Projects

PROJECTS

King Farm and Vineyards, Ukiah Valley, Mendocino County
The King Farm is the site of the largest riparian habitat restoration in the Russian River watershed. The ranch borders the Russian River, south of the City of Ukiah. The Russian River in Mendocino County has been significantly affected by Coyote Dam and Lake Mendocino. Constructed in 1959, Coyote Dam altered the flows in the Russian River to create a water supply for Sonoma County and flood control for the City of Ukiah. Impounding a river behind a dam impounds the sediment supply of the river and alters winter flood flows. Over time, the river is starved of its sediment supply and erodes its bed and banks, incising the channel into its floodplain. The floodplain, or flat valley area next to the river channel, is where flood flows spread out and slow down. As the channel incises or downcuts, the floodplain remains above the channel and is infrequently flooded. Most of the high-velocity winter flows are confined in the deep, incised channel, further increasing incision. On the Russian River in Mendocino County, the river channel has incised 20 to 25 feet into its floodplain, eroding fish habitat and riparian forest. River banks are 20 feet tall and as they are undercut and fail, remaining riparian habitat is lost. The incision process will continue until the slumping banks re-create a new lower-elevation floodplain where floodflows can spread out and slow down. However, on the Russian River, the lack of sediment supply makes re-establishment of a new floodplain within the incised channel difficult.

At the King Farm, a major floodplain re-creation and riparian forest revegetation project was implemented in 2003 as part of the Fish Friendly Farming program.

The project excavated a new, lower elevation floodplain, closer in elevation to the the incised channel of the Russian River. The excavated dirt was use to create 3.5 acres of vineyard terrace. Then over 1,200 native riparian tree seedlings were planted in the 8.3 acre excavated area. Native trees included willow, cottonwood, box elder, valley oak, Oregon ash and others.
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La Ribera & Haiku Ranch, Ukiah Valley, Mendocino County
Willows being planted at Morrison Creek	La Ribera and Haiku Ranch border the Russian River and Morrison Creek. Morrison Creek is highly affected by the incision in the Russian River (see King Farm project above) and at the time the Farm Conservation Plan was completed in 2002, supported very little riparian cover.

	Prior to attempting any planting, groundwater levels beneath Morrison Creek, downstream of the Old River Rd. bridge were monitored in 2000 and 2001 using shallow wells. Groundwater levels dropped 6-8 feet in 30 days once the water level in the Russian River was reduced by the dam operations in spring. Since the channel of the Russian River represents the lowest point in the valley, all the groundwater in the valley's tributary creeks drains to this point. With the 20-25 feet of channel incision in the Russian River, combined with the reduction in releases from Coyote Dam, the groundwater beneath Morrison Creek drained quickly, de-watering the riparian zone. Traditional willow planting methods into the surface foot of the creek floodplain would not be successful because of the rapid drop in groundwater levels. Therefore, deep trenching of willow was used.

	In February 2001, a backhoe cut a 6-8 foot deep trench on the floodplain adjacent to the low-flow channel and 10 ft. dormant willow poles were placed and the trench was refilled. The willow sprouts roots at a lower elevation and chases the declining groundwater from this deeper starting elevation. The following year, nearly all 100 willow poles had leafed out and survived through the summer. The majority of these willows are growing in 2004.
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