I nt roduct ion Connect ing Connect ing Overview of st eelhead - - PDF document

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Connect ing Connect ing Salmonid Salmonid and and Riparian Habit at s Riparian Habit at s

Krist en Schroeder Krist en Schroeder Count y of Sant a Cruz Fisher ies Resource Planner Count y of Sant a Cruz Fisher ies Resource Planner

I nt roduct ion

• Overview of st eelhead and coho

salmon lif e hist ory

• Connect ions bet ween riparian and

salmonid habit at

• Count y of Sant a Cr uz - Riparian

Corridor Pr ot ect ion Ordinance

St eelhead and Coho Salmon Lif e Hist ory

• Family Salmonidae (“salmonids”)
• I ncludes salmon, st eelhead, char,

whit ef ish, gr aylings

• Coldwat er f ish adapt ed t o recent ly

de-glaciat ed habit at

St eelhead Trout

• I n most st reams in Sant a Cruz and San

Mat eo count ies

• St eelhead wat ersheds include Pilarcit os,

Pescadero, Waddell, Scot t s, San Lorenzo, Soquel, Apt os and Corralit os

• Coast al wat ersheds in Mont er ey: Big Sur,

Lit t le Sur

• Arroyo Seco

St eelhead Trout

• List ed as t hr eat ened under f ed ESA
• ESU = Evolut ionar y Signif icant Unit
• Cent ral Calif ornia Coast al ESU
• Sout h-Cent r al Calif ornia Coast al ESU

Coho Salmon

• Sout hern dist ribut ion of range
• San Mat eo and Sant a Cruz count ies,

including Pescader o, Gazos, Waddell, Scot t s and San Vicent e

• List ed as t hr eat ened under f ed ESA
• List ed as endangered under st at e

ESA

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 1/13

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Anadromous

• Hat ch in f resh wat er
• Migr at e t o t he ocean
• Ret urn t o f r esh wat er t o spawn

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 2/13

3 Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 3/13

4 Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 4/13

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Connect ing Connect ing Salmonid Salmonid and and Riparian Habit at s Riparian Habit at s

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 5/13

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What ’s so great about woody mat erial?

• Creat es pool habit at
• St ores sediment
• Provides cover habit at
• Provides wint er f low ref uge

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 6/13

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I mpact s t o Riparian Habit at s

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Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 7/13

8 Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 8/13

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St ream Crossings

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Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 9/13

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Count y of Sant a Cr uz

Riparian Corridor and Wet lands Prot ect ion Ordinance

Riparian Corridor and Wet lands Prot ect ion Ordinance

Ordinance passed in 1977 Riparian Corr idor and Wet lands Prot ect ion Ordinance

• Wit hin st ream channel
• Perennial st r eam: 50’ f rom mean high

wat er

• I nt er mit t ent st ream: 30’ f rom mean

high wat er

• Lands cont aining riparian woodland

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 10/13

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Riparian Corr idor and Wet lands Prot ect ion Ordinance

• 100’ f r om highwat er on lake, wet land,

est uary, lagoon or nat ural st anding body of wat er

• Lands wit hin an arr oyo wit hin t he

urban services line

Prot ect ed f rom “development act ivit ies”

• Grading
• Land clear ing
• Building and paving
• Tree and shr ub removal
• Deposit ion of ref use and debris
• Use of herbicides, pest icides or any

t oxic chemicals

St rengt hs

• Excellent f or new development
• Will be requiring f encing on new

development

• Prot ect s riparian woodland

St rengt hs

• Requires Riparian Except ion f or any

development act ivit ies wit hin ripar ian corridor including:

– Bank prot ect ion – Remodels and addit ions – Road crossings and bridges

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 11/13

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Revisions

• Will clar if y r iparian corridors in

urban areas (arroyos)

• Will t r y t o encourage ot her variances
• such as f ront yard or height - over

riparian except ion

• Will exempt cert ain rest orat ion such

as non-nat ive plant removal

Weaknesses

• Most exist ing uses are exempt
• Exist ing homes need addit ions,

remodels and bank pr ot ect ion

• Compliance based on complaint s only
• No baseline f or violat ions over t ime

FishNet 4C

• Gr oup of 6 Cent ral Calif ornia Coast al

Count ies

• I ncludes Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin,

San Mat eo, Sant a Cruz and Mont erey

• Complet ed assessment of count y

policies in 2001

FishNet 4C Recommendat ions

• Est ablish generous ripar ian buf f er

st rips on anadromous st reams, wherein development is pr ohibit ed

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 12/13

13 FishNet 4C Recommendat ions

• Def ine ripar ian prot ect ion areas on

t he basis of st r eam geomorphology rat her t han veget at ion, f looding or arbit rary dist ances f r om st reams.

Ot her Riparian Prot ect ion Ef f ort s

• Count y of Marin – 100’ set back
• Cit y of Sant a Cruz

Thanks t o: Thanks t o:

• Dr. J erry Smit h
• Dr. J erry Smit h

Don Alley Don Alley Sean Hayes Sean Hayes Ellen Freund Ellen Freund J essica J essica DeGrassi DeGrassi Gary Gary Kit t leson Kit t leson

Ecology and Conservation of Coastal California's Riparian Areas May 12, 2005 Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve 13/13