River Partner JOURNAL • Page �

JournalFall 2009 • Vol. 5, Issue 3

Geese in flight. Photo byTerrance Emerson.

In This Issue

River Partners Launches Enhanced Science Website

Vegetation on Levees:A Botanist’sPerspective

Annie B’s CommunityChallenge is On

Paddles In! NextRiver Tour:September 20

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California Riparian Restoration HandbookSecond Edition Now Available

Consumnes River. Photo by Don Mace.

River Partners’ Senior Restoration Ecologist,

Tom Griggs, Ph.D., has just completed the second edition of the California Riparian Habitat Restoration Handbook under the cover of the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. The Handbook provides an in-depth planning framework for professionals charged with implementing riparian conservation projects: project managers, land managers, planners, regulators, and funders

The second edition, which has doubled in size, offers an expanded treatment of the fundamental ecological issues to consider for successfully producing quality wildlife habitat. It contains additional graphics and case studies that illustrate its framework in bioregions throughout the state. Specifically, it provides guidelines to achieve success for wildlife usage based on site-specific conditions – soils and hydrology – while considering public safety objectives.

Additional topic covered are:What partnerships, permits, tools and resources are required to implement a restoration project? Which field methods should be used to ensure the greatest success given a site’s soils and hydrologic setting? What works and doesn’t work in restoration?

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California Riparian HabitatRestoration Handbook

Second EditionJuly 2009

F. Thomas Griggs, Ph.D., Senior Restoration Ecologist

River Partnerswww.RiverPartners.org

Aerial view of riparian restoration in progress at the Drumheller Slough Unit of the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tom Griggs, River Partners.

Continued on page 6.

Page � • River Partner JOURNAL

580 Vallombrosa Ave. Chico, CA 959�6 Modesto, CA 95354Ph: 530.894.540� Ph: �09.5��.�700Fx: 530.894.�970 Fx: �09.5��.73�7

info@riverpartners.org • www.riverpartners.orgThe Journal is published quarterly by River Partners, a 50�(c)(3) not-for-profit public benefit corporation. Our mission is to create wildlife habitat for the benefit of people and the environment.

Page 2 • River Partners JOURNAL

Staff

Board of Directors Kathy Barrett, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butte Co.John Carlon, Sierra Cascade Blueberry FarmKen Grossman, Sierra Nevada Brewing CompanyAllen Hackett, Hackett Farming Mark Kimmelshue, Legacy AssociatesTom Lando, Lando & Associates Suellen Rowlison, R.N. Irving Schiffman, CSUC, Political ScienceMonroe Sprague, M.D.

Message from the Board Chair

Chico Staff:John Carlon, PresidentTad Alexander, Chief Operations OfficerAmanda Freeman, Deputy DirectorJulie Pokrandt, Development DirectorMona Cross, Executive AssistantDeborah McLaughlin, ControllerJessica Bourne, Chief Financial OfficerDr. Tom Griggs, Senior Restoration Ecologist Helen Swagerty, Senior Restoration BiologistMichael Rogner, Restoration BiologistMichelle Boercker, Restoration BiologistJessica Hammond, Restoration Biologist Meghan Gilbart,Restoration FellowRuben Reynoso, Jr., Restoration Field Manager Joe Green, Manager of Operations and Logistics Daniel Zepeda, Assistant Field Manager

Field Technicians:Eligio HernandezGerardo SandovalFrancisco Jauregui Jared Hicks Luis Velasquez Jose Granados

Modesto Staff:Julie Rentner, Restoration Ecologist Chris Stevenson, Restoration Biologist Stephen Sheppard, Restoration Field Manager Salvador Barragan, Field Foreman Abelino Valdovinos-Rubio, Field Technician Feliciano Degante, Field Technician

Newsletter design & layout: Tempra Board

By Irv Schiffman

JOURNAL printed on recycled paper.

A Riparian Restoration Handbook

As more and more communities and individuals come to understand the importance of riparian restoration and the multiple benefits that

result from restoration activity – enhancing ecological, social and economic values – restoration activity has increased throughout the country. Moreover, the lessons of Katrina and the challenges posed by climate change have led to further appreciation of the significance of floodplains and the real and potential consequences of their decline.

While restoration activity has increased, it has not always been accomplished in the best manner. Properly carried out, riparian restoration is a science –some might call it an art – encompassing research, planning, implementation, maintenance and monitoring techniques. Careless or improper restoration can fail to achieve the objectives sought and may, in fact, contribute to further denigration of the riparian area or river channel.

For such reasons and more, the second edition of California Riparian Habitat Restoration Handbook should be welcomed by “anyone responsible for writing a proposal for a riparian restoration project, anyone beginning to implement the project, or those responsible for compliance and mitigation monitoring of such a project.” The Handbook gathers in one convenient publication “all of the elements of a site-specific riparian restoration project that must be addressed in order for a project to be successful.”

The author of the Handbook is River Partners Senior Ecologist, Tom Griggs. Tom has been involved in the planning and implementation of restoration projects in the Central Valley for more than 20 years. The Handbook reflects the collective experience of Tom, his River Partners colleagues, and the public and private agency members who reviewed both the first and second drafts of the publication. Tom was closely assisted in preparing the second edition of the Handbook by our Irvine Restoration Fellow, Meghan Gilbart.

The Handbook, of course, sets forth the essential planning, ecological and design aspects of the restoration process. Readers will also find most useful a five-page table summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of using particular implementation methods. A valuable series of case studies illustrate how the restoration process is used in different riparian locations while focusing on specific restoration objectives

No restoration project can proceed without obtaining the necessary permits and this can be a complex and frustrating endeavor. The Handbook details the pre-project approval permits and the implementation permits that are necessary for various projects and the agencies responsible for their administration.

The Riparian Habitat Joint Venture, a coalition of environmental organizations and government agencies, identified a need for guidelines for planning and implementing riparian restoration projects. River Partners took on the task of preparing such a publication. That Handbook is now available and its distribution and use will, I am certain, contribute to the improvement and success of restoration projects in California and beyond.

River Partners JOURNAL • Page 3

Project UpdatesWelcome New Staff

Michelle Boercker joined the River Partners team as a Restoration Biologist in June 2009. Michelle earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) and a Master’s of Science degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2006). Michelle’s graduate work focused primarily on plant-pathogen and plant-insect interactions. As part of River Partners’ science staff, Michelle is participating in various field monitoring activities, elderberry transplants, and canoe and kayak excursions with the public.

Born in Humboldt County, Amanda Freeman completed her undergraduate work in Environmental Science and International Studies at Northwestern University. In 2000 she started her restoration efforts on California’s rivers through the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project based in Fortuna, CA. After serving as Program Director of the Mattole Restoration Council in Humboldt County, Amanda returned to law school and earned a JD degree from University of Oregon, with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources law and a focus on water law. Amanda is happy to return to California to join River Partners as its Western Regional Deputy Director.

Jessica Hammond joined River Partners as a Restoration Biologist in June 2009. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, Jessica attended CSU Chico where she conducted her master’s thesis research on Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat along the Sacramento River. Jessica is excited to be a new member of River Partners’ staff and is looking forward to gaining more experience with riparian restoration ecology.

Julie Rentner joined the River Partners team as a Restoration Ecologist in January of 2009. Julie has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Forestry from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from the University

of Hawaii, Manoa (2005). She is also a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. Based in River Partners’ Modesto office, Julie has worked to restore the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, interacted with the Endangered Species Recovery Program to develop plantings for the riparian brush rabbit, and conducted restoration planning on the San Joaquin and Kern rivers.

River Partners Expands Website’s Science Content

Collaborating with Tom Griggs, Restoration Fellow, Meghan Gilbart, has worked to package River Partners’ expertise into a format that can help people understand what the organization does for wildlife and for public safety. The information will be distributed on the River Partners’ website and possibly used in other outlets.

Tom Griggs, both before and during his time working for River Partners, has amassed a huge wealth of knowledge about riparian restoration. For 20 years he has learned not only how to grow riparian plants, but how to create forests of wildlife habitat that will improve flood safety through combinations of

individual plants. This knowledge is not easily found in scientific literature, yet is critical to successful riparian restoration design. Restoration design requires an understanding of the structure of individual plants as well as the structure that is formed when certain plants are combined.

Gilbart and Griggs are currently working on two major sections; the first section, Vegetation as Wildlife Habitat, is ready to go on the website and the second section, Vegetation and Flood Conveyance, will be launched soon. Two major goals – the creation of wildlife habitat and the protection from flood damage – are the driving forces behind the restoration designs that River Partners’ creates.

Meghan Gilbart began her year-long fellow position with River Partners in January 2009. She recently earned her masters in biology at CSU Chico, defending her thesis, “The relationship between health of blue elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) and colonization rates of the Valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus) in restored riparian habitat.”

To see this new content, visit: www.RiverPartners.org/riparian-ecology. A sampling of this content appears on pages 4-5 of this issue.

River Partners’ Tours Popular with North Valley Paddlers

River Partners’ Feather River tour (June) and Sacramento River tour (August) drew participants from Solano, Sacramento, and Yolo counties as well as from the North Valley. “We had a kayaking armada floating down the river,” exclaimed one paddler on the Sacramento River. Each float included stops at key points where River Partners’ science staff pointed to examples of river process and ecology.

“More than 50 people registered for each trip and we were managing waiting lists with 10-20 names,” said River Partners staff. Given the great degree of interest in paddling the Central Valley’s rivers, a third trip will take place on September 20, 2009. See announcement on page 8.

Page 4 • River Partners JOURNAL River Partners JOURNAL • Page 5

Restoration Planting Design

A Snapshot of River Partners’ New Science Webpage

www.RiverPartners/riparian-ecology

The recent news from the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) that trees growing on California’s river side levees must be removed for safety reasons caught everyone by surprise. To institute this policy not only would be practically cost prohibitive, it also would devastate critically scarce riverside habitat. In short, it would exact a heavy financial AND environmental price. Some of the ACE’s concerns about trees growing on the levees include: (1) trees and shrubs might hinder inspections and be physically in the way during a flood-fight. This is a very real concern that requires careful management designs for trees and shrubs growing in the side of a levee. (2) Trees and shrubs might shelter rodents while they dig through the levee. Burrowing rodents, such as gophers and ground squirrels, prefer open grasslands without trees and shrubs. Burrowing through the soil full of woody roots is not habitat for these rodents. (3) Roots might grow through the levees and allow flood water to flow through and erode it from the inside-out. Evidence for this is very limited to non-existent. As a professional Botanist (TG), the ACE arguments reflect a lack of understanding of how plants grow.

River Partners works with over 50 tree, shrub and herbaceous plants

in their restoration designs. Each species offers unique resources for wildlife because of its structure, nutritional quality (leaves, flowers, stems, bark etc.) and invertebrate assemblage it attracts. Planting designs can incorporate a mix of species that will attract a high diversity of wildlife because of the multiple cover, nesting, and foraging habitats that are provided.

The structures of trees, shrubs and vines vary in obvious ways such as the height, width and diameters of the main stems. Among trees, shrubs or vines there are more subtle differences, such as the number of main stems and

the angle of branching. Wildlife cue into these subtle differences and select optimal locations for nesting, foraging and cover habitat. You can visit River Partners’ science webpage (www.RiverPartners.org/riparian-ecology) to read more about the structure and wildlife value of each individual plant listed below.

In restoration design, different plant communities are formed by varying

the densities and species used, and by changing the ratio of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species. This gives River Partners the flexibility to create a range of structural features by incorporating multiple canopy layers. Tall trees form the highest canopy layer – the overstory. In riparian plant communities, this layer is formed by mature valley oaks, cottonwoods, sycamores, and black willows. The midstory

In fact, following what botanical science tells us about root development, tree and shrub root growth would improve levee integrity, not compromise it.

Roots are respiring organs. To grow and develop, they require oxygen, moisture, nutrients, and space. Nutrients and soil moisture are required for internal physiological processes and for physical growth. Space within the soil matrix (between soil particles) is essential for the root to grow. Where all four of these conditions—oxygen, moisture, nutrients, space—are met, roots proliferate. When any one of the four is not available, such as in the interior of levees, root growth stops.

In perennial woody plants, root growth develops over the years into a characteristic architecture that must physically support the tree and meet its needs for moisture and nutrients. Most (90 percent) of the root biomass is located in the upper two feet of the soil profile. It is in the upper two feet of the soil profile that the four requirements for root growth are met: the soil is mixed and loosened by invertebrates allowing oxygen and water to percolate into it and the roots to easily grow through it. A decades old tree can have horizontal surface roots many feet beyond its dripline.

is created by immature tall tree species, mid-size trees, and large shrubs. Common midstory riparian plants are box elder, arroyo willow, and oregon ash. Shrubs and vines make up the woody understory, such as coyote brush, elderberry, blackberry, rose and grape. The herbaceous layer is the lowest ground cover and is made up of grasses and non-woody broad leafed plants.

The ratio of trees to shrubs will determine the complexity of the forest canopies. A design with mostly tall trees will create a closed overstory, but this can be broken with clusters of shrubs

to create openings in the forest and introduce a diversity of foliage, fruits and seeds to the habitat.

The density, spacing and type of plants used in restoration design will determine the kind of structures created, and which wildlife will use them for cover and nesting. Shrubs with multiple stems for instance, such as rose and willow, can form dense thickets when several are planted together. Elderberry, which also tends to grow with multiple stems, is a trellising species, and can grow over smaller shrubs when planted close together. The combination of rose and

elderberry create a more densely covered thicket. Vines can take on several growth forms and make connections between different plants and different canopy layers. Both blackberry and grape can spread throughout the forest, climbing over and through plants. Grape often climbs into the upper canopies and forms an overstory. The lateral branching of vines are preferred nesting substrates of many birds, and the dense layers of cover offer protection from predators. The variety of stem sizes, textures and foliage, attract a greater suite of insects which are a basic food source for wildlife.

A restoration planting design in action on the Bear River. Photo by River Partners staff.

Vegetation on Levees: A Botanist’s PerspectiveBy Tom Griggs, Ph.D.

Continuedonpage6.

Page 6 • River Partners JOURNAL

Lead author, Tom Griggs, has been implementing on-the-ground conservation projects in the Central Valley for more than 20 years. During his history, he has seen projects struggle because they failed to account for maintenance needs or even lacked a basic understanding of riparian plants and historic river conditions.

“As opposed to a landscape architecture approach, this handbook lays out an approach grounded in wildlife ecology and informed by maintenance and engineering requirements. Assuming the raw materials are native plants, it guides practitioners and planners on how to design projects for the maximum wildlife benefit based on the specific ecology of the site,” says Griggs.

“The case studies in the appendix are important new additions. Restoration Fellow Meghan Gilbart found real world examples of restoration throughout California and has organized them into a format which illustrates how they follow the planning scenarios outlined in the book,” adds Griggs.

The California Riparian Habitat Restoration Handbook, second edition can be downloaded from River Partners’ website: www.RiverPartners.org. It is a project spearheaded by the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture, a 15 year-old coalition of nonprofit organizations and government agencies responsible for managing the state’s floodplain habitat resources

River Partners, a nonprofit organization, is a member of the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture and has provided lead authorship on the handbook. Over the last 11 years, River Partners has restored more than 6,000 acres of river banks and floodplains, providing critical habitat for wildlife and sustainable solutions for California’s rivers. Its habitat restoration work supports efforts to sequester greenhouse gases, improve water and air quality, recover endangered species, improve public safety, and protect open space.

Trees that grow on the levee will likely grow only into the surface two feet of the levee structure and not into the center where oxygen, moisture and nutrients are much less than at the surface. Thus, the argument that tree roots might grow through a levee and therefore be a source for piping is suspect. Levee soil is very different from the soil on the adjacent floodplain. Levees are constructed to resist the penetration of moisture from rainfall; consequently the interior of the levee is dry and compacted. Contrast this with the soils on the floodplain where loamy soil meets the oxygen, space, nutrient and moisture requirements, trees will develop longer vertical roots to reach the water table.

In fact, since root growth is limited to the surface, a reinforcing structure will develop on levees. Trees roots form a network that functions as a web or net that holds together when under shear stresses, similar to how we use steel rebar to reinforce concrete. Vegetation composed of several species and many individuals growing on a levee will saturate the upper layers of levee with a network of inter-connected roots. The importance of this is that the individuals will physically support each other from the shear stresses from high winds or high flows.

Excavations of the roots systems of native trees (Valley oak, elderberry, willow, box-elder) were carried out on a levee on the Sacramento River near the Sacramento International Airport in the early 1990s. The trees had been growing on the levee for many years. Ground squirrels were present. And the levee had experienced many flood events without leaking or breaking. The researchers dug trenches along side the different trees and carefully mapped their root systems and measured the amount of roots (root length) at different depths below the soil surface. Most of the roots were located in the upper 10 inches of soil on the levee. The researchers could find no evidence of roots nor rodent burrows that extended through the levee.

Plant roots have special requirements for their growth: oxygen, moisture, nutrients, and space. While these conditions exist in the rich soils of the floodplain, inside a levee it is a different story. The soil that makes up the levee is compacted so there is little space for the root to grow into and there is no moisture to support its growth. Thus, it is not clear how a root might grow completely through the levee. Furthermore, with most of the root network occupying the upper layer of soil, the levee surface is reinforced so that it can withstand greater shear forces.

Continued from Page 1. Continued from Page 5.

Handbook Second Edition Available

Vegetation on Levees:A Botanist’s Perspective

Opportunities for Using Vegetation to Improve Levee Stability. Revegetated levee at the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by River Partners.

What do you want to leave for the next generation?Failing levees, Global warming, Vanishing salmon runs, Declining

water supply….River Partners’ work helps address many of the environmental crises

facing our region today. With your help we can continue developing key projects along California’s river – restoration projects that provide numerous benefits:

• Flood and erosion control• Habitat for fish and birds• Clean air and water• Sequestration of green house gases• Natural areas for outdoor recreation

Between August 1 and September 30, your membership contribution will earn bonus funds for River Partners.

The good news is that when you make a donation to RIVER PARTNERS through the Annie B’s Community Drive, we can take advantage of this challenge grant program from North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF).

The NVCF has committed to granting up to $100,000 to participating nonprofits. In order to receive a portion of these funds RIVER PARTNERS needs to raise money from our friends from August 1 through September 30. After September 30, NVCF will tally the total amount raised by all participating nonprofits and determine the percentage grant that River Partners’ supporters earned for us.

River Partners needs members to support and help continue our critical work along California’s rivers.

These donations must be sent to the NVCF earmarked for RIVER PARTNERS.

Checks are made out and mailed to:

Annie B’s/RIVER PARTNERSC/O North Valley Community Foundation3120 Cohasset Road, Suite 8Chico, CA 95973

Contributions can be made online at www.nvcf.org.

River Partners JOURNAL • Page 7

River Partners Fund Raiser on Saturday, September 19th at the Chiropractic Clinic.

“One of my favorite charities that I donate to every year is River Partners. They are a locally based company working to restore the wildlife habitat and flood zones of California’s central valley rivers. The future of our wildlife and fish population, the ability to control flood and erosion, and the quality of our water is dependent on this riparian habitat. I personally love the Sacramento River, and appreciate its natural beauty and the abundance of wildlife that it supports. This year I want to increase my donation, and so I’m asking for your help.

Saturday, September 19th I will be working for donations only. Come in and get adjusted and make a donation (suggested $40) to this worthy cause. For every dollar that is donated, I will match funds. Every dollar that we donate together will earn bonus funds through the Annie B’s Community Drive. This is a great way to feel better and to have your charitable dollars go further.”

Chiropractic Clinic of Dr. Edwards670 Rio Lindo Ave.Chico, CA 95926(530) 892-1884

Annie B’s Community Drive: Donate from August 1 through September 30, �009 ONLY:

• Online at: www.nvcf.org through the Annie B’s link., or,• Send checks made out to:“Annie B’s/ River Partners”

c/o NVCF, 3��0 Cohasset Rd. Suite 8, Chico, CA 95973

Name __________________________________________________

Business Name (if applicable) ________________________________

Address _________________________________________________

City _________________________ State _______ Zip____________

Phone ______________ E-mail_______________________________

Become a River Partner or Make a Special Gift

Other ways to support River Partners, especially AFTER September 30, 2009:

• Adopt-a-Tree • Make a Tribute or Memorial Donation • Donate on-line: visit www.RiverPartners.org, click on “support us.” Or send checks, made out to River Partners, to: River Partners, attn: Development, 580 Vallombrosa Ave. Chico, CA 959�6

A Challenge to Our Friends!Annie B’s Community Drive Benefits River Partners

From the Chiropractic Clinic of Dr. Edwards: Get Adjusted & Support River Partners

Non-profitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDPermit #9

Redding, CA

580 Vallombrosa Avenue Chico, California 959�6

www.riverpartners.org

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Paddling Season Sacramento River Canoe Tour WithRiver Partners

Bring Your Own Canoe or Kayak, Sunday, September 20, 2009

Paddle down the Sacramento River with Dr. Tom Griggs, River Partners’ Senior Restoration Ecologist. Explore the longest river in California and visit several restoration sites along the way.

Dr. Griggs, who has worked on the Sacramento River for more than 20 years, has a wealth of knowledge to share about this important community resource.

This is a free community event and reservations are required. Skill level is for paddlers who have the endurance for a 2.5 hour tour to cover 4.5 river miles.

Sunday, September 20, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm8:30 am to 9:00 am: check-in at launch9:00 am to 9:40 am: cars to the pull-out site & shuttle back to launch9:45 am to 12:15pm: boats on the river

Sacramento River • Butte City, Glenn CountyPut in at the Butte City Boat LaunchTake out near the Drumheller Unit(Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge)

What You Need:Your own canoe or kayak, life jackets, and paddling equipmentSunscreen, Water, Bag Lunch, River ShoesMoney for possible parking or launching fees

Shuttling:If your group brings two cars, participants may self-shuttle.River Partners will offer shuttling for a $10 cost-share donation. Please call to reserve shuttle seat.

Reservations & Information:Call (530) 894-5401 ext 222Email jpokrandt@riverpartners.orgVisit www.RiverPartners.org

Support River Partners with Your Everyday Purchases

Share your passion and donate to River Partners with your everyday purchases. We’ve partnered with Capital One® Card Lab Connect to bring you our newest fundraising program, which helps us earn money effortlessly every day! Just carry one of our custom credit cards (it comes with a competitive rate and no annual fee), and 1% of purchases made with the card will be donated to our organization. We’ll also receive a $25 bonus donation when you make your first purchase. And not only will you be donating to our cause with each purchase, you’ll be helping to spread the word when people see your unique card, designed specifically for River Partners.

Apply today! www.CardLabConnect.com/riverpartners

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