Restoration of Desert Riparian, Wash, and Marsh Wetland ... · Coachella Canal – Source of Water to Coachella Valley Purpose of this Project: ... • San Luis Rey Settlement Parties

Restoration of Desert Riparian,

Wash, and Marsh Wetland

Communities Affected by the Lining

of the Coachella Canal: Partnerships and Strategies that WorkPartnerships and Strategies that Work

Carla ScheidlingerRestoration Ecologist

AMEC Earth & Environmental9210 Sky Park Ct., Ste. 200

San Diego, CA, 92123carla.scheidlinger @amec.com

858.300.4311

2009 National Conference on Ecological RestorationJuly 20 - 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California

Coachella Canal Lining Project (CCLP)

It’s All About Water

In order for California to stay within its allotment for Colorado River water, it entered into a Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) that included the Coachella Canal Lining Project (CCLP). This project requires a complex environmental mitigation

Scheidlinger - NCER Conference, Los Angeles, CA 2

a complex environmental mitigation effort, requiring the development and management of restoration and mitigation activities in a desert environment that involved multiple stakeholders.

Colorado River Water Is Carried North

to Supply a Diverse Agriculture


Dos Palmas Mitigation Area

Source: USBR CCLP FEIS/FEIR 2001

Coachella Canal – Source of Water to Coachella Valley

Purpose of this Project:• Complete the lining of the remaining 34

miles of earthen canal in order to conserve 30,000 acre-feet/year of water

Coachella Canal:• Canal 123 miles long, built in 1940s to

bring Colorado River water to the Coachella Valley

• Initially unlined except for final 40 miles• Additional 49 miles lined in 1980s


conserve 30,000 acre-feet/year of water lost to leakage.

Key Agency Partners• CA Dept of Water Resources (CDWR)

– Partially funded the CCLP under California Water Code and the QSA

• Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD)– CEQA Lead Agency, constructed project and is responsible for mitigations

• US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)– Federal agency that owns the Canal; lead federal agency for NEPA

• San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA)– Benefits from the water under the QSA, pays for mitigations

• San Luis Rey Settlement Parties (SLR Parties)– Recipient of a portion (17%) of the conserved water to resolve claim with federal


– Recipient of a portion (17%) of the conserved water to resolve claim with federal government; also are to pay 17% of net additional O and M

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)– Controls some of the land, carries out some of the mitigation projects

• Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM)– Owns and manages some of the land

• United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)– Regulates impacts to federally listed species affected by the project

• California Department of Fish and Game CDFG)– Regulates impacts to state listed species affected by the project

Environmental Impacts of Lining the Canal

• Direct loss of mature desert wash trees during construction

• Gradual drying of several thousand acres of desert riparian habitat along length of canal

• Loss or potential loss of marsh/ aquatic habitat associated with canal leakage


Anticipated reduced production of flowing wells,

and changes in sub-surface hydrology


Species-related impacts

Potential effect on

endangered Yuma clapper

rail, California black rail, and

desert pupfish within the

Bureau of Land

Rail habitat


Bureau of Land

Management’s Dos Palmas

Area of Critical

Environmental Concern

(ACEC) and Salt Creek

watershed

Pupfish habitat

100% Loss of

Marsh/Riparian

Vegetation (pink)

100% Loss of

Marsh/Riparian

Vegetation (pink)

Increase in Salt

Cedar (orange)

Increase in Salt

Cedar (orange)

50% Reduction in Marsh

Vegetation (light green)

50% Reduction in Marsh

Vegetation (light green)

BOR modeled predictions for impacts following

canal lining


Vegetation (pink)Vegetation (pink)

50% Reduction in Salt

Creek Riparian

Vegetation (light blue)

50% Reduction in Salt

Creek Riparian

Vegetation (light blue)

Source: USBR CCLP

FEIS/FEIR 2001

No Change in

Vegetation (dark

green)

No Change in

Vegetation (dark

green)

CCLP Mitigation Requirements

• Replace mature desert wash trees• Restore desert riparian habitat – 352.5

acres• Create additional marsh/aquatic habitat –

17 acres• Maintain existing Dos Palmas habitat

resources for sensitive species:– core marsh/aquatic habitat – 105 acres.

– Protect desert pupfish habitat


– Protect desert pupfish habitat

– Maintain average annual flow of 623 ac-ft at USGS Salt Creek gauging station

Partnerships at WorkDevelopment of Mitigation Activities

Coachella Canal Lining Project Coordinating

Committee (CCLPC)• Legal representation for implementation and

management: consists of implementing agencies (CVWD and SDCWA and independent chairperson vote)


(CVWD and SDCWA and independent chairperson vote)

Biological Working Group (BWG)

• Environmental resource input to Committee from

resource agencies, key landowners and CCLP staff

relating to mitigation effectiveness and efficiency

Large Tree Replacement• Select sites

• Habitat assessments

• Perform pilot project

• Install trees –2500 to

survive after 5 years


• Maintain and monitor

for 5 years

Created Marsh• Design a 17-acre project

at Dos Palmas

• Permitting and Agency

Approval

• Construct: August 2009

• Plant: winter 2009 – 2010


• Manage and Monitor – for

one full year

Desert Riparian Restoration

• BLM responsible, with BWG

direction

• Select reference sites

• Determine methods

• Select potential restoration sites


• Select potential restoration sites

• Implement restoration activities –

passive at this time

Adaptive Management of Sensitive Habitats

• Development of monitoring and adaptive management plans

• Agency approvals

• Monitoring for rail presence


presence

• Monitoring for pupfish presence

• Monitoring for rail habitat quality

• Monitoring for pupfish habitat quality

• Monitoring for changes in marsh habitat quality and quantity

Rail, Pupfish, and Marsh Habitat Surveys

The image cannot be displayed. Your computer may not have enough memory to open the image, or the image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.


Successes and Challenges

• Good “bang for the buck”

ratio by concentrating

mitigations at Dos

Palmas

• Agency cooperation at

• Complex surface and

groundwater hydrology

with slow response time

• Resolving differences in

managing for habitat vs.


• Agency cooperation at

the outset

• Competent leadership

and representation

• Cost-effective approach

that provides good

resource enhancement

managing for habitat vs.

managing for species

• Complexities of land

ownership and authority

• Meeting timetables for

success

Adapt to unforeseen effects…


Desert Riparian restoration actions using salt cedar control results in marsh habitat!

Applicability to Other Projects

• Find areas that have diverse and multiple potentials for mitigation

• Don’t be afraid of multiple jurisdictions

• Keep the agencies in the same room on a regular basis, and keep good notes of the meetings


and keep good notes of the meetings

• Track the progress of the mitigation activities in a transparent fashion

• Everyone gets to claim credit for some successes

• Opportunity to learn from adaptive management actions, in a larger mitigation framework

Questions?


Documents

Restoration of Desert Riparian, Wash, and Marsh Wetland ... · Coachella Canal – Source of Water to Coachella Valley Purpose of this Project: ... • San Luis Rey Settlement Parties