THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Case Study: Janet Andrews, Reservoir Canyon Landowner

Overview/History

After a flood in 1998 roared through Reservoir Canyon, the banks of San Luis Obispo Creek running through Janet Andrews' yard became extremely eroded. A concerned neighbor contacted the Army Corp of Engineers to take care of the problem. Fearful of being in trouble, Janet sought out Brian Stark at a local meeting because of his experience and expertise in local creek restoration. Brian acted quickly to negotiate a settlement with the Army Corp, in which The Land Conservancy would take over the restoration project and permanently protect the creek if the Army Corp would close the enforcement action.

Agency Collaboration

• Department of Fish and Game ($200,000 grant)
• State of California Coastal Conservancy ($10,000 grant)
• Collaborative Learning Circle ($30,000 grant)
• Army Corp of Engineers

Property Description and Location

An important streamside property, the project site contains a one-mile stretch of upper San Luis Obispo Creek on a working cattle ranch.

The site is located just upstream of Reservoir Canyon Road and parallels Highway 101 east of the bottom of the Cuesta Grade.

Our Goal

The goal of this project was to restore the creek bank, limit erosion and stop sediment from filling in the creek. The next step was to create deep, shaded pools along the creek to improve habitat for steelhead trout - a species that is federally listed as threatened in our waterways. In addition fencing was added to manage cattle access to the creek.

The Challenge

The main challenge of this project was negotiating a settlement with the Army Corp to stop any enforcement action. The settlement required permanent conservation of an entire mile of the creek. Once we had reached this agreement, the restoration challenge was to prevent any further damage to Janet's land and to restore the health and function of San Luis Obispo Creek.

Special Considerations

Diverting an active creek requires the removal of creatures living in the water. In this case, professional staff caught and relocated 208 sensitive juvenile steelhead. This is a complicated job because we endeavor to do our work without any loss of native fish life. Another interesting aspect of the project was the development of a solar powered watering system for cattle. since cattle are now excluded from the creek itself, we needed to provide off-stream water, and there was no readily available source of electricity to pump water. Now the sun powers a system that assures enough water for livestock.

Actions

Restoration in an actively flowing creek is a large and complex project for a landowner to undertake. The Land Conservancy took on restoration responsibility for this project. Creek restoration techniques included creating in-stream rock structures and strategically moving soil to ease the flow, then planting native vegetation and mulching disturbed areas.
See Chart Below

Results

This project provided bank stabilization along Janet's property as well as improved water quality throughout San Luis Obispo Creek. Improved water quality not only helps the flora and fauna that live along the creek but also benefits the local community.

Restoration Method	How It Works
Constructed low-profile rock structures	Rocks extend parallel to the stream flow to reduce scour and water velocity hitting bank
Planted live willow stakes	Native shrubs thrive along streams, grow quickly and hold soil with roots
Installed innovative rock vanes	Vanes reduce and redirect main channel flow away from banks and guide creek through site
Built a soil bench alongside original steep slope	Decreases steepness of slope and creates a solid "bench" of soil with rock base that sustains riparian vegetation and absorbs flow
Brush layering (lifts of soil wrapped in biodegradable blankets layered with willow)	Provides extra strength to slope to allow willows to develop strong roots and thus grow larger, supporting slope for the long term
Planted 40 lb. of native seed and applied mulch to disturbed areas	Promotes native plant growth to hold soil in roots and protect topsoil from rain impact
Planted native shrub and tree seedlings	Mature plants will grow up and provide overhead shade, cooling water below for steelhead
Installed rock structures for Steelhead habitat	Vanes and structures increase complexity of depth, flow and substrate in the channel necessary for steelhead habitat and spawning