The Wild Side of the Santa Ana River OCWD Department of Natural - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
The Wild Side of the Santa Ana River OCWD Department of Natural Resources Outline Introduction: OCWD Natural Resources Department The Connection Between Water Management and the Environment Santa Ana Watershed Prado Basin and
– Wildlife Management – Habitat Restoration
– Lower Santa Ana River – Burris Seabird Island
Wildlife Management Habitat Restoration
All NR Staff Activities Are Driven by Regulatory Permits for Water Projects and Operations
Regulatory Permits
We deal with environmental permits, permit compliance, wildlife management, habitat restoration, and reporting
Prado Wetlands Recharge Facilities Most Natural Resources work is in the Prado Basin and Recharge facilities but we have Partnerships and some involvement throughout the watershed
Largest coastal river system in southern California
Prado Drone Video
Largest riparian forest left in southern California
Species Throughout the Basin
Aerial photograph of the 12,000 acres in the Prado Basin and adjacent lands
brood parasitism
Photo of 4 Least Bell’s Vireo nestlings about 10-11 days old
Restoring riparian habitat in Prado Basin is part of OCWD’s successful Endangered Nesting Bird Management Program; stopping nest parasitism is also critical.
From 18 territories in 1986 to 665 in 2018 due to OCWD’s successful Wildlife Management Program
Including SAWA territory numbers, we have nearly 2,000 territories, which is the largest number of territories in the Santa Ana Watershed since listed as endangered
Vireo Nest Video
We restore habitat by first removing non-native plant species and allowing either natural recruitment to take place or actively planting native riparian species
The focus for removal is Arundo because of the many problems it causes but there are many other problematic invasive plants, Tamarisk, Palms, and Castor Bean, e.g.
Our Natural Resources Program is responsible for planting 2 acres of native habitat in Prado Basin And 2 acres in OC facilities per year
Recharge facilities, river & off-river channel = 1,000 wetted acres
OCWD biologists work closely with the Operations Department to protect wildlife
Burris Drone Video
Terns, a federally and state listed endangered species
Aerial photograph of Burris and surrounding recharge basins near the Santa Ana River
Burris Wildlife Video
Accommodating wildlife, strong environmental stewardship helps in the regulatory arena; without nest cavities, many of these charismatic and useful species would be rare.
Including our most colorful species of waterfowl
Wood Duck nest boxes also accommodate a few WESO, our smallest owl in the basin
Extra Barn Owls in the Prado Basin keep mouse populations lower with fewer rodent issues
Biologists monitor over 500 boxes weekly along the Santa Ana River, surrounding recharge basins and in the Prado Basin
Tree Swallow Video
CA Gnatcatcher CA Least Tern
OCWD and partners monitor many sensitive nesting species
Mallards
Red-winged Blackbirds
Killdeer
Egrets Cormorants Herons Over 250 bird species are found in the Prado Basin
Drone Video of Egret Rookery
California Common Kingsnake Gopher Snake
A variety of reptile species are found in the Prado Basin, including the Red-sided Garter Snake, a species intimately tied to wetland habitats
http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/?uid=5&ds=241
OCWD, SAWA biologists, and partners monitor native fish in Sunnyslope Creek, a Santa Ana River tributary.
➢501c3 non-profit organization established to eradicate arundo and manage sensitive wildlife throughout the SAR watershed ➢For 23 years, the Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) and its partners (OCWD and RCD’s) have been promoting a healthy Santa Ana River watershed ➢Our Goal: restore the natural functions of the watershed through the enhancement and restoration of the native riparian community ➢Our first step: invasive plant species removal for riparian forest recovery – manage sensitive species
Introduced to the Santa Ana River for erosion control and expanded to cover over 10,000 acres
➢Outcompetes native vegetation ➢Grows over 2 feet/week ➢Consumes 2-3 times more water than natives ➢Highly flammable/carries firestorm ➢First to sprout after ground disturbance (fire, flood, etc.) ➢Has little value to wildlife ➢Impedes wildlife movement ➢Ideal structure for homeless camps ➢Clogs waterways
Trust- $1.62m - 20 years)
vegetation recovery
➢Invasive Species Control ➢Sunnyslope - Santa Ana Sucker
➢Fish surveys, habitat restoration
➢Least Tern Colony Monitoring
➢Huntington Beach
➢California Gnatcatcher Surveys
➢Prado ➢Hwy 71 – inventory ➢Dam – sedimentation pre-project
➢Shot Hole Borer Trapping
➢Collaboration with CDFW/UCR
➢Bat/swallow Diet Study
➢Anaheim – near recharge basins
➢Endangered/Threatened Species Monitoring ➢Least Bell’s Vireo ➢Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ➢California Gnatcatcher ➢California Least Tern ➢Santa Ana Sucker ➢Brown-headed Cowbird management ➢Breeding Bird Surveys ➢Habitat Assessments ➢Nesting Bird Avoidance ➢Bat Surveys ➢Herpetofauna surveys ➢Camera Trap Surveys ➢Small Mammal Trapping ➢Fish Surveys
Melody Aimar Maricela Archer Giovanni Arechavaleta Talula Barbee Allyson Beckman Jessica Burton Jenna Carpenter Florence Chan Cynthia Chavez Jill Coumoutso Samantha Dempster Patience Falatek Collin Farmer Aaron Gallager Loren Hays Nicole Housel Sue Hoffman Robb Hamilton Bonnie Johnson Therese Kastner Linette Lina Anthony Locatelli Cameron Macbeth David McMichael Jim Pike Michael Rahe Terry Reeser Richard Zembal