Restoration of Priority Freshwater Wetlands for Endangered Species at the Consumnes River Preserve

Restoration of Priority Freshwater Wetlands for Endangered Species at the Consumnes River Preserve

In 2015 the US Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento County, and the Nature Conservancy implemented the Badger Creek Restoration Project. The project was intended to be phase I of a larger restoration effort within Horseshoe Lake Unit, the neighboring Bjelland Unit to the east, and other Cosumnes River Preserve (Preserve) owned lands along Badger Creek. The Horseshoe Lake portion of the 2015 project involved the construction of a 5 acre perennial wetland by removing highly invasive, non-native Uruguayan water primrose (Ludwigia hexapetala) and its associated biomass, and the enhancement of approx. 2.5 acres of upland aestivation habitat. The Bjelland portion of the project involved the restoration of5 acres of ruderal agricultural land adjacent and a channelized section of Badger Creek to a more natural floodplain and adjacent upland configuration. The proposed project would continue the collaboration between the County, BLM, and USFWS within the Horseshoe Lake Unit, Assessor Parcel 134-0280-084. The BLM is the land managing partner for County owned lands at the Preserve and therefore would be the lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance. The BLM would also act as the Project Manager throughout both the implementation and pre- and post-monitoring phases of the project. Sacramento County would be the lead agency for CEQA compliance and would act as the Grant Manager. for funding secured for project implementation and monitoring. the USFWS has contributed to the project via grant funding from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The proposed project would be, in essence, phase II of the restoration and enhancement of aquatic and upland habitat for the federally and state-listed "threatened" giant garter snake (GGS) (Thamnophis gigas), and other native CA species within the Unit. This parcel is located immediately to the east of CA Hwy 99 at Dillard Road, and is hydrologically connected by Badger Creek to a documented population of GGS. The project area is located less than 1,200 meters from this existing population. The proposed project would expand upon the 2015 restoration site, using the same methodologies as those successfully implemented in the previous project. Additionally, herbicidal treatments would be used to control primrose infestation in the rest of the 110-acre lakebed. The proposed improvements to Horseshoe Lake and the surrounding uplands within the project area (along with the 2015 5-acre perennial wetland) would create approx. 110 acres of protected, wetland habitat suitable for GGS, along with 10 to 15 acres of enhanced upland habitat. Many other species would also benefit from the restoration project including federal trust species of migratory waterfowl and waterbirds, and state listed species like the western pond turtle (Emys Marmorata), and greater sandhill crane. Excavators, self-propelled belly scrapers, and/or tractors equipped with tow-behind scrapers would be used to remove approx. 88,000 cubic yards (cy) of primrose biomass from the 20-acre seasonal wetland and the 10-acre perennial wetland in order to restore the open-water habitat required by GGS for their survival and recovery. A temporary access road would be mowed from Dillard Road south to the project site to facilitate access for the heavy equipment, and ensure adherence to seasonal fire restriction policies. the access road would be approx. 12 to 15 feet wide, and would only be mowed, not graded, to minimize ground disturbance. The spoils (i.e., the primrose biomass) that are removed from the open-water foraging areas would be deposited in areas adjacent to the lake to the north and east, in order to create additional upland aestivation and hibernaculum sites for GGS. These spoil piles would be left in place to create micro habitat sites for GGS and other species that may utilize the project site (e.g., western pond turtles) The goal for the proposed herbicidal treatment of primrose throughout the 100-acre lakebed, in the areas surrounding the newly constructed wetlands, would not be complete eradication; rather, the goal would be to gain control of the primrose infestation so that it can be managed and maintained at more biologically and ecologically relevant levels. in order to accomplish this while reducing staff and chemical inputs into the lake and surrounding watershed, no more than 1/3 of the lakebed would be treated per year, and then in subsequent years only maintenance treatments would be required. If full funding is received, herbicide treatments would also be applied on portions of the surrounding uplands to control infestations of yellow star- thistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and other upland weed species. These treatment would be conducted in accordance with the BLM's March 2015 EA for the Integrated Weed management Program at the Cosumnes River Preserve. If grant funding is not received, the project partners would modify the project by reducing the depth, area, and/or cubic yardage of primrose biomass to be removed from the lakebed in portion to the funding already secured.

Galt

Sacramento