads andcost, (3) surface drip is more prone to damage anddisplacement from roaming cattle, vertebrate pests, sunshine,and floodwater, (4) temperature fluctuations in tubingexacerbate the scaling and associated plugging risk, (5) mobilesand on the Playa will result in portions becoming buriedanyway, (6) thermal expansion and contraction of tubing, along

with associated displacement across the surface, is minimized,and (7) mechanized transplanting, required for large-scaleprojects, is feasible. The drip system and emitters are designedand operated to resist imbibing soil particles and intrusion by

saltgrass roots. The drip system is laid out operationally within16-hectare blocks over the project sitedelivering water toemitters spaced at 0.61m, along tubing buried 23cm deep inthe centers of beds, spaced at 1.53m. This layout is a balance ofcost and efficiency, and it requires that all plants within a 16-hectare block be irrigated at the same rate.

The subsurface drip system appears to have been anexcellent choice for the Playa. Some fields were planted overtubing that was placed on the surface, because low bearing


continued from p. 1

Saltgrass plants over drip irrigation emitters in 2002.

continued next page


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capacity prevented subsurface installation. Storm flows in theseareas caused tubing displacement that had to be rectified withadditional hand labor; saltgrass may eventually hold this tubingin place.

Plant MaterialMost of the applicable research on Owens Lake was

conducted with saltgrass. The project landowner (CaliforniaState Lands Commission) required that only plants native tothe Owens Lake area be planted on the Playa to control dust.Further, all research to date had used wild seed planted in traysat nurseries, and then transplanted onto the Playa. Precision

direct seeding methods compatible with the buried drip systemand seasonality of site access/seed germination were tested but

were not found to be reliable to establish 50% cover ofsaltgrass over the project area within the required time frame.Thus, seed had to be procured in time to produce about 30million Owens Lake native saltgrass plant plugs for delivery tothe project by summer 2002. Time to produce this seed supply

was about 2 years. Unfortunately, only small amounts of seedwere available in storage with GBUAPCD, and saltgrass doesnot reliably produce seed in nature, as mentioned previously inPart 1.

Seed supply development incorporated three tactics: (1)gathering local native seed, where available, (2) planting seed

multiplication fields with local native saltgrass at Smith Farmsin the Owens Valley and at S&S Seeds Los Alamos farm nearthe California coast, and (3) developing seed priming with SeedDynamics, Inc., to reduce the effects of dormancy and increasetimely germination in the greenhouse. The project timetablerequired the seed increase fields to be planted by the fall of2000 to allow for establishment, growth, seed set and harvest in2001. Transplants for the seed multiplication fields includedplugs grown from seed available from GBUAPCD, andimportantly, plants propagated from rhizomes cut fromflowering female plants, with the goal of increasing theproportion of seed-bearing flowers and, thus, the potential seed

yields of these fields. Due to timing of harvest of the femalerhizomes in the summer of 2000, development of these plugswas less than hoped and took longer than expected even whenthe rhizomes were chilled after harvest and prior to planting atthe greenhouse. As a result, the seed increase field in OwensValley was planted mainly with plugs grown from seed inOctober 2000, resulting in a more even distribution of maleand female plants across the field. Because we could delayplanting the field at Los Alamos with its milder climate untilDecember when the majority of plugs grown from the female

plants were ready, this field was planted alternating four rowsof plants grown from female rhizomes, and four rows withplants grown from seed. Both seed increase fields were plantedmechanically using four row vegetable planters. Harvest of theseed increase fields at Los Alamos in fall of 2001 resulted in theexpected much higher yield due to the greater proportion offemale plants. The biggest challenge to seed production at bothfields was weed control. Saltgrass is apparently a poorcompetitor except in soils with high salinity.

Ultimately, the combination of tactics succeeded inproducing the amount of seed required to plant the project.Had any of the tactics not been implemented, the seed supply

would not have been sufficient. Seed collection from nativepopulations provided the genetic diversity required for survivalon the Playa. The seed increase fields provided the majority ofseed needed for the project. Seed priming was essential forreliable germination at 80%, so that one seed (each the size ofa grain of sand) could be planted in each transplant cell. The30 million plant plugs were planted in twice-weekly seed dropsin greenhouses and grown for approximately 11 weeks. They

were transported to the Playa starting in July 2002. The plugswere mechanically transplanted much in the manner of manyvegetable crops. However, the plants had to be planted deeperthan vegetables plugs to reach the irrigated zone of the burieddrip system to survive the blazing daytime summertemperatures on the Playa. Eleven mechanical planters wereused to accomplish the planting in four weeks. Saltgrass plantplugs were randomly inspected prior to delivery and again inthe field at planting to make sure that the majority of plantshad the required root development that would insuresuccessful transplanting.

Soil ReclamationIn saline soil, reclamation is the process of reducing salt

concentrations in zones where plant roots must grow. Excess

Saltgrass establishment at Owens Lake at the end of 2004.


continued from previous page


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continued on page 9

salts are carried away by irrigation water moving through thiszone. To move excess salts, the irrigation water salt concentrationmust be lower than that of the soil solution that it displaces.Ultimately, the combination of displacement and mixing mustresult in root-zone salt concentrations within the range toleratedby the young plants.

The irrigation and drainage systems functioned in concert to

transform a small proportion of the dry, saline surface soils on thePlaya into the type of moist, less saline environment in whichsaltgrass thrives. The plants inherent tolerance for salinity is alsocritical; saltgrass requires conditions vastly more hospitable thanthose that occur naturally on most of the Playa, but even theimproved conditions within the successful project wouldpreclude survival of any but the most tolerant plants. Forexample, saltgrass in this project established in soils with 3 to 7times the minimum salt concentration criterion defining a salinesoil.

For a number of equipment reasons, it was decided to plantdirectly over the tubing. To be successful, this required that thearea above the tubingwhich receives less water than areas to

the side or below the tubingnevertheless be reclaimed. Wateronly flows upward in soils as a result of pressure, or within a finepore network when overlying soil is drier. Tillage was the key tocreating the fine-pore network.

The construction schedule resulted in system commissioningduring mid-May 2002, providing about 40 days before the target,1 July planting startup. After startup, more than 1,800 soilsamples were taken from the planting zone over the tube andbetween emitters, and their salinity was measured in a laboratoryconstructed at Owens Lake. These data provided a reasonableestimate of the conditions the least-fortunate plants wouldencounter after planting. During this period of about 40 days,salinity levels in several fields were brought within the targetrange (


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Jul18-22: Salmonid Restoration FederationsBioengineering Field School (Hopland) Instructor: EvanEngber of Bioenginerring Associates.Info: 707.923.7501,[email protected], orwww.calsalmon.org

Jul 28-31: Sierra Nevada Plants: An Introduction toSpecies & Communities (Jepson Herbarium Weekend

Workshop at Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab,Mono County) Instructor: Linda Ann Vorobik.Workshop details: ucjeps.berkeley.edu/wwout_05.html#124 More info: Cynthia Perrine at 510.643.7008 [email protected]

Jul 29-31: Sierra Nevada Alliances 12th AnnualConferenceRegions of the Sierra: Unique and United(Kings Beach, CA)Info: Kathy Haberman at530.542.4546, [email protected]/conference/profile.html

Aug 20-21: Aquatic Plants (Jepson Herbarium WeekendWorkshop at Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, with

field trips to local wetlands) Instructor: Barbara Ertter.Workshop details: ucjeps.berkeley.edu/wwout_05.html#125 More info: Cynthia Perrine at 510.643.7008 [email protected]

Sep 14: Early Registration Deadline for SERCALs 12thAnnual Conference,RESTORING THE HEART OFCALIFORNIA, 19-22 October 2005 at Bass Lake

Oct 4-6: 7th Biennial State of the Estuary Conference(Oakland, CA) sponsored by San Francisco EstuaryProject & California Bay-Delta Authority.Info: SFEP510.622.2398 orwww.abag.ca.gov/abag/events/estuary

Oct 6-8: Cal-IPCs 14th Annual Symposium: PreventionReinvention: Protocols, Information, and Partnerships toStop the Spread of Invasive Plants (California StateUniversity, Chico)Info: www.cal-ipc.org

Oct 19-22: SERCALS 12TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE:RESTORING THE HEART OFCALIFORNIA (The Pines Resort& Conference Center, North Shore, Bass Lake)Info: www.sercal.org


Noteworthy Natural

Resources EventsJun 11 & 18: Pinnacles National Monument Weed PullFests (Volunteer opportunity; special arrangements forgroups of 6 or more). Refreshments provided.Info: Jennat 831.389.4485 x274 or [email protected]

Jun 17-18: Stream Biological Monitoring (Berkeley)Sponsored by UC Berkeley Extension

Info: 510.642.4111 or [email protected]/cat/course793.html

Jun 17-19: Concepts in Applied Wetland Restoration(Jepson Herbarium Weekend Workshop in UC Berkeley& Greater Bay Area) Instructor: John Callaway.Workshop details: ucjeps.berkeley.edu/wwout_05.html#112 More info: Cynthia Perrine at 510.643.7008 [email protected]

Jun 23-24: TMDLs: Total Maximum Daily Loads inCalifornia Rivers (San Francisco) Sponsored by UCBerkeley Extension.Info: 510.642.4111 [email protected] www.unex.berkeley.edu/

cat/course794.html

Jun 24: ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL DEADLINE for SERCALs12th Annual Conference,RESTORING THE HEART OFCALIFORNIA, 19-22 October 2005 at Bass Lake

Jun 24: Overview of Environmental Laws andRegulations (San Francisco) Sponsored by UC BerkeleyExtension.Info: 510.642.4111, [email protected]/ cat/course789.html

Jul 7-10: Plants of Bear Basin Butte Area: EmphasizingConifer Identification (Jepson Herbarium WeekendWorkshop at Six Rivers National Forest, Del NorteCounty) Instructor: John O. Sawyer. Workshop details:ucjeps.berkeley.edu/wwout_05.html#121 More info:Cynthia Perrine at 510.643.7008 or [email protected]

Jul 15-17: SalixIdentification (Jepson HerbariumWeekend Workshop at Sequoia/Kings Canyon NationalParks) Instructor: George Argus. Workshop details:ucjeps.berkeley.edu/wwout_05.html#122 More info:Cynthia Perrine at 510.643.7008 or [email protected]

Do you know of an upcoming event that would be of interest to SERCAL members? Send specifics to Ecesis via [email protected].


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site, so that water logging was generally avoided. Establishedplantings on the remaining 80% of the site tolerated reducedirrigation (as low as 0.20 m/yr) without significant loss of stand,and new plantings succeeded on all but about 8.5 ha (1% of the

site). From 2005 onward, the needs of the poorly drained areaswill be balanced with those of the rest of the site whenscheduling irrigation.

The difficulty of achieving adequate drainage for large-scalevegetation of the playa suggests that irrigation systems thatminimize drainage (e.g., drip) are most suitable for vegetatingthe playa. Wetness during construction prevented subsurfaceplacement of drip tubing in some fields. During the first severalyears of operation, we have observed that surface drip tubing iseasily shifted by high winds or flowing storm water. Deepstaking is helpful, but is time consuming and not entirelyeffective. Applied water may also flow away from abovegrounddrippers, across the soil surface to another location before

infiltrating. Shifting tubing or water flow often stresses or killsthe young plants that are distanced from applied water. Forthese and other reasons, subsurface drip irrigation appears to besuperior to surface placement of drip tubing in this setting.

Actual saltgrass water requirements were evaluated inirrigation reduction trials conducted on the site during 2004.Preliminary results suggest that irrigation before June and after

July was essential to avoid unsustainable plant water stresslevels. However, in most cases even heavily stressed saltgrassmaintained viable rhizomes that can recover when adequate

water is returned. Therefore, temporary, extreme water stress istolerated by established plants, but cannot be sustained if theplant stand and cover are to be maintained in the long term.However, saltgrass exhibited tolerance for reduced irrigation in2004 and continued growing when extreme water stress wasavoided. Restriction of applied water to established vegetation ina 16-hectare block to avoid excessive wetness in the most poorlydrained areas appeared to be a workable strategy, and generallydid not result in extreme plant stress within drier areas withinblocks. Lower levels of applied irrigation water are viable andnecessary in many blocks, which will substantially reduce waterand drainage costs.

At the end of 2003 after 1.5 years of growth, only a fewhundred hectares averaged 50% saltgrass cover. However, sandmotion and associated dust emissions at the site were greatly

reduced. A working hypothesis attributes this to the relativelydense lines of vegetation, spaced every 1.5m over most of the850 hectares. At the end of 2004 after 2.5 years of growth,average saltgrass cover in areas that established well in the firstyear (80% of the site) increased about 20% from the previousyear, despite lower applied water during 2004. There issignificant establishment in areas of initial sparse saltgrass cover,and in areas where replanting was undertaken in spring 2004;most of these areas are expected to attain the requiredvegetation cover by the end of 2006.

The overall approach to wetter areas has included a mixtureof locally enhanced drainage, adaptive irrigation management,and replanting. This approach requires an additional year forsaltgrass establishment in the most poorly drained areas. Over

most of the site, establishment of 50% vegetation cover appearsto require at least two full growing seasons.

Monitoring of soil, plant, and water conditions affectinglong-term sustainability is under way. Halophytes other thansaltgrass are being investigated; however, their ability toeffectively control dust will have to be demonstrated before theycan be planted for this purpose.

Environmental Monitoring and AssessmentBecause of concerns about potential environmental impacts

of operating this facility, LADWP committed to and pursued anaggressive environmental monitoring program, aimed at earlydetection and rapid remedy of significant impacts.

Groundwater, standing water, water supply, drain water, andfood chain organisms were monitored. Wildlife abundance andactivity were observed, and eggs from failed nests were analyzed.To date, the following conclusions have emerged: (1) nosignificant wildlife impacts have been observed, although thegeneral abundance of shorebirds and snowy plover on thelakebed is greatly increased, (2) trace elements do not appear tobioaccumulate to toxic tissue concentrations, (3) bird use of theponds, which are maintained at a very high salinity level, isminimal, and (4) agricultural chemicals, which are generallyapplied at low rates, do not increase naturally occurringconcentrations offsite.

ReferencesDickey J., M. Hall, M. Madison, J. Smesrud, Q. Motte, M. Hart, G. Roland, J.

Jordahl, R. Coles, K. Burton, M. Griswold, R. Harasick, T. DeVorss, and R.

Prittie. 2003. Stabilizing Owens Dry Lake Sur face With IrrigatedSaltgrass. Air & Waste Management Association, 96th Annual

Conference, San Diego, CA, June 22-26, 2003.Dickey J., M. Hall, M. Madison, J. Smesrud, M. Griswold, Q. Motte, M. Hart,

G. Roland, J. Jordahl, R. Harasick, W. Bamossy, R. Coles, Lizanne wheller,

P. Brown, K. Burton, R. Fornelli, I. Anderson, M. Riedel-Lehrke, R. Tiller, J.Richards. 2005. Managing Salt to Stabilize the Owens Playa with

Saltgrass. Proceedings of the International Salinity Forum, Riverside,CA.

Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District. 2003. Owens Valley

PM10 Planning Area Demonstration of Attainment, State

Implementation Plan, 2003 Revision.Holder, G. 2000. Owens Lake Groundwater Data (provided by GBUAPCD

on CD).

Smesrud, J.K, J.B. Dickey, B. Jacob, J.L. Jordahl, R.Z. Jackson, P.D. Brown,

G.C. Roland, and M.F. Madison. 2004. Collection and Reuse of Extremely

Saline Drainwater on Owens Dry Lake. Proceedings of the Eighth

International Drainage Symposium, Sacramento, California, March 21-24, 2004 (pp 469-477).

Soil and Water West. 2000. Soil Survey of Owens Lake. For GBUAPCD.

Stabilizing Owens Dry Lake Surface with Irrigated Saltgrass continued from p. 7


10/12


Full-time or PermanentDomestic Fisheries Observers / Alaskan Observers, Inc.,

Seattle WA. Info & application: David Edick 800.483.7310www.alaskanobservers.com

Ludwigia Control Project Manager / Laguna de Santa Rosa

Freshwater Wetland Complex, Sonoma County.

www.lagunadesantarosa.org/ RMP/Ludwigia/default.htm

Info: Laguna Foundations Exec. Dir. 707.527.9277 [email protected]

Agricultural Biologists / Kern County Agricultural

Commissioners Office

www.co.kern.ca.us/person/app_main.asp#jobs

Stewardship Coordinator / The Big Sur Land Trust. Info:

Susanna Danner, P.O. Box 221864, Carmel, CA 93922;831.625.5523 x104 www.bigsurlandtrust.org

Bouverie Preserve Biologist/Educator Info: Audubon Canyon

Ranch, 4900 Highway One, Stinson Beach 94970,415.868.9244 or [email protected] www.egret.org

Junior or Assistant Research Specialist (Position

#T05-35) / UC Santa Cruz, Center for Agroecology

and Sustainable Food Systems (focus on waterquality and cover crop research and protection along

the Central California Coast). Written application to

Marc Los Huertos, Ph.D., Research Manager, CASFS,UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz 95064.

Position details: Academic Human Resources at831.459.4300 orwww2.ucsc.edu/ahr/employment/

Marine GIS Analyst / National MPA Center Science

Institute Salary, Monterey. Info:

[email protected]

22 Biological Science Technician positions from

GS5 through GS7 levels / US Fish & Wildlife Service

and US Forest Service. Info via online vacancy listingservice: www.avuecentral.com select search forjobs; type biological science technician; and select

California to see available positions.

Volunteer Coordinator (part-time) / Cache Creek

Wild. Resume and cover letter to Chris Morrill byemail (word attachment) at

[email protected]

EDAW seeks two restoration ecologists to join its thrivingecological restoration practice based in Sacramento, California.

The successful candidates will be an integral part of EDAWsregionally successful and steadily expanding restoration ecologypractice. Work will include landscape-level restoration and

watershed planning, as well as site-specific restoration design forprojects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, CentralValley, Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Staff Restoration EcologistResponsible for assistance with fieldevaluations, restoration plans, and other field and writingassignments.Minimum requirements: BS in Ecological Restorationor a related field; 2-4 years of consulting experience preferred.

Mid/Senior Restoration EcologistResponsible for managing and

securing projects related to ecological restoration and workingwith a variety of team members in a collaborative setting.Minimum requirements: BS in Ecological Restoration or a relatedfield and 6 years of consulting experience is preferred, but non-consultant candidates with relevant experience will be considered.

Forward a resume with references and salary history to: EDAWINC, 2022 J Street, Sacramento CA 95814, fax: 916.414.5850,[email protected]

. . . . . . . Job Hotline . . . . . . .The following information, received via Cal-IPCs CalWeedJobs Listserv is posted for information only.SERCAL has not researched or validated the information provided by the potential employer. For

additional job opportunity information, visitwww.sercal.org/jobs/listing.htm

Intern or SeasonalSeasonal Water Conservation Aide / Seasonal Watershed Aides-

Vegetation Management, Martin Municipal Water District, 220

Nellen Ave. Corte Madera.24 Hour Job Hotline 415.945.1433;General info: www.marinwater.org

Biological Resources Assessment Internship / Calif. Energy

Commission (CEC), Sacramento. Info: Mr. Chris Tooker

916.653.1634 or [email protected]

Temporary Field Ecologists / The Grand Canyon Trust(sampling of vegetation community and soil characteristics on

Kane and Two Mile ranches, north of the Grand Canyon, May-

August). Info & application: Ethan Aumack, Grand Canyon Trust,2601 N. Fort Valley Rd., Flagstaff AZ, 86001 or

[email protected]

Public Outreach Intern (part-time) / Cache Creek Wild. Resume

and cover letter to Chris Morrill by email (word attachment) [email protected]


11/12


Your SERCAL MembershipJust Got Better

SERCAL members may now receive a discounted rate, plus direct subscription service to thejournal Ecological Restoration, published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

A one-year, 4-issue subscription for $43 (print and online) may be initiated at any time duringthe 2005 calendar year by logging onto the UW Press Journals website with your credit cardinformation: www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/journals

SERCALs website www.sercal.orgwill carry a direct link to the Ecological Restoration page onthe UW Press Journals website. SERCAL will not be involvedin handling payments; members will instead deal directly with the publisher.

You may also subscribe by mail, phone or fax:

The University of Wisconsin Press, Journals Division1930 Monroe Street, Madison WI 53711Phone: 608.263.0668 Fax: 608.263.1173 Or toll-free 800.258.3632

Subscribe today Dont miss this unique membership opportunity !

Ecological Restoration is theleading publication forpeople throughout the world

who are committed torestoring the biologicaldiversity of the Earthsecosystems.

In each quarterly issue,subscribers will find:Peer- and editorially-reviewed feature articles;

Short notes that keepreaders up-to-date onrestoration projects andorganizations throughoutthe world;

Abstracts of importantarticles from 100+ sources;

Book and website reviews &a calendar of upcomingmeetings

SERCAL 2005 MembershipApplication/Renewal Form

Annual Membership DuesSERCALs newsletter, Ecesis, is received with all rates.

Student ______. $15.00

Individual ______. $30.00

Joint Individual

SERCAL + Cal-IPC ______ $55.00

SERCAL + CNGA ______ $65.00

All 3 organizations ______ $95.00

Sustaining Individual ______ $100.00 *

Contributing Business ______ $250.00 *

Sustaining Business ______ $500.00 *

Summit Circle ______ $1000.00 *

*Receive quarterly recognition in Ecesis.

The following members receive additional benefits:

Copies of each No. of discounted ratesCategory Ecesis issue ** at SERCAL events

Contributing Business 3 3

Sustaining Business 4 4

Summit Circle 6 6

**When completing membership forms, you may designate

specific individuals to be included on the mailing list.

_____________________________________________________________NAME DATE

_____________________________________________________________COMPANY/AFFILIATION

_____________________________________________________________ADDRESS

_____________________________________________________________CITY ZIP COUNTY

_____________________________________________________________PHONE EMAIL

Complete form, enclose check payable to SERCAL and mail to:

SERCAL Administrative Office, 2701 20th St., Bakersfield CA 93301

Cal-IPC California Invasive Plant Council / CNGA California Native Grassland Association


12/12

The California Society forEcological Restoration - SERCAL2701 20th StreetBakersfield CA 93301

Return Service Requested

2005 SustainingIndividual MembersDr. Alice A. Rich, A. A. Rich &Associates, San Anselmo

Martha Blane, Martha Blane &Associates, San Marcos

David B. Kelley, Kelley &

Associates EnvironmentalSciences, Inc., Davis

Paul Kielhold, Lilburn Corp.,San Bernardino

Bo Glover, EnvironmentalNature Center,Newport Beach

Michael Hogan, IERS, Inc.,Tahoma

2005 ContributingBusiness Members

Hedgerow Farms, John Anderson, WintersSanta Clara Valley Water District,

Environmental Planning Unit, DebraCaldon, San Jose

Pacific Restoration Group, John Richards,

CoronaEDAW, Inc., SacramentoZentner & Zentner, John Zentner, Oakland

Full Circle Compost, Craig Witt,Minden, NV

Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency,Peter E.F. Buck

Santa Clara Valley Water District,Environmental Planning Unit, Linda Spahr,San Jose

S&S Seeds, Bruce Berlin & Jody Miller,Carpinteria

Welcome! to our

New Membersthrough 10 May 2005

Cynthia Roye, CA Dept. Parks& Recreation, Sacramento

Paul Amato, San FranciscoRegional Water QualityControl Board

Tom Maloney, Orange County,HarborsBeaches & Parks

Dan Airola, Jones & Stokes,Sacramento

Alac Anderson, Santa BarbaraNatives, Gaviota

Angelika Brinkmann Busi,San Pedro

Alison Stanton, South LakeTahoe

Ingrid Hogle, UC DavisEmily Walter, Friends of the

Dunes,ArcataKerry McWalter, EDAW, Inc.,

San Francisco

And many thanks to our

Documents

Ecesis Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ California Society for Ecological Restoration