MINUTES

Feather River Coordinated Resource Management Group

Management Committee Meeting

Reasonable Accommodations: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting please contact the Feather River Coordinated Resource Management Watershed Coordinator at (530) 283-3739.

Upcoming Dates: Management Committee Meeting Jan. 7, 2008, 1pm @ Plumas Corp office

Date: Monday, December 3, 2007

Time: 1:00 pm

Location: Plumas Corporation Office

Members: Chair- Joe Hoffman, absent

Vice Chair- Todd Hillaire

Project & Design Chair – vacant (Need to fill this position for 2008)

Finance Chair– Dennis Heiman, absent

Monitoring Chair– Kevin Pond, absent

Others-Dan Martynn, Holly George, Mark Steffek – all absent; John Kolb

Staff: Jim Wilcox, Leslie Mink, Jessica Albietz – all absent; Terry Benoit, Gia Martynn

Others present: Ryan Nupen, Angie Dillingham, John Hafen

1. Review/Approve minutes from September 2007 meeting; Review/Approve December ‘07 Agenda

September 2007 meeting minutes approved; December agenda revised per John Hafen to address project issues- all approved.

2. Committee Reports

Finance- Dennis Heiman

1. SNC SOG approvals- The CRM was awarded two SOG grants from the SNC to complete the environmental analysis for two projects: Sulphur Creek Bank Stabilization on DePaoli/Seeliger property upstream of Hwy 89 bridge and Sulphur @ Barry Creek. Landowners, DePaoli and Seeliger, paid for completion of environmental surveys this summer. CEQA work will be done this winter/spring. Cross-sectional design surveys were completed on Barry Creek this year with funding from the Highlands Group, owners of Whitehawk Ranch Golf Course. Environmental surveys will be completed this upcoming spring/summer and the CEQA document will be prepared in the fall/winter 2008.

Discussion of projects included fencing off creek by adjacent landowner on the Sulphur Crk. Bank Stabilization project. Recent correspondence with property manager indicated they will be fencing the area off this upcoming year. CRM will not implement project until the fence is in place. Sulphur @ Barry Creek need to work closely with Caltrans; Todd noted it might require a hydraulic analysis and encroachment permit as did the LLC project. Terry said he has been corresponding with Caltrans, but has not developed a final design for review. Discussions to date have involved the placement of six additional culverts under the highway, which Caltrans has said they would install.

2. DOC Watershed Coordinator RFP - Two positions being applied for within the FR Watershed

The CRM is applying for one position and the RCD’s (Sierra Valley and Feather River) are applying for one position collaboratively under North Cal-Neva RC&D. The CRM and RCD’s are coordinating on their applications to show collaboration within the watershed. The RFP breaks the Feather River into three separate watersheds (East Branch NF, Middle Fork, and North Fork), we are both applying for positions under all three watersheds combined. Have received letter of support from Dennis Heiman, RWQCB. Action Item: Ryan Nupen will look into status of Forest Service letter from Joe Hoffman. John K. check on letter from Plumas Co. Public Works.

3. Project Updates-

1. DWR Red Clover Wildlife Presentation – Todd Hillaire Todd gave PPT prepared by Ryan Martin of their preliminary results on wildlife monitoring completed on Red Clover. Pre-project work started in 2004. Project was constructed in 2006. Sampling included small mammals, reptile and amphibian use, and monthly bird surveys. Prelim results show 80 bird species pre-project and 96 species present post-project; waterfowl species doubled with only 3 breeding pre-project and 8 breeding species post-project. No change in number of mammal species detected was noted. As changes in vegetation and habitat continue to occur, expect to see changes in mammal use. DWR will be analyzing the data this winter. Side Note: DWR is currently doing a study on Thompson Creek, east of the Red Clover project. Data collection started in 2005. They have installed a weather station and will be installing gaging stations this upcoming year.

Action Item: It was suggested that DWR look at the wildlife data collected during the 1985 project to compare results. Todd said they would look into including this data.

2. Presentation to Fish & Game Commission by Jim Due to concerns voiced to the Commission regarding flows on Red Clover this summer, Jim Wilcox gave a PPT presentation at the Nov. Commission meeting to explain the project and the contributing factors as to why flows at the bottom of the project ceased this summer from early-August to late-September. Jim explained that flows coming into the project had stopped early August due to the dry year. Other factors included extensive beaver activity in the project area and the newly constructed project was still hydrating the meadow. Surface flows had stopped at the bottom of the project area, but did continue further downstream of Chase Bridge. The presentation was well received and Jim invited the members to tour the project if they were interested. It was asked if we expected this to occur again. Jim said he did not expect this to happen again, but if it was another really dry year we could not predict with 100% certainty that it wouldn’t.

John H. suggested we present the historical perspective of re-watering these meadows (i.e. beaver eradication in 1960’s; adjudicated watershed in 1930’s; trophy fishery in the ‘50’s; etc.). Would be good to locate some historical photos for future presentations.

Action Items: Todd H. asked if the 2007 Notson data had been compared with 2001 data, which was a dry year; will have Jessica look at data. (The closest gage station on Red Clover creek is approx. six miles downstream at Notson Bridge.)

The issue of flows and concerns from downstream landowners with water allocations needs to be further discussed by CRM staff and Mgt. Committee members; put on Jan. 2008 agenda. Angie suggested we involve downstream landowners early in the project development stage to educate and avoid potential problems and/or misunderstandings after project implementation in the future.

3. Construction update – Smith and Little Last Chance- Jim and Leslie will be finishing up construction on Little Last Chance next week; currently working on the North branch; have completed Guidici and East branch. Have been pumping water around work area, but have been working so fast have had problems keeping water ahead of them. Water had stopped flowing below the highway on East branch for about five days, flows resumed last weekend. Work on the meadow portion of Smith Creek has been completed; plan to install culverts at landowner bridge next week. Did not do as much revegetation as would have liked due to limited funds and need to complete project before weather turned. Did spread willow stems over plugs and landowners purchased native grass seed which they spread last week and will seed more in the spring. When water was turned into the remnant channel during construction, flow downstream stopped for about one week while two ponds filled. Groundwater continued to move down valley and sustained the stream channel pools where the fish were. We were alerted to the cease of flows by a downstream landowner and Jessica came out the same day to monitor the situation. Some fish were moved into larger pools. Jessica and Terry monitored the situation until flows resumed. Todd stated he had concerns with the Smith Creek project concerning the size of the plugs, revegetation, use of berms and lack of funding for possible maintenance needs. Terry explained that the plugs are designed to not have overflow, even during extreme events and the plugs are sound; the meadow gradient averages 2%, but not as steep as Little Schneider, which Terry constructed in 1998 and has had no problems with; plan to monitor reveg and do more willow plantings along pond/plug edges next year with volunteers; berm was built to keep high flows from entering a pond and was well-vegetated with willow.

Action Item: John H. said Smith Creek and future urban interface projects needed to be discussed further with Committee members and staff; put on Jan. 2008 agenda.

4. Spanish Crk @ Kellet’s frog concerns-Surveys this summer by wildlife contractor found numerous juvenile yellow-legged frogs in the project area. Although the habitat suggest foothill, USFS telemetry studies upstream classify species as mountain. The MYLF is a candidate species for federal listing and will likely be listed as threatened this upcoming year. Presence of species dictates the need for consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We have also been consulting with the USFS. Mitigations proposed will include early implementation (before mid-August to avoid juveniles) and daily surveys and removal from construction zone. The Spanish Ranch Bridge is on the county books for replacement, but John K. stated there is no set schedule at this time; earliest would be 2-3 years out (2010). It would be good if we could coordinate on the environmental review process and include the proposed bridgework in the analysis. We will continue to work with Public Works on this as we proceed with the CEQA work this winter. DWR has surveyed Spanish Creek from mid- project area to the bottom of the valley. The County is currently completing a topo survey of the bridge site, which will be completed Jan. They do not currently have a bridge design, but John K. said it most likely would be 50-60 feet long (currently 43 feet) with wing walls. The Committee discussed at length the culverts the county has agreed to install as part of the restoration project (the project proposal includes the installation of 10-12 24” culverts on the south side of the bridge to alleviate backwater during high flows and increase bedload movement through the bridge. Suggestions included using an array of culvert sizes (up to 36”) to increase flow capacity; space 1 foot apart vs. 3-4 feet.

Action Item: Schedule TAC meeting in January; using completed surveys look at bridge and culvert placements.

5. Upcoming 2008 projects: Long Valley, Meadow Valley (Spanish and Silver), Boulder- Will be completing CEQA work and permit applications for all projects this winter. Project construction is scheduled from mid-summer through the fall. Will also be completing construction on the Guidici portion of the Raap project at Whitehawk; landowner, Mike Murry, will be providing equipment.
6. Reveg and Greenhouse News- Jessica organized 5 days with the California Conservation Corp crew to assist with reveg work; crews planted willows on Smith Creek, Little Last Chance, and Red Clover, and spread grass seed on Last Chance-Charles. Greenhouse will be up and operating in January; FRC is completing needed maintenance. They are not going to move due to electrical and gas needs. Have organized a Native Plant Propagation Workshop to be taught by Gary Romano this upcoming spring.
7. Grazing of project areas was raised by John H- Need to ensure that a grazing management plan is in place before construction starts. CRM policy on all projects needs to exclude grazing of project areas for three years. Expressed concern with LLC-Guidici project grazing after construction. Clarified that a landowner agreement was signed before construction stating the project area would be rested for up to 3 years, and a fence was being built as we spoke to keep cattle out of the project area.
8. Last Chance-Charles project (Matley/TNC property) John H. will be storing the electric fence and replacing any needed parts for installation next year. Plans to put fence up next spring and recommends resting the project area another year.

Action Item: Need to be sure to coordinate with PNF Range Program on projects within USFS grazing allotments that need to be excluded from grazing during the 2008 season.

4. Monitoring- Kevin Pond- tabled for next meeting

5. Feather River and Sierra Valley RCDs –no updates

6. Other-

§ FRCRM Education updates: Film Festival; Pricing of Watershed Map- Film Festival a success, made approx. $1,000 to use for our Watershed Awareness Campaign. Plan to do again next year. Gia asked for the Committee’s input on pricing of the watershed map. Currently only available at the Visitor’s Bureau for $5. Plan to establish distribution sites in each community. Proceeds will be used to for future printing needs and development of other educational materials. Maps are given to all sixth grades classes each year at no cost. Committee suggested $2; objective is to get the map to as many folks as possible for education purposes. All agreed $5 is too much and would likely keep many folks from picking one up.

Action Item: It was suggested to approach Plumas Rural Electric Coop, Bob Marshall, for future

funding of the sixth grade Watercourse Program.

§ KVIE Program interview; County presentation to Sac River and DOC- County Supervisor, Robert Meacher gave a ppt presentation to Sac River Program recently that resulted in KVIE coming up to look at some our projects. They interviewed Meacher, then Gia took them to Clarks Creek and Red Clover where they interviewed Jim Wilcox. The focus of the program is on flood control and will be aired in January. The same presentation was given to the Director of the Dept. of Conservation, Bridget Luther and her staff last week looking at a holistic approach to watershed management, including fuels mgt. and carbon sequestration. They were very impressed with the work going on in the Upper Feather River Watershed and requested copies of the pre- and post-project photos and data to share with others.

§ AmeriCorp Volunteer starting in January- Kara Rockett will be our volunteer; she worked as an intern for Steve Loheide who conducted the Stanford infrared temperature study on Last Chance, collecting all the field data, so she is familiar with the watershed and will be a great asset this upcoming year.