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Project Description Purpose and Objective As a first step in developing a cooperative erosion control plan for the watershed, the FRCRM Committee decided to initiate a small demonstration project in 1985 in the headwaters of the watershed (later called the Red Clover Creek Erosion Control Demonstration Project). Project objectives were:
The demonstration project was undertaken by FRCRM to provide an on-the-ground demonstration of erosion control methods. PG&E’s Research and Development Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection provided a significant portion of the funds for design, construction, and follow-up studies, as well as technical support and project planning. SCS (recently renamed the Natural Resources Conservation Service) provided design and construction oversight for the check dams. DWR and the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) assisted with monitoring studies and fence building. PNF provided access to control sites, materials and labor for construction, and technical assistance with project design. Project implementation was managed by Plumas Corporation, a local nonprofit economic development organization. Site access and rock sources for construction were provided by the private ranch owner. The FRCRM Committee selected a degraded one-mile stretch of Red Clover Creek as the demonstration site (Figure 3-1). This privately owned reach of the creek, located in a relatively flat, alluvial portion of Red Clover Valley, had severe erosion problems typical of much of the region. The valley sits at an elevation of about 5,400 feet and is located on the east side of the Sierra Nevada crest, approximately 60 miles north of Truckee and 30 miles southeast of Quincy in Plumas County (Lindquist, McCalla, and Filmer 1994). It is 6 miles long and 2 miles wide, has a drainage area of 75 square miles, and is
surrounded by sparsely timbered lands administered by PNF. The climate is relatively dry, with highly variable annual precipitation (16-inch annual average), and sandy loam/silt soils are generally classified as poor to fair (Mitchell 1986). Prior to 1880, the upper portion of Red Clover Creek was reported as a narrow, stable channel with a well-developed riparian zone comprising hardwoods, sedges, and willows that protected the streambanks. Continued disturbance over time, particularly roads and heavy grazing by sheep and cattle, weakened and removed riparian vegetation, causing the channel to erode, widen, and cut deeper into the soil (Mitchell 1986; Lindquist, McCalla, and Filmer 1994). By 1985, the actively eroding channel was 50–60 feet wide and had vertical cut banks up to 10 feet high. The lowered water table in the meadows adjacent to the streambank converted the once-productive wet meadows to a dry sagebrush-dominated basin. It contributes large amounts of sediment to the NFFR system via Indian Creek; in the last 30–50 years, about 640,000 cubic yards of sediment was estimated to have washed out (USDA SCS 1989a). The process of channel degradation is not unique to Red Clover Creek. In fact, this process is prevalent in alluvial valleys throughout the Sierra Nevada due to widespread poor land management practices used in the past. This process is characterized in Figure 3-2 and Table 3-1, which visually simplify complex changes that take place from a good condition stable stream to a degraded poor condition channel. These changes can occur over decades or in one major storm event. The key lies in the type and distribution of vegetation, the condition of the surrounding watershed, streambank stability, and hydrogeologic characteristics. Vegetation within the demonstration area predominantly comprises undesirable shrubs and grasses such as sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and cheatgrass; sparse willows, alders, and cottonwoods line old stream channels. Less desirable weedy species replaced many native perennial grasses and forbs due to the impact of historical land use on vegetation and the lowering of the water table from channel downcutting. Vegetation cover and mix of species have greatly declined since the turn of the century in response to limited groundwater storage and variable precipitation. (See Section 5 for more details.) Construction for the demonstration project began in 1985. During its first years, the project served as a focal point for development of a broader regional ECP to reverse the watershed degradation process. An ecological and social success, the project met most expectations and gave the resource management agencies and local community a collaborative working process with which to address resource issues.
Succession of States for Alluvial Valley Bottoms Characteristic of the EBNFFR Watershed
Source: Adapted from Pritchard, 1993, Riparian Area Management: Process for Assessing Proper Functioning Condition After technically evaluating the physical, topographical, and biological characteristics of the site, FRCRM implemented the following (Lindquist and Bowie 1988):
Like many cooperative ventures, the demonstration project attempted to accomplish broad objectives within specific constraints. The FRCRM Committee wanted to be as comprehensive as possible in evaluating the recovery of the stream but was constrained by funding and feasibility issues. The Committee sought to use key monitoring indicators that would respond quickly and dramatically to change and were representative of the variety of resources in the watershed. After much debate, the group decided to pursue the following study elements, which are discussed in this report:
(Section 8)  Project costs are estimated in Table 3-2. In-kind contributions of labor and materials were difficult to assess and so are not included. Estimated Project Costs
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