Los Padres Completes Stream Restoration Project
Source: Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest officials announced the completion of an extensive stream restoration project on Munch and Davy Brown Creeks in the Sisquoc River watershed on the Santa Lucia Ranger District. The Forest Order that closed Upper Sunset Valley Road since July 2021 will expire tonight at midnight, reopening this popular area that includes the Davy Brown and Nira Campgrounds.
Beginning last autumn, three degraded low-water road crossings were removed on Upper Sunset Valley Road (Forest Road 8N09). Two crossings were replaced with channel-spanning bridges to improve passage for endangered Southern California steelhead trout along three and a half miles of critical habitat. The third crossing was decommissioned and returned to its natural state.
This project was successful thanks to partnerships with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and South Coast Habitat Restoration (SCHR) along with other generous partners, including:
• Santa Barbara County
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• California Trout
• Coastal Conservancy
• Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
• California Conservation Corps
• California Fish Passage Forum
A portion of cost-recovery settlements from the Zaca and Piru Fires were used to fund this $4 million project as well as in-kind contributions from SCHR that were awarded through the NFWF.
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Mar 30, 2022 06:28 PMThat sounds great. Hopefully other streams can be improved in the same way to help the fish.
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Mar 31, 2022 08:01 AMGaviota Creek is another local stream we’re working hard to restore for fish. Read more about it here
https://mailchi.mp/7b1ea744021b/news-from-the-gaviota-creek-watershed?e=e065149a69
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Mar 31, 2022 08:01 AMI just wanted to thank the public for their patience with this project as the contractor. I also want to thank South Coast Habitat Restoration & Earth Island Institute for making this project happen. They were the entity that actually had the project designed, procured funding, managed the project and did not give up in the shadows of government ideocracy. I also wanted to thank the engineer Matt Weld of Waterways Consulting for his work on the project, The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and their onsite monitor Chance Zavala for their genuine concern for their cultural heritage and the appreciation for what nature provides. In addition I would like to thank my crew, subcontractors, concrete suppliers, trucking companies and all the people who braved 110-20 degree weather with nasty bugs, horrible roads, flat tires, mud, ice and all the other things the backcountry can dish out.
By the way the picture the USFS posted is not the completed project. Enjoy the backcountry.
Peter Lapidus