landowner’s guide to streambank

Landowner’s Guide to StreambankManagement on Cache Creek

Cache Creek ConservancyYolo County Department of Planning and Public Works

Parks and Resources Management Division

by Ann Brice

Landowner ’s Guide to Streambank Management on Cache Creek2

AcknowledgmentsLandowner’s Guide to Streambank Management on Cache Creekwas funded by a grant from the State Water Quality ControlBoard (Proposition 204 funding). Many thanks to Jan Lowrey,Jeff Hart, Geoff Schladow, and Barry Baba for making signifi-cant contributions to the handbook. I am grateful to FrancesBurke, Bill Oliver, Anthony Russo, Fulton Stephens, and JackWhite for taking the time to talk to me about their Cache Creekexperiences. I would also like to thank the following people forreviewing and improving the manuscript: Linda Fiack, PhilHogan, Petrea Marchand, Paul Robins, Ann Scheuring, JohnWatson, and Brett Williams. Finally, thanks to Questa Engi-neering for generously donating the drawings used in thebioengineering section.

Ann Brice, January 2005

Early erosion control project

Cover drawing of Cache Creek by Claire Haag

Graphic design by Cathy Reinhard

Plant illustrations by Rita Alvarez

3Landowner ’s Guide to Streambank Management on Cache Creek

Table of ContentsBACKGROUNDAcknowledgments .............................................................2Introduction .......................................................................4History of Streambank Changes on Cache Creek ...........5A Management Plan for the Creek ...................................7Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee ..................8Bank Stabilization Projects .............................................10An Assault on Non-Native Invasive Species ...................14

IMPLEMENTING YOUR PROJECTAssessing Your Streambank Problemsand Formulating a Plan ...................................................16What Permits Do You Need?...........................................18Bioengineering Techniques for Bank Stabilization .........19Weed Control ..................................................................29Revegetating Your Property ............................................30Where to Find Native Plants ..........................................37Site Conditions and Plant Establishment .......................38Maintaining Your Project .................................................38Where to Buy Plants and Materials ................................39Resources .........................................................................41References ........................................................................43


Introduction

This handbook was written at the suggestion of landownerswho wanted information on streambank care that focuses

specifically on Cache Creek. To offer them the most useful toolpossible, every attempt has been made to concentrate on localexamples and solutions. The booklet presents background onerosion along the creek and gives case studies of specific prob-lems and their resolution. It makes suggestions for bank main-tenance, including locally-tried bioengineering techniques, ideasfor removal of non-native exotic plants and revegetation withnative species, and a discussion of long-term maintenance is-sues. The handbook suggests a format for landowners to plantheir own streambank improvement projects and provides a ref-erence section with contact information on local experts andwhere to purchase materials.

One of Cache Creek’s most notable characteristics is thatit is a particularly “flashy” stream, that is, the water rises quicklyafter heavy rains. Sections of the streambank become saturated,then often crumble and are carried downstream to be depos-ited in some new location. This, in fact, is the natural “job” of ariver, to transport and deposit sediment, but to quote Jeff Mountin California Rivers and Streams (1995): “...between large flood-ing events, we tend to view rivers as static channels that simplyconvey water and house fish. When floods come and the riversgo about the business of transporting runoff and sediment andsculpting the landscape, we seem to be genuinely surprised atthe results.” Many landowners on Cache Creek have experi-enced that surprise, and even despair, as they watch acres oftheir land slough off during a high water event.

When asked for advice on the content of this booklet, ariver restoration expert who has worked extensively on Cache

Creek, said: “It’s a one-sentence book: Move back from thecreek.” People, however, have a long and often frustrating his-tory of building and farming in floodplains around the world,and those living along Cache Creek are no different. Given thatfact, what can we do to minimize the creek’s negative impactson people, while trying to preserve some of the wildness andbeauty that draws us to it in the first place?

Cache Creek circa 1918


The History ofStreambank Changeson Cache Creek

As a stream travels through the watershed, it constantly changes, picking up sediment in some areas and depos-

iting it in others. In a natural system most erosion occurs inthe upper reaches of the stream. The sediment is then trans-ported downstream and is deposited principally where the riverfans out from the hills and onto the plains. If left undisturbed,a creek over time continually modifies its course depending onmany natural factors such as local geology, climate and vegeta-tion. Cache Creek has been evolving for millions of years. Itsbedrock geology dates to the Jurassic Period some 100 millionyears before present.

The natural, undisturbed rhythm of Cache Creek contin-ued through the millennia. The riparian vegetation providedfood, shelter, utensils, and medicine for the Native Americanswho came to live along the creek. Their oral history tells us thatthe Patwin Indians practiced a subtle type of streambank man-agement involving the use of fire, coppicing (pruning), and har-vesting to clear away debris, reduce fuels, and maintain speciesdiversity of the plants they used. Some years the banks over-flowed, adding nutrient-rich sediment to the surrounding ri-parian vegetation, and then receded. When the high waterscame, the human encampments moved.

European Settlers and the Growthof Agriculture

The arrival of the European settlers in the 1800s marked thestart of greatly accelerated changes to the riparian landscape.With them the Europeans brought the practices of livestockgrazing and farming, which eventually included irrigating cropsby utilizing water from the creek. Permanent settlements wereestablished close to the banks, and people didn’t want to moveduring high water winters. By 1860 the town of Cacheville (nowYolo) had almost 2,000 residents and was the county seat.

The first relatively large-scale irrigation project was theconstruction of Moore’s Dam and Ditch in 1856. A dam wasconstructed across Cache Creek near the Lower Lake of ClearLake in 1914, and a year later a dam was built at Capay todivert water into two canals—the Winters and the Adams. In1951 The California Legislature created the Yolo County FloodControl and Water Conservation District, and it eventually con-trolled water from the dam at Clear Lake to sell to farmers inYolo County. Indian Valley Reservoir was completed in 1976,providing another 300,000 acre feet of water storage for theagricultural needs of farmers. Along with surface water diver-sion, pumping technology also improved throughout the 20th

century, resulting in the extraction of more groundwater.Naturally, as more water was made accessible to farmers

and agricultural technology improved, more land was plantedin crops. The riparian zone along the banks of Cache Creekgradually shrank. Long-time residents recall the burning of thelast vestiges of riparian vegetation along the creek near Espartoto provide more farmland in the mid-1970s when crop pricesfor export were high, and the USDA encouraged planting“fencerow to fencerow”.


BridgesWith increased agriculture and population growth came morebridge construction. By limiting the width of the creek at thebridges, water is forced through unnaturally narrow openings.The Esparto Bridge, for example, built in 1912, reduced thewidth of the active channel from 4,000 to 650 feet. Virtuallyevery bridge along the creek has suffered damage when too muchwater and debris has been forced through a limited space. Theseconstrictions have caused associated erosion problems for land-owners above and below the bridges.

Gravel MiningGravel mining began on lower Cache Creek in the late 1800swhen aggregate was increasingly needed for railroads, roads andbuildings. The best gravels were found where the creek fannedout onto the alluvial plain after traveling through the CapayValley. Early mining was done on benches above the creek anddidn’t involve deep extraction. As the 20th century progressed,however, mining grew more and more extensive, peaking in 1978with production from Cache Creek of 4.13 million tons of gravel.The need for aggregate had far outstripped the creek’s ability tocreate new sand and gravel.

Although Yolo County began some regulation of gravel ex-traction as early as 1936, it was not until 1963 that the YoloCounty mining ordinance was modified to require use permitsfor all new mining operations. In 1979 the county adopted theYolo County Mining and Reclamation Ordinance, which setmaximum production levels for each company, and in 1996 thecounty passed the Cache Creek Improvement Plan, which endedgravel mining in the main channel and closely regulated con-tinued extraction in deep pits away from the creek.

Channel NarrowingThe net effect of the human influences discussed above is thatlower Cache Creek has been significantly narrowed and incised.Yolo County’s archives of maps and photos indicate that somereaches of the creek have seen average channel widths decreaseby 85% since 1905. The amount of incision has been similarlydocumented at bridges, with Stevens Bridge (Road 94B) hav-ing 30 feet of vertical change from 1953 to 1981. Such incisionmakes the banks more prone to erosion, although it does pro-vide more flood capacity.

Invasive WeedsThe last twenty years have seen the alarming spread of non-native invasive species of plants, principally Arundo (Arundodonax), commonly called giant reed or false bamboo, andTamarix (Tamarix parviflora), also called salt cedar, along thecreek. They were originally introduced in the U.S. for their or-namental and ground-holding qualities, but lacking naturalpredators here and being very opportunistic, they readily in-vade any disturbed habitat near water. Removal of native veg-etation for whatever reason opens the door for Arundo andTamarix, which may take such a fierce hold on one bank or ongravel bars in the creek that they contribute directly to erosionwhen the water bounces off them and wears away the oppositedownstream bank. Pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) is anothermore recent non-native invasive weed that is becoming wide-spread along the lower reaches of the creek, and Yellow StarThistle (Centaurea solstitialis) continues to be a threat on theupper banks.


A Management Planfor the Creek

I n the 21st century we want Cache Creek to be all things to all people—a source of irrigation, flood control, recreation,

and wildlife habitat. There is no doubt that, as outlined in thelast chapter, we have altered the creek in ways that contributeto greater erosion than would occur by natural causes alone.However, even if all the negative impacts came to a halt tomor-row, Cache Creek would still require proper management tohelp restore it to a healthier condition and to maintain it in thefuture. In 1996, to address that need, Yolo County adopted theCache Creek Improvement Program (CCIP) for Lower CacheCreek, which implements the goals and objectives of the CacheCreek Resource Management Plan (CCRMP). (The plan maybe viewed on Yolo County’s website: www.yolocounty.org.)

The CCRMP is a scientifically based plan that documentssome of the history of Cache Creek and makes recommenda-tions for channel stabilization and habitat restoration along thelower 15 miles from Capay Dam to the Settling Basin. The ap-proval of this document by the various appropriate agenciesresulted in a greatly simplified permitting process for projectsin the creek that are consistent with the provisions of theCCRMP and CCIP.

In July 2002 a Supplemental Environmental Impact Re-port was adopted by Yolo County, which documents the successof the implementation of CCRMP projects since 1996. Somerevisions to the plan were adopted, but, in general, the goalsand objectives were being met, and, as a result, new blanketpermits for the section of the creek covered by the Manage-ment Plan were granted by the US Army Corps of Engineers,

the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the CA Depart-ment of Fish and Game.

The middle section of Cache Creek from about Rumsey tothe Capay Dam has no management plan, although the CacheCreek Stakeholders Group focuses on that stretch of the creekas does the nonprofit Capay Valley Vision. The Bureau of LandManagement, the Department of Fish and Game, the Ameri-can Land Conservancy, and Lake County Public Works are allactive in restoration efforts in the upper Cache and Bear Creekwatersheds.

Increasing interest in Cache Creek and its future, as evi-denced by the county documents and local stakeholders, is en-couraging. Cooperation among landowners for the good of theirindividual properties as well as the good of the creek itself isthe most productive approach since anything done on one sec-tion of the creek may affect those above, below, or across fromit. Such collaboration among diverse interests increases thepossibility for grant funding and technical help from agenciesand organizations.

Landowner cooperation is the key to a successful management plan


Cache Creek TechnicalAdvisory Committee

One of the many positive aspects of having the Cache CreekImprovement Plan is that it designated a Technical Advi-

sory Committee (TAC) to screen projects along lower CacheCreek. The committee is composed of three scientists—a geo-morphologist, a riparian biologist, and a hydrologist. They serveunder contract to the County for two-year terms. “The TACcollects and analyzes data, identifies maintenance needs andpriorities, and provides critical review of the design and con-struction of improvement projects.” (Yolo Co. website:www.yolocounty.org)

Any large project proposed along the creek is brought be-fore the TAC for review, input, and approval. To be approvedthe project must be consistent with the CCRMP, which includesdemonstrating that it will not disturb the active channel andthat water quality will not be compromised. The Committee isalso available to advise individual landowners on planned im-provements to their riparian areas. If appropriate, they will makesite visits. To contact members of the Committee or to ask to beadded to their monthly agenda, contact the County Parks Re-sources Manager or the Resource Specialist.

Water QualityMaintenance of water quality is one of the goals of the CacheCreek Improvement Plan, so, in addition to its other duties, theTechnical Advisory Committee has been charged with monitor-ing water quality in lower Cache Creek. The information gath-ered can detect changes in contaminant levels, as well as to

determine how contaminants, or lack of them, may be affect-ing riparian wildlife and vegetation.

Four sites along the creek are monitored for water qualityfour times a year. This frequency of sampling makes it possibleto account for seasonal variations in water quality as well aslong-term trends. Among the substances tested for are:

NutrientsThis includes ammonia, nitrates, and phosphorus, which

are commonly found in fertilizers and animal wastes. An excessof nutrients can promote excessive growth of algae in streams.

Fecal ColiformsFecal coliform bacteria are indicators of the presence of

material derived from the intestinal tracts of mammals. Althoughthe presence of some fecal coliform is to be expected, excessquantities could indicate leakage of wastewater into the creek.The level of pollutants found in Cache Creek may be a mea-sure of more widespread problems in the watershed.

TurbiditySuspended sand and silt in the creek water, as well as dis-

solved colored material, is referred to as turbidity. It generallyresults from erosion in the stream or higher in the watershed.Highly turbid water is unsightly, and it keeps light from pen-etrating into the water, which, in turn, has negative impacts onaquatic plants and animals. The suspended material can alsohave other pollutants, such as pesticides or mercury, attachedto it.


Dissolved OxygenHigh numbers for dissolved oxygen concentration are a good

thing. Oxygen in the water promotes a healthy ecosystem. Ifoxygen levels fall too low, as would happen if excess nutrientsproduced nuisance algal blooms during the summer, this couldlead to animal mortality and the release of contaminants fromthe streambed. Flowing water adds oxygen to the creek, whereasstagnant flows can rapidly become devoid of oxygen.

See the Yolo County website for detailed water quality re-ports. The results of the water quality monitoring between Janu-ary 2000 and June 2003 indicated no downward trends in wa-ter quality in Cache Creek.

Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) above, and detail, left


Bank StabilizationProjects on CacheCreek

Streambank instability is not a new problem, and neitherare attempts to cope with it. Fortunately, Cache Creek did

not meet the fate of the Los Angeles River, which was straight-ened, channelized and concrete lined, but early solutions didinclude putting anything into the banks that might help holdthem. We can still find large slabs of concrete, piles of old tiresand stacks of entire car bodies that were placed along the creekbanks, and the results of planting dense stands of Tamarix twentyyears ago are all too evident today.

In the last ten years some large scale projects have beencompleted along Cache Creek by communities in cooperationwith Yolo County, which secured grant funding. Gravel compa-nies have also participated with their own funding and equip-ment. These projects have involved the installation of rock groinsto move the flowing water away from an exposed bank and backinto the main channel. One such venture, completed in 2000,can be seen just above the Rumsey Bridge. Funded by Caltransand the State Water Resources Control Board, four weirs com-posed of creek rocks and faced with heavy boulders were builtout from the west bank of the creek to deflect the water awayfrom the bridge approach and upstream bank. Native plants,such as willows and cottonwoods, were incorporated through-out the project to provide additional stability as well as to offeradditional habitat for local wildlife. The combined use of or-ganic (plants) and inorganic (rocks) materials designed to pro-tect the bank is called bioengineering and has became increas-

ing popular in recent years, but a large scale bioengineeringplan like the Rumsey Bridge project is very expensive—this onecost $500,000 (See the Cache Creek Conservancy’s newslet-ter, Meanderings, Vol.5, No.1 for more information on theproject).

This handbook, however, focuses on the needs of individualproperty owners who might want to implement smaller projects.Presented below are four case studies of streambank concernsand how the landowners handled them.

Rumsey Bridge project, rock groins in foregroundBrett Williams


Case Study #1

Cache Creek Nursery,Frances Burke’s Property

One Mile North of Rumsey

In the fall of 1999 Frances Burke’s property was one of threesites in the Capay Valley chosen by the Cache Creek Stake-holders Group for a demonstration erosion control project. Ms.Burke’s approximately 250 feet of riparian bank was a primecandidate for major erosion after the high water El Nino years.Mary Lee Knecht, of Jones & Stokes Associates, was workingwith the stakeholders group then, and she spearheaded the ef-fort to develop conceptual site plans and organize volunteersfor a big one day erosion control effort at the Burke propertyand another site farther downstream. On a cold, windy Satur-day in February 2000 the volunteer crew used a hand-held au-ger and planted two rows of sandbar and black willows, Oregonash, and button willow above the assumed ordinary high watermark. The seedlings, donated by the US Army Corps of Engi-neers were placed three feet on center in a randomized patternto allow self-selection. Some 250 feet of fiber roll, donated bythe California Straw Works, was also staked along the toe ofthe slope to help minimize erosion and to encourage sedimentto build up behind it. The rolls were anchored by wooden stakes(less than 2"x2"x24"), pounded through and alongside the rolls,and tied with twine. Because of the close relationship of theplantings to the water and timing of the winter planting, irriga-tion was not implemented or considered necessary for estab-lishment.

In 2004, four years later, Frances Burke reported that theproject had been very successful to date, in large part becauseno high flow events had occurred, so the plants had had the

chance to send their roots deeply into the bank. She noted thatthe willows and ash had grown over 90% of the water’s edge andwere providing good habitat for the birds and shade for the fish.

Case Study #2

The Fulton Stephens PropertyJust Northwest of the Esparto Bridge

The Stephens’ property includes a former mining site adjacentto the Esparto Bridge a narrow point where hour-glass shapederosion has historically occurred. Groins or wing dams wereput in place by Syar Industries following the flood year of 1986.Fulton Stephens created his own biotechnical design by stack-ing brush from his walnut orchard against the upstream sur-faces of the groins and planting three species of willows, cot-tonwoods, and other trees to anchor the bank. He’s been espe-cially pleased with the increase in bird life. This approach hasworked well in areas where agricultural tailwater is available toestablish and maintain tree growth. Planted willows havereached 20’ plus in height and now form the nucleus of a ripar-ian forest where only exposed streambank existed before. In2001 Granite Industries added to the project with native shrubsand forbs along County Road 85.

Beginning in the fall of 2002, the Cache Creek Conser-vancy began researching an idea proposed by Stephens and hisneighbors the Jensens. The concept addresses the difficult plantestablishment conditions that exist between Capay Bridge andI-505 Bridge. Little surface water flows in this reach for a num-ber of reasons, but the result is that mortality rates for erosioncontrol plantings are extremely high. Fulton and his neighborssuggested that test trenches be dug during the driest time ofthe year (usually October) and when moisture was found


(usually at a depth of 4 to 6 feet), new plantings should beplaced at the bottom of these trenches.

Cache Creek Conservancy, in cooperation with YoloCounty Flood Control and Water Conservation District, decidedto implement the suggestion. A series of trenches was dug alongand perpendicular to the toe of the bank in a sort of E pattern.Willows and cottonwoods were planted in the trenches in Janu-ary of 2003, and the results were dramatic. The willows andother plants grew to a height of 12 feet in one season. Duringthe winter months when the creek level rose, sediment-ladenwater filled the trenches, and as the high waters receded, thesilt stayed behind to create top soil which provides nutrientsthroughout the season. Supplemental irrigation during the sum-mer months comes from agricultural tailwater and Granite’slarge storage tank.

Case Study #3

Rinker Materials(formerly Solano Concrete)

Off of Highway 16, just east of I 505

Rinker Materials had problems with creekside erosion thatthreatened one of their haul roads. In the fall of 1997, afterremoving the non-native vegetation, they drilled a mixture ofnative grass seed into the slope. The late fall rains got the grassesoff to a good start, and the area looked lush by the winter. Thenin February of 1998 the rains and heavy creek flows came. Thefirst significant high water event eroded part of the bank, andthen the continued heavy rain and a second flood resulted intotal bank failure.

John Anderson, a local native grass expert, believes thatthe bank might have held if the roots had had a longer time toestablish themselves, but these grasses had been in place foronly a couple of months. That spring Rinker put some riprap atthe base of the bank, regraded it and planted the less expensivenon-native erosion control mix. The non-natives have held, butthey weren’t tested by a Cache Creek high water event either.

Anthony Russo, the Vice-President of Rinker Materials,has been a big supporter of reclamation with native plants andhas several success stories of using native grasses to hold thebanks of former gravel basins. He and John Anderson admitthat when dealing with Cache Creek itself, you have to hopefor a normal rain year after planting or all bets are off.

Some willows grew over eight feet in six months


Case Study #4

The Bill Oliver PropertyLocated on the South Bank of the Creek at the End of

County Road 18B, Off of County Road 97A

Bill Oliver’s property has experienced severe bank erosion dueto the build up of a gravel bar with Tamarix near the oppositeupstream bank, which has increasingly sent water directly intothe Oliver’s bank. The Tamarix problem, coupled with a veryhigh water event in 1997, resulted in severe erosion some 200feet in length along the bank. In some areas there is a straightdrop of 30 feet or more to the creek, and the scouring contin-ues at the base of the bank. The fact that the property is locatedin a reach of the creek that is narrower and the water deeperonly makes the situation more unstable.

In 2003 the county hired a consultant to assess the prob-lems at the Oliver property and make suggestions to improve it.The consultant concluded that it was an extremely difficult sitewith any stabilization work needing to be done from the chan-nel bottom. There is an active orchard on the property right upto the edge, which makes unworkable the option of laying backthe bank to decrease its abrupt drop off. The consultant recom-mended two alternatives: placing and anchoring woody debrisat the base of the bank or putting in a planted rock riprap wedge.

The consultant did not address the question of non-nativeplant removal. This location is an example of how neighborsalong a given reach of the creek might partner to improve thecorridor for everyone. The erosion at the Oliver’s was causedprimarily by a profusion of non-native plants upstream andacross the creek from the property. To solve the erosion prob-lem the invasive plants must be removed from someone else’sproperty. Landholder cooperation is the key to success in this case.

Extreme vertical bank erosion


An Assault onNon-NativeInvasive Species

Tamarix (Salt Cedar) and Arundo (Giant Reed) have wreakedhavoc with the riparian vegetation in the southwestern

states by pushing out native species like willows and cotton-woods and creating dense corridors of invasive weeds. They’vebecome well established on Cache Creek, and there are fewriparian landowners who aren’t aware of the problems thesenon-native weeds cause. Some of the long-time residents evenremember when the old Soil Conservation Service, now theNatural Resources Conservation Service, used to recommendthat Tamarix be planted to control erosion. Bill Oliver, who haslived at his present location on the creek for over 50 years,recalls trying to buy Tamarix in the 1950s for erosion control,but he couldn’t find any. Finding Tamarix or Arundo definitelyisn’t difficult any more! The plants resprout from segments thatbreak off and float down stream, and Tamarix also spreads viaseed dispersal. If there’s an open patch of land along the banksor gravel bars in the creek, these invasives often get a footholdand take over. Tamarix and Arundo grow just about anywheresufficient moisture exists.

The Cache Creek Conservancy is currently implementingan ambitious plan to control Arundo and Tamarix in LowerCache Creek. With grant funding from the California StateWildlife Conservation Board (WCB) and the Bay-Delta Authority(formerly CALFED) the Conservancy is removing these invasiveswith a combination of mechanical and chemical techniques.The project managers have agreements with 43 of the 45 land-

owners along the project reach to take out Tamarix and Arundoon their properties.

For mechanical removal an excavator with a modified chop-per head is used to mulch its way through dense stands of Arundoand Tamarix at sites where the heavy equipment can reach.The initial focus of this removal activity was downstream ofRoad 96B where the exotic vegetation and the narrowness ofthe creek had combined to create a bottleneck. Absence of thisplug will improve floodway capacity. Since then the project hasmoved up the creek, in some places using the excavator withchemical treatment of resprouts later and in others using chemi-cal control directly and leaving the brush in place. Chemicalcontrol allows the target plants to be killed without disturbingthe soil (or gravel) and leaves the roots in place to stabilize thestreambed and streambanks while natural or human-plantedvegetation comes in.

In addition to WCB and the Bay-Delta Authority, the Con-servancy is partnering with Yolo County Flood Control and WaterConservation District and Yolo County to remove and controlTamarix and Arundo from Capay Dam to just above I-5. Theyare also in communication with the Department of Water Re-sources to implement removal in the leveed section of the creekand throughout the Settling Basin.

The long-term success of this effort rests with land own-ers. The Conservancy is removing and controlling over a thou-sand infested acres within the project area. Agreements allowfor monitoring and control to continue for 10 years from imple-mentation, or 2011. Presently, the effort is funded for five years.Within that five-year period, existing populations of Tamarixand Arundo will be reduced by some 90%. However, as withpuncture vine or dandelions, spot treatments will be necessaryfor the long term, and landowners must step up to this challenge.


The Conservancy uses three basic approaches to controlthese plants. First is mechanical removal of the above groundparts of the brush in areas where infestation has clogged thestream way to the point of inhibiting flood flows. Following thismechanical “mulching” the resprouts are sprayed with herbi-cide. Second is direct application of herbicide to standing plantswithout mulching. This is the most effective and cheapestmethod employed to date, since one application of herbicideobtains 80% control at a cost of less than $100 per gross acre.Because herbicide is applied to an above-ground, vegetative massroughly equal to the below-ground root mass, more material istranslocated to the roots, thus permitting one-treatment mor-tality. Third is the cheapest method of all: biocontrol. USDA-Agricultural Research Service has placed a Tamarix-loving leafbeetle in ten locations throughout the west, from Montana toCalifornia. At one location in northern Nevada, on a large al-falfa ranch, the beetles have decimated thousands of acres ofTamarix with no collateral damage to the environment and atno cost to the landowner.

The Conservancy offers workshops that feature experts onthe proper selection of materials, correct handling, proper safetyand application equipment and the most efficient applicationtechniques at the right time. All of these factors are critical toeffective, environmentally friendly control of Tamarix andArundo. This information is also available through the YoloCounty Agricultural Commissioner’s office.

Tamarix and Arundo before removal, above, andafter removal, below


Assessing Your Streambank Problemsand Formulating a Plan

Often work on a landowner’s property proceeds in a piecemeal fashion, depending such factors as degree of urgency, time,money and available technology. Below are suggestions for a systematic approach to dealing with streambank problems.

1. Define Your Problem in Writing.For example: “One half mile of creek front property located just upstream of I-505 on south bank. Erosion occurring at the

rate of approximately two feet per year, depending on winter flows. Tried erosion control mix, but it didn’t take.”

2. Talk to the Experts.A. Contact the Resource Manager at the Yolo County Department of Planning and Public Works to describe your problem

and send her your written notes. She will assemble a team of experts to make a site visit to assess your property and make generalrecommendations.

B. Contact Cache Creek Conservancy for additional information on similar projects in your area. The conservancy hasextensive hands-on experience as well as access to agency and private sources of information.

C. Contact the Yolo County RCD and/or the Natural Resources Conservation Service and ask for assistance. They will alsomake a site visit and provide recommendations, often of a more technical nature.

D. Check out on-line resources, such as the NRCS Plant Materials website.

3. Find Out About Permits.See page18 for details on permits, but generally speaking:

A. If you live above the Capay Dam, you are not covered by the general permit for Lower Cache Creek, so you have toconsider what permits you will need for the action you are planning. The team of experts from the Resource Manager’s office canhelp you decide which permits are likely to be necessary. The Yolo County RCD and the Cache Creek Conservancy are alsoavailable to advise.

B. If you live below the Capay Dam, you are eligible to be covered by the county’s general permit and may not need


anything else. On the other hand, you will have to present your case to the Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee. Ask theResource Manager’s office.

4. Develop a Plan of Action.A. Armed with advice and a sense of what permits may be needed, you’re ready to develop a plan.

a. Keep it simple.b. Keep it cost-effective.

B. Consider your materials.a. Do you need herbicides? For how long? How much will it cost? Should you consider letting a herbicide

expert do it for you? Contact a licensed Pest Control Advisor for help.b. Will you be moving dirt or using equipment to remove invasives?

i. What season to do work?ii. Do you need special equipment?

c. Do you need to order erosion control materials? E.g. coconut matting.d. Do you plan to revegetate the site?

i. What season?ii. What plants?iii. Where to get them? Seeds or seedlings?

e. Irrigation needsi. Access to a water supply for irrigation

C. What’s your long-term monitoring plan? You can’t expect the site to be problem free after your first year’s efforts. It’s anongoing process.

D. Talk to your friends and neighbors to see what’s worked in your area.

E. When your plan is on paper, talk to the experts at the Yolo County RCD and NRCS to see if your project qualifies for anycost-share programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) or the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).


What Permits DoYou Need?

Yolo County has general permits from the Regional WaterQuality Control Board, the US Army Corps of Engineers,

and the California Department of Fish and Game. As a result,the process through which landowners living along lower CacheCreek (from the Capay Dam to Interstate 5) apply for permitsto implement changes to their property is considerably less com-plex than it once was. The general permits cover projects thatare consistent with the Cache Creek Resources ManagementPlan, including streambank stabilization, habitat enhancement,and creek clean-up.

The process through which landowners apply for suchpermits is straightforward:

1. Contact the Yolo County Resource Manager or appro-priate staff in the Planning and Public Works Depart-ment (See "Resources and References").

2. Work with the Resource Manager’s staff to determineif your proposed project is consistent with the CacheCreek Resource Management Plan.

3. If the project fits the guidelines, work with the staff topresent the permit application to the Cache Creek Techni-cal Advisory Committee for approval.

Because the reaches of Cache Creek above Capay Damhave no management plan, there is currently no possibility of ageneral permit for those areas. In 2003 The Cache Creek Stake-holders Group and the Yolo County RCD published the Capay

Valley Watershed Stewardship Plan, which discusses the spe-cific concerns of the Capay Valley residents, including the per-ception that "…the current permitting system [is] functioningas a hindrance to watershed restoration and management ac-tivities." The RCD and the stakeholders eventually hope to ob-tain a general permit for their region. At this time, however,each proposed project above Capay Dam must be consideredon its own merit, and landowners may need individual permitsfrom each of the granting agencies list above (see contact infor-mation in "Resources and References"). Property owners want-ing to implement projects should talk to the County ResourceManager or the Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee inthe planning stages to see what permits, if any, are necessary.

Button willow (Cephalanthus occidentalis)


BioengineeringTechniques for BankStabilization

Bioengineering combines a structural approach to controlerosion, such as riprap, with an organic approach, using

natural materials, such as living vegetation. The result is oftenmore cost-effective and compatible with the habitat.

Several of the publications listed at the end of this hand-book describe various streambank bioengineering techniquesin great detail. The Yolo County RCD’s Capay Valley Conserva-tion and Restoration Manual is an excellent local resource within-depth instructions on implementing practices ranging fromfiberschines to root wad revetment (Don’t let the vocabularyintimidate you!). Below we describe several bioengineering tech-niques that have been used successfully on Cache Creek, but“One size fits all” definitely isn’t true when it comes to erosioncontrol, so take advantage of local experts who can advise youon which techniques may be best suited for your property. Ero-sion control methods must match site-specific conditions. Forexample, erosion control fabric alone on a bank will not holdup above a certain water velocity and length of inundation.

Questa Engineering Corp. has completed several projectson Cache Creek, and they have provided the illustration to gowith each description. Some of the suggestions illustrated ontheir figures are beyond the scope of this booklet, but in con-junction with consultation may be useful. When designing aplan for your property, it is important to realize that you willprobably use a combination of techniques for different sectionsof your bank depending on the conditions.

Laying back the bankThis is an expensive solution that you hope to avoid by

careful planning, but when a bank gets too undercut over time,it may be the only solution. You may need to reduce the gradi-ent of a steep bank to a 2:1 grade. This means 2 horizontal feetfor every one foot of vertical rise. A 3:1 grade is even gentlerbut, by definition, takes more ground to achieve. In conjunc-tion with some of the techniques discussed below, a series ofslopes and terraces can work well to stabilize a formerly steep,eroding bank.

Erosion control fabricThese are commercially available fabrics that can be at-

tached to the banks by staking to help stabilize them while thevegetation, takes hold. Various types of erosion control fabriccan be purchased. Coconut fiber blankets are very durable andeventually decompose. The fabric is simply split open to insertthe plants.

Fiber rolls/biologsFiber rolls are cylindrical structures made out of coconut

fibers or other non-living plant material that can be commer-cially purchased. They often come in 20-foot lengths with a 12to 18-inch diameter. The rolls are usually placed at the base ofan eroded bank and don’t require trenching. Fiber rolls are flex-ible and can closely follow the contour of the slope. They canbe buoyant when the water raises and thus require frequentstaking above and below to hold them in place. Live stakes canbe used in addition to wooden ones. Fiber rolls provide goodsediment traps, and plants can be placed directly in them viaslits in the covering. Their drawback is that they can be expensive.


Biologs

Cross Section

STAKE SPROUTS OVERTIME TO PROVIDEADDITIONAL PLANT MASS


Live stakes or pole cuttingsSee the discussion on obtaining and establishing pole cut-

tings in the plant chapter on page 37. Live stakes are a com-mon and inexpensive means of erosion control, but by them-selves are not very effective during the initial stages of growth.Once established they can provide a substantial root mass tohold the soil, and they are often used in conjunction with othertechniques, such revetment or fiber rolls closer to the activechannel.

Willow wattles/live fascinesWillow wattles are cylindrical bundles of willow pole cut-

tings tied together and placed horizontally in shallow trenches.The bundles themselves help stabilize the slopes, and the wil-lows will sprout and form a dense root mat. The procedure forharvesting willow pole cuttings for willow wattles is the same asdiscussed on page 37. Poles of varying sizes are a good idea.The bundles should be assembled with the growing tips andbutt ends oriented in alternating directions; then tightly tiedwith rope. The completed bundles should be about 6-12 inchesin diameter. It is recommended that the wattles be soaked forat least 24 hours before putting them in place.

Shallow trenches deep enough to cover about half the di-ameter of the bundles should be dug on the bank contours be-ginning near the low flow line and working upslope. The bundlesare then placed in the trenches, staked above and below everyfew feet and finally backfilled with loose dirt and compacted.Subsequent trenches can be put in upslope as long as there issufficient moisture to allow the willows to sprout.

Dead Stake for Anchoring


Willow Wattles


Brush/tree revetmentThis technique is used to divert the creek flow away from

the bank and to trap sediment from the water and the bank.The plant material is not expected to sprout, but rather serves apurely structural role. Trees with dense branching are most ef-fective at trapping sediment. Jeff Hart of Hartland Nursery andthe Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee suggests gath-ering up discarded Christmas trees for the purpose. It is best toinstall the trees on the bank roughly between the high and lowwater levels. The trees must be wired to each other to cover thedesired length along the creek; usually there should be about aone-third overlap on trees. The trees or brush also need to beanchored to the bank. This can be done with “earth anchors or

duck-billed anchors” and cable, wooden posts and wire, or t-posts driven in on the streamside edge of the material to whichthe revetment is wired. The revetment should run well past thecurrent eroded area and be especially well anchored at the toewhere there will be a lot of water pressure.

Some landowners have mentioned simply dropping treesand brush close to the eroded bank as erosion control solution.When the high winter flows come, this material will most likelybe carried downstream and cause problems for someone else.Where soil conditions permit, rootwads or brush can be se-cured with “earth anchors”. Don’t put anything into the creekthat can’t be secured.


Planted riprapRiprap is probably the most effective, but definitely the

least attractive, means of erosion control on creek slopes. Therock itself is very expensive (in 2004 the cost was $65/ton). Theappearance of the site can be much improved with vegetation.Planted riprap is most successful when planting is part of theplan from the start. The most effective technique for construct-ing planted riprap is to put live stakes/pole cuttings in betweenrocks while they are being placed. In other words, once the firstrow of rock is in place, live poles are placed in between the rockand where the next row of rock will be placed. This gives theplants a better chance of survival because they will have moresoil contact, and roots will grow around the rock riprap result-

ing in additional strength. Pole cuttings can be stuck in be-tween the rocks in an existing project, but generally the resultsare not as satisfactory as the method described above.

The Cache Creek Conservancy, in partnership with theCounty and the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conser-vation District implemented a planted riprap project along theSalisbury Spill at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve. It was asite where water cascades down from a Flood Control water-way, cutting back the bank with more force than could be re-strained by other erosion control techniques. Three species ofwillows were planted between the rock rows with the largerspecies placed higher up the banks. The results are attractiveand effective.


Rock groins/flow deflectorsThis method consists of a series of rocks placed in the ac-

tive channel diagonally to the streambank. The idea is to de-flect water away from an eroding bank. Live stakes/pole cut-tings can also be incorporated into this type of project. De-pending on the number and size of the groins, this can be a veryexpensive technique. It requires expert advice and perhaps ad-ditional permits since it potentially alters the active channel.Successful groins can be seen upstream of the Rumsey Bridgeand at the Fulton Stephens property.

Cross Section of a Typical Rock Groin

Typical Profile of Rock Groin


Rock Groin Site Plan


Trench and Plant

The trench and plant system is another version of live stakeor pole plantings, the major difference being that the stakes areplanted well below ground level in a trench that will alwayshave moisture. This technique, as implemented on the FultonStephens property, is discussed on page 12. The concept issimple but not often used: Gravelly soils do not hold moistureduring hot weather but if you dig down two to five feet therewill be sufficient moisture to support vegetation such as wil-lows, cottonwoods, mule fat, button willows and/or other ripar-ian trees and shrubs.

This method requires use of a backhoe, trencher or otherdigging machine that will excavate to the moisture level in yourplanting location. The best time to look for moisture is in thelate fall, before the first rains, because this is usually whenmoisture is farthest from the surface, and this depth will repre-sent how far plants would have to put their roots down in orderto survive.

Trench along the toe of the creek bank, where the bankmeets the stream bottom. Dig down to the level of the test holes.Place the cut stakes in the bottom of the trench and backfillwith about 18 inches of whatever soil is available. Cut the stakesoff a foot above the level of the fill. You will want to leave anopen trench at least a foot deep to catch flood water and siltduring the rainy season and to act as a ditch during the irriga-tion season. If you are in a location that stays wet all year (closeto the low flow channel for example), the planted stakes willnot need irrigation. Most locations, however, will require irri-gation, which hopefully can be tailwater from fields or orchardsor water from an existing irrigation system.

It is absolutely necessary to irrigate these plantingsduring hot weather, every two weeks, for at least two years.

Willow Trench


Willow pole cuttings in trench — 2003

A healthy crop several months later


Weed Control

C ompetition from weedy plant species can make establishment of native plants difficult. However, if a weed con-

trol program is not implemented before the natives are seededor planted, and then continued until they are well established,there is a good chance that your revegetation project will fail.Sometimes the simplest and most basic control methods arebest: hand pulling, hoeing, digging out weeds with a shovel.Other times the use of herbicides is required. If you apply her-bicides, make sure that: 1) you are using the right material tocontrol the target weed; 2) you are using the right concentra-tion; 3) you have the appropriate equipment for the particularjob; and 4) you’re applying the herbicide at the optimal time toachieve the best results.

Keep in mind that herbicide application over water or inareas where drift into open water is possible is likely to requirespecial permits and monitoring. Plan your spraying regime care-fully, e.g. no spraying when the wind is over 10 mph. If youwant to treat in the water itself, you will need additional per-mits. Take the time to learn about herbicides and their properapplication techniques from a certified pest control advisor.

It is recommended that you wait to start a revegetationprogram until AT LEAST a year after spraying to avoid possibleresidual effects. Hopefully you will have some native speciescoming in on their own, but also be prepared that other inva-sive weeds may get there too. Perennial pepperweed and starthistle are two of the worst secondary invaders and require adifferent eradication protocol.

Controlling weeds, especially extremely aggressive non-native species, is a never ending process. Staying up to date onthe latest removal methods via local organizations such as the

Yolo County Ag. Commissioner’s office, the Yolo County RCDor the Cache Creek Conservancy is important. Also, plantingnative species that will out-compete the non-natives if given agood start, will keep you ahead of the game.

Lepidium, above left. Tamarix in bloom, above right


Revegetating YourProperty

We recommend the planting of native species for yourrestoration and bank protection projects. Dr. Jeff Hart,

a botanist on the Cache Creek Technical Advisory Committee,defines native as those plant species that were found alongCache Creek or nearby areas before European influence. Withthe advent of European settlers, new species began making theirway to California from all over the world. Some plants arrivedhere inadvertently as hitchhikers, that is, seeds and fruits at-tached to livestock, weeds mixed with grains, and countless othermeans. Since these plants have no natural enemies here, manyhave become pest species that cause ecosystem and economicdamage to California’s wildlands and agriculture. With increasedworldwide commerce and travel, this unfortunate trend con-tinues to this day.

Dr. Hart believes that the concept of native should be morenarrowly focused than “California native”, or even plants foundin the Central Valley or greater Cache Creek area. Native plantsmay not only be endemic to narrowly restricted areas, but maybe adapted to highly specific local conditions. Thus some plantsmay be best adapted to highly fertile alluvial soils (such as val-ley oak), while other species can withstand sandy and cobblysubstrate close to the water’s edge (sandbar willow, mulefat).

The plants discussed below are only a few of the nativeplants that will grow along Cache Creek. We’ve suggested thembecause they’ve been successful in restoration projects on lowerCache Creek, and they’re available from area nurseries (see“Where to Buy” section). The Yolo County RCD’s Capay ValleyConservation and Restoration Manual also has a list of plants

that may be more suited for the Capay Valley stretches of thecreek (to obtain a copy of the handbook contact the Yolo Co. RCD).

Oregon Ash (Fraxinum latifolia)


Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua)

Trees

Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)The quintessential riparian tree, the cottonwood is seen

all along Cache Creek. With separate male and female trees,they can grow to be 90 feet tall. The leaves have a triangularappearance and are the same color on both sides. The leavesmove easily in a breeze since their stems are flattened. Bothsexes produce catkins, and most people recognize the “cottony”tufts that disperse carrying seeds in the spring. Cottonwoods,like willows, grow rapidly, but may not be long-lived. Beaverslove to feed on young cottonwoods. Illustration page 9.

Oregon Ash (Fraxinum latifolia)This deciduous tree grows close to streams and is very deep

rooted. There are male and female trees. The ash can reach upto 75 feet tall. Its small flowers grow in clusters before the leavesappear in the spring. The one seeded, winged fruit on the fe-male plants is distinctive.

Valley Oak (Quercus lobata)The valley oak is the largest oak in the U.S., growing up to

120 feet tall. It is deciduous and produces long acorns (about 2inches). A mature tree can yield up to a ton of acorns per sea-son. Valley oaks typically have large acorn crops in alternateyears. They don’t like to be continually wet, so they are nor-mally seen further up the bank than most of the other speciesdescribed here.

Wil lowsWillows are common deciduous shrubs and trees that grow

in wet areas throughout Cache Creek. They are extremely hardyplants that tolerate relatively nitrogen-poor soils. All willowsbear catkins, which are the naked or petal-less flowers that areseen in spring just as the leaves emerge. The catkins are com-posed of either all male or female flowers, and the plants areunisexual. Leaves vary between species and individual plantsbut are generally lance-shaped (or narrower). Four species ofwillow are native to Cache Creek, and people often get con-fused about the species. Barry Baba, a restoration biologist withTeichert Industries, developed a key to these willows, which isprovided below. He also wrote the descriptions of the species.


Sandbar willow (Salix exigua) is the smallest of our CacheCreek willows, generally growing 10 to 20 feet tall. These plantsare widespread and typically grow in spreading colonies thateventually form thickets. A distinctive feature of this willow isits grayish-green leaves that are covered with fine, silky hairs.The sandbar willow colonizes a variety of streamside habitatsand appears tolerant to a variety of soil conditions. Its extensive

root system allows some colonies to form a greater distancefrom water than other willows.

Black willow (Salix gooddingii) is a relatively tall, narrowtree growing to about 20 to 50 feet in height. A very commonspecies along Cache Creek, it often is the first plant to inhabitnew sites when moisture is available. The leaves of this willoware relatively long and narrow and equally green on both sur-faces. Like the sandbar willow, this species appears to toleratea variety of soil types provided there is sufficient moisture.

Red willow (Salix laevigata) is a common, usually multi-stemmed tree that grows to about 20 to 40 feet tall. Like mostwillow leaves, this species is shiny green above and much palerbelow. Generally preferring coarse soils or running streams, thered willow is typical of foothill streams. This willow is wide-spread throughout Cache Creek, but is generally replaced bythe arroyo willow as it nears the Cache Creek Settling Basin.

Arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis) is relatively uncommon alonglower Cache Creek, although it is one of our most commonwillow species in the Sacramento Valley Region. The leaf shapeof this species is highly variable and often similar in appear-ance to the red willow. However, unlike the red willow, the ar-royo willow is usually found associated with deeper, sandy orsandy loam alluvial soils. Irrigation ditches, ponds, sloughs, andseeps are favored areas of this species.

How to Identify the Willows of Cache Creek

If the leaves are grayish-green with fine hairs on bothsurfaces, then it’s Sandbar Willow.

If the leaves are green with no hairs, at least on theupper surface, consider:

If the leaves are equally green on both surfacesit’s Black Willow, or

If the leaves are shiny green above, distinctlylighter and paler below, consider:

If the margins of the bud scales are free andoverlapping with buds generally pointed, andthe widest portion of the leaf is below the mid-section of the blade, it’s Red Willow, or

If the margins of bud scales are fused with gen-erally blunt buds and the widest portion of theleaf is at the middle or towards the tip of theblade, it’s Arroyo Willow.


California wild rose

Shrubs/PerennialsButton Willow (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

The button willow is a shrub or small tree (6-32 feet) thatcan be recognized by its opposite or whorled leaves and showywhite flowers that bloom from June through September. Thebark is gray with reddish young stems. The small flowers clus-ter into round heads on long stalks, and the fruits, called nut-lets, are small and dry. Illustration page 18.

California Wild Rose (Rosa californica)This native rose grows near streams and can reach up to

nine feet tall. Its pink flowers grow in clusters, and the fruit is around hip. The wild rose blooms throughout the summer.

Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis)This hardy, woody perennial scrub is normally 4-6 feet

tall and almost as wide. The white flowers bloom in the fall,and the plant easily reseeds. It works well in upland creek areasas well as elevations up to 2,000 feet and is very drought tolerant.

Dogbane or Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)This perennial herb grows in moist places throughout the

state. It has upright, branching stems that release a milky sub-stance when broken. The plants normally grow only one to twofeet tall. The leaves grow in opposite pairs off the stems, andthe flowers are found in small clusters at the top of the plant.

Coyote Brush


Mulefat (Baccharis viminea)Mulefat is a member of the sunflower family. It’s a woody

shrub that looks like a willow with its long thin leaves. It hassmall white flowers that grow at the top of short side branches.It can grow to be 6 to 10 feet tall and is adaptable to both moistand dry areas.

Dogbane Mulefat


Grasses and SedgesCreeping Wildrye (Leymus triticoides)

Creeping wildrye is a tall (18-50 inches) perennial grassthat is very flood tolerant. It produces some seed but propa-gates mainly by rhizomes, which makes it a good plant for ero-sion control along the creek banks. Its roots can grow to 10feet. It is a successful understory grass with other natives.

Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens)This tall (28-60 inches), slender perennial bunch grass is

long-lived and once established will easily reseed as long as thereis water. It is also tolerant of varying degrees of moisture.

White Root Sedge (Carex barbarae)This perennial sedge grows close to the water in clumps

that reach one to three feet tall. It spreads by rhizomes, and“white root” was the name given to it by Native Americans whoutilized the rhizomes for weaving baskets. As an understory plant,it tolerates a variety of shade conditions.

Creeping Wildrye

The Yolo County RCD has produced an excellent pictorialguide to native grasses for landowners called Know Your Natives.In addition to information, it has photographs of the matureplant, the seed heads, the seedling and the seeds for each ofmany species of native grasses. Contact the RCD to obtain a copy.

White Root Sedge


Native Plants for DifferentZones on Lower Cache Creekby Barry Baba

Stream Channel/Water

Lower Bank/Streamside

Red Willow*

Sandbar Willow*

Black Willow*

Arroyo Willow*

Mulefat*

Button Willow

Fremont Cottonwood*

Creeping Wildrye

White Root Sedge

Upper Bank/Terrace

Valley Oak*

Blue Elderberry*

California Wild Rose*

Coyote Brush*

Yerba Santa*

Western Poison Oak*

California Wild Grape

Redbud

Purple Needlegrass

Transition Area

Fremont Cottonwood

California Wild Rose*

Sandbar Willow

California Wild Grape

*Denotes species that have been most successful.


Where to Find NativePlants

You can either buy plants and/or seeds or you can collectthem locally. Several native plant nurseries have been listed

in the “Where to Buy Materials” section. The people who runthe nurseries are normally very knowledgeable and glad to an-swer your questions. Some of the nurseries may be willing tostart plants for you, if you can give them several months notice.You will also find that you’ll have a choice of containers, andthus, plant sizes. It’s very important to have a plan in mindbefore you actually start purchasing plants, so take advantageof the organizations and agencies mentioned throughout thisbooklet to help you make decisions. Also, consider saving moneyby going in with some of your neighbors to buy larger quanti-ties.

Gathering plant material locally is another option. Listedbelow are some possibilities along Cache Creek:

Pole cuttingsWillows and cottonwoods can be started from pole cut-

tings. The consensus among locals is that cottonwood cuttingsare slightly harder to establish than willows, so the cottonwoodsshould be planted more densely to obtain an equivalent amountof survivors. Mulefat has also been successfully started fromcuttings on the Scheuring property near Rumsey

Cuttings should be collected during the dormant season;January or February is best. Collect from the trees closest tothe area you want to put the cuttings. Cuttings should be takenfrom plants that are at least two years old, but they shouldn’thave a thick bark or be deeply furrowed. Poles should range

from 1 to 4 inches in diameter and 4 to 7 feet in length. All sidebranches and the terminal bud should be removed so that lat-eral resprouting is encouraged. The poles can be bundled andstored temporarily in a cool place (34-36 degrees F). They shouldbe put in buckets and soaked for a few days before planting andthen put directly in the ground.

Depending on the soil moisture and type, poles can bepressed directly into the ground or you can use a bar or smallauger at a distance of 2 to 3 feet from each other. One-half totwo-thirds of the pole should be placed below the ground toinsure it is as close to water as possible.

Acorn gathering and plantingOaks can be established by planting acorns. Gather local

valley oak acorns in the fall from trees closest to the site whereyou want to establish new plants. It is best to remove acornsdirectly from the tree rather than picking them up from theground, where they may have dried out or become diseased.The acorns should separate easily from the caps when thebranches are shaken.

After you’ve gathered a batch of acorns, place them in abucket of water and discard the ones that float to the top. Thendry the healthy ones, place them in breathable plastic bags witha moist medium such as a 3:1 perlite and vermiculite mixtureand refrigerate them until you’re ready to plant.

Acorns are usually easy to grow and can be planted anytime after the rains have started until early spring. Dig a shal-low hole, 1-3", and place 2-3 acorns, pointed end down, per


hole. Cover them with local soil, tamp it down and water. AnnScheuring, one of the Capay Valley’s oak experts, says that sheprefers to lay 1-2 acorns sideways with just enough soil to barelycover them. It is best to use a planting tube to protect acornsplanted since the seedlings are favorites of rodents, rabbits, anddeer.

Site Conditions andPlant Establishment

I t is critical to match the right plants with the right environmental conditions. Not all sites are suitable for woody, ri-

parian plant species. These plants not only require close prox-imity to year around water, but grow and survive much better inrich soil conditions. Loamy soils with an even mixture of clays,silts and sands produce the most luxuriant plant growth. Soilsalong Cache Creek can be extremely coarse and droughty, re-sulting in plantings that will not succeed or may grow very slowly.For coarse textured soils with low water holding capacity, plantsshould be installed closer to the lower riverbank (or even intrenches as described elsewhere) than sites with more finedtextured soils.

If you’ve gotten plants from a nursery, they should be putin the ground between mid-October and mid-March when thetemperature is moderate and rain water is available. Plantingoutside this window of time is possible, but you must plan care-fully for regular watering and perhaps shade.

At the planting site clear a three-foot-square area of allexisting plant material before you begin to dig a hole. Thenexcavate a hole about 1 to 2 times the height and 2 to 4 times

the width of the root ball, and roughen up the sides of the hole.Remove the plant from its container, and roughen the sides ofthe root ball and loosen the bottom if the plant is root bound,but don’t break up the root ball. After placing the plant in thehole, back fill it with surrounding soil. The root crown shouldbe several inches above the soil surface to allow for settling.Tamp down the soil to remove air pockets, and build up a sev-eral inch berm around the plant for temporary irrigation. Fi-nally, pour 2 to 3 gallons of water into the basin. One done!

Depending on the number of plants and your budget, youmay elect to: 1) install tree shelters, 2) use mulch or landscapefabric for each plant, and/or 3) treat with a plant fertilizer (Re-member, it can also encourage weed growth). Some plants, suchas valley oaks discussed above, have a much higher survivalrate using the tree tubes to protect them from deer and otherbrowsing animals.

Maintaining YourProject

The key to any bank stabilization project is maintenance. Inthe course of researching this handbook, we have seen

project after project that has failed due to a lack of one simplebut absolutely critical factor: WATER. Depending on the soiland proximity to the water table, plants will need supplementalwater in the non-rainy months for one to three years after plant-ing until their roots go deep enough. You should plan your en-tire revegetation project around access to water.

Consider the possibility of a tailwater pond if you farmcrops like sunflowers or tomatoes that will have some run-off


in the summer months when water can be scarce. The YoloCounty RCD has expert advisors on tailwater pond construc-tion, and they can direct you to successful examples around thecounty. The importance of water run-off is very obvious in thedriest reaches of the creek, such as Fulton Stephens’ creek frontproperty in Esparto, where it is notoriously hard to revegetate.Look where all the riparian plants are thriving, and you’ll alsofind a drain pipe from his orchard to the riparian area.

Be creative. The Cache Creek Conservancy, for example,was allowed to tap into a neighbor’s walnut orchard drip irriga-tion system to provide summer water to young oaks plantedaround the rim of an old mining basin.

Where to BuyMaterials

Bitterroot Restoration*11760 Atwood Road, Suite 5Auburn, CA 95603Phone: 530-745-9814Email: [email protected]: www.bitterrootrestoration.comFamiliar with restoration needs on Cache Creek; consulting services

Will grow plants needed if given sufficient time; plant list available

Cornflower FarmsP.O. Box 896Elk Grove, CA 95759Phone: 916-689-1015Email: [email protected]: www.cornflowerfarms.comAnnual catalogue available; facility for pick up only—not openfor browsing

Hartland Nursery (Hart Restoration, Inc.)*13737 Grand Island RoadWalnut Grove, CA 95690Phone: 916-775-4021Email: [email protected] with restoration needs on Cache Creek; visit by appoint-ment; consulting services

Hedgerow Farms21740 County Road 88Winters, CA 95694Phone: 530-662-4570Email: [email protected]: www.hedgerowfarms.comSpecializes in grasses and sedges; plant and seed lists available

Cache Creek NurseryP. O. Box 85Rumsey, CA 95679Phone: 530-796-3521Email: [email protected]: www.yolo.com/cachecreek/

u

Plants


Restoration Resources (formerly Sierra View Landscape)*3868 Cincinnati Ave.Rocklin, CA 95765Phone: 916-408-2990Email: [email protected]: www.restoration-resources.netFamiliar with restoration needs on Cache Creek; consulting services

Three Palms Nursery26990 County Road 95ADavis, CA 95616Phone: 530-756-8355Often buys from Cornflower and will purchase extra if asked inadvance

*In addition to plants these companies also offer full restora-tion services including planning, permitting, and planting.

SuppliesAgriform1000 East StreetWoodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-662-6400Fertilizers and herbicides

Irrigation Supply Company217 West Kentucky Ave.Woodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-666-5925Irrigation supplies

McKnew EnterprisesP.O. Box 2128Elk Grove, CA 95759Phone: 888-47-BLUEXE-Mail: [email protected]: www.growtube.comTree shelters

Rain for Rent390 West Kentucky Ave.Woodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-662-1024Website: www.rainforrent.comIrrigation supplies

Earth Saver Erosion Control ProductsA Division of R. H. Dyck, Inc.P.O. Box 310Yolo, CA 95697Phone: 530-662-7700Website: www.earth-savers.comErosion control products made from rice straw


Resources

Cache Creek ConservancyP.O. Box 8249 (34199 County Road 20)Woodland, CA 95776-8249Phone: 530-661-1070Email: [email protected]: www.cachecreekconservancy.org

Cache Creek Technical Advisory CommitteeSee Yolo County Planning and Public Works DepartmentParks and Resource Management Division

California Department of Fish and Game, Region 21701 Nimbus Dam RoadRancho Cordova, CA 95670Phone: 916-358-2900Website: www.dfg.ca.gov

California Department of Fish and Game WardenSteve JimenezP.O. Box 385Woodland, CA 95776Phone: 530-682-7088Email: [email protected]

California Regional Water Quality Control Board11020 Sun Center Drive #2Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-6114Phone: 916-464-3291Website: www.swrcb.ca.gov

Natural Resources Conservation Service221 West Court Street, Suite1Woodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-662-2037Email: [email protected]: www.nrcs.usda.gov

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District1325 J StreetSacramento, CA 95814-2922Phone: 916-464-4645Website: www.spk.usace.army.mil

Yolo County Planning and Public Works DepartmentParks and Resources Management Division

Resource Manager292 West Beamer St.Woodland, CA 95695-2598Phone: 666-8806Website: www.yolocounty.org


Yolo County Resource Conservation District221 West Court Street, Suite1Woodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-662-2037Website: www.yolorcd.org

Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner70 Cottonwood St.Woodland, CA 95695Phone: 530-666-8140

Yolo County Sheriff’s Department2500 E. GibsonWoodland, CA 95776Phone: 530-668-5280

Planting for the future


References

Bentrup, G. and C.J. Hoag. 1998. The Practical StreambankBioengineering Guide, User’s Guide for NaturalStreambank Stabilization Techniques in the Arid and Semi-arid Great Basin and Intermountain West, USDA NaturalResources Conservation Service, Plant Materials Center,Aberdeen, Idaho.

Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group.1998. Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processesand Practices. USDA. Washington, D.C.

Firehock, K. and J. Doherty. 1995. A Citizen’s StreambankRestoration Handbook. Save Our Streams Program, IzaakWalton League of America, Inc.

Howard, V. and P. Robins. 2002. Capay Valley Conservationand Restoration Manual. Yolo County Resource Conserva-tion District.

Johnson, A.W. and J.M. Stypula. Eds. 1993. Guidelines forBank Stabilization Projects in the Riverine Environmentsof King County, WA. King Co. Dept. of Public Works,Surface Water Management Division. Seattle, WA.

Mount, J. F. 1995. California Rivers and Streams, the Conflictbetween Fluvial Process and Land Use. University ofCalifornia Press. Berkeley.

San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority. 2000. SanFrancisquito Creek Bank Stabilization and RevegetationMaster Plan. City of Palo Alto.

Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District. 1996.Living in a Watershed, A Landuser’s Guide to WatershedManagement and Protection. Santa Cruz County RCD.

Scheuring, A., Ed. 2003. Capay Valley Atlas. Capay ValleyVision, Inc.

Yolo County RCD. 2003. Capay Valley Watershed StewardshipPlan. Cache Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group andYolo County Resource Conservation District.

Yolo County. 1995. Technical Studies and Recommendationsfor the Lower Cache Creek Resource Management Plan.

Yolo County. 1996. Final Cache Creek Improvement Programfor Lower Cache Creek.

Yolo County. 2002. Final Supplemental Environmental ImpactReport for Cache Creek Resources Management Plan.

Yolo County. 2002. Revised Final Cache Creek ResourcesManagement Plan for Lower Cache Creek. (adoptedAugust 1996, revised August 2002)

landowner’s guide to streambank

Documents