Restoring Fish Migration Connectivity to the Salt River Coastal Watershed

Status Completed County Humboldt
Project Type Non-mitigation Location 40.59656° N, -124.25678° W Map
Project Area (Acres) 237,630 Last Updated 20 May 2021
Project Abstract The project is sited in the highly aggraded Salt River channel, in Humboldt Co along the coast of northern CA. The project will restore 1.7 miles of Salt River, allowing fish passage to historic freshwater habitat from the Pacific Ocean. The project will also enhance aquatic habitat and a riparian corridor. Effectiveness monitoring will follow.
Project Groups CDFW Prop 1
Administrative Region California Department of Fish and Wildlife - Hildie Spautz, CDFW

Project Identification

IDType
No Data

Habitat Plan

Site NamePhaseActivitySubActivitiesHabitatSubHabitatAcresActivity StatusWater Regime
2017 None Restoration (unspecified) Sediment Management Seasonal Wetland Floodplain 26.63 Completed Perennial non-tidal
2018 None Enhancement Vegetation Riverine Wetland Riparian area 237,600 Completed Perennial non-tidal
2019 None Restoration/Re-establishment Water Management Riverine Wetland Channel 3.64 Completed Perennial non-tidal

Related Habitat Impacts

HabitatAcres LostType of Loss
No Data

Sites

NameStatusAcres
2017 Completed 26.63
2018 Completed 237,600
2019 Completed 3.64

Events

DateTypeDescriptionSite Name
2019-10-15 Completion Salt River restoration construction on 1.4 miles a river channel and riparian corridor began on June 15, 2019 and was completed October 15, 2019. The 1.4 miles of river channel and associated floodplains were excavated. Forty-seven simple and complex large wood structures were installed. Nearly 3 miles of cattle exclusion was installed along with erosion control fabric and freshwater wetland seeding. Ten acres of riparian planting of will take place in the winter of 2019-2020. Of the 1.4 miles of restored river, this project funding funded 0.3 miles of channel excavation, restoration, and riparian planting. The remaining 1.1 miles of river channel is expected to be restored in 2020.
2018-10-15 Groundwork end 2018
2018-06-15 Groundwork start 2018
2018-06-15 Groundwork start In the summer of 2018, 0.4 miles of Salt River channel and riparian corridor was excavated and restored. Cattle exclusion fencing was also installed. Twenty-two simple and complex log structures were constructed. All earthwork was completed on October 15th, 2018. Riparian planting within the channel corridor was completed by January 2019.
2017-10-15 Groundwork end 2017
2017-10-14 Groundwork end 2017
2017-06-16 Groundwork start 2017
2017-06-15 Groundwork start 2017
2017-06-15 Groundwork start In 2017, 0.5 miles of the Francis Creek tributary and 0.5 miles of Salt River were excavated and restored. A 6-acre sediment management area was built on Francis Creek at the confluence to the Salt River. Nearly 2 miles of cattle exclusion fencing was installed. Approximately 28 simple and complex large wood structures were constructed. Riparian planting along the occurred with winter of 2017/2018.

People

TypeNameOrganizationDepartment
Agency Staff Jill Demers Humboldt County Resource Conservation District Not applicable/Unknown

Funding

Funding Need: $1,995,438

PhaseActivityFunderAmount
No Data

Related CRAM Assessments

Visit DateVersionSite NameWetland TypeIndex Score
No Data

Performance Measures

Plan NamePlan GoalPerformance MeasureMeasure ValueStatusEvaluation Date
Delta Conservancy Proposition 1 Grant Program Ecosystem Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement Increased acres or linear feet of freshwater emergent marsh/wetland, nontidal
15 / 15 acres
100%
100%
measure achieved 2019-10-15
Delta Conservancy Proposition 1 Grant Program Ecosystem Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement Increased acres or linear feet of shaded riverine aquatic cover
28 / 28 acres
100%
100%
measure achieved 2019-12-13
Delta Conservancy Proposition 1 Grant Program Ecosystem Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement Increased acres or linear feet with a best management practice implemented
8976 / 8976 linear feet
100%
100%
measure achieved 2019-12-10
Delta Conservancy Proposition 1 Grant Program Water-related Agricultural Sustainability Increased acres of agricultural lands protected, established, or enhanced by implementing multi-benefit restoration projects
160 / 150 acres
107%
107%
measure achieved 2019-12-10

No files found.

How to Use the Habitat Development Curve

Habitat Development Curves (HDCs) are used to determine the developmental status and trajectory of on-the-ground projects to create, restore, or enhance California wetland and stream habitats. Each HDC is based on assessments of habitat condition for different age areas of one habitat type that in aggregate represent the full spectrum of habitat development. The assessments of condition are provided by expert applications of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM). Visit the CRAM website for more information about CRAM.

For each HDC, reference condition is represented by areas of a habitat that consistently get very high CRAM scores, have not been subject to disruptive management practices, and exist within landscapes that are protected and managed for their natural conditions. The horizontal lines intersecting the top of an HDC represent the mean CRAM score and standard deviation of scores for 25 qualifying reference areas.

The age of a project is estimated as the elapsed time in years between the groundwork end date for the project and the date of the CRAM assessment. To add or update a groundwork end date, use the Project Events form in Project Tracker (ptrack.ecoatlas.org). The minimum age in years of a non-project area, including any natural reference area, is estimated from all available local information, including historical maps and imagery, historical written accounts, and place-specific scientific studies of habitat development.

An HDC can be used to address the following questions:

  1. At what time in the future will the area of assessed habitat achieve the reference condition or other milestones in habitat development? The HDC can answer this question if the CRAM score for the assessed area is within the confidence interval of the HDC. The answer is the time in years along the HDC between the current age of the assessed area and the future date corresponding to the intersection of the HDC and the reference condition or other milestone.
  2. Is the area of assessed habitat likely to develop faster, slower, or at the same pace as most other areas of the same habitat type? The habitat area is likely to develop faster, slower, or at the same pace if the CRAM score for the area is above, below, or within the confidence interval of the HDC, respectively.
  3. What can be done to improve the condition of the habitat area or to increase its rate of development? HDCs by themselves cannot answer this question. Possible answers can be inferred by the following analysis that involves HDCs:
    1. Examine the HDC for each of the four CRAM Attributes;
    2. Identify the Attribute(s) scoring below the HDC;
    3. For any low-scoring Attribute, examine the component Metric Scores (note: the Metric Scores for any public CRAM assessment in the CRAM database can be obtained through EcoAtlas);
    4. Assume the low score of an Attribute is due to its low-scoring Metric(s);
    5. Consider modifying the design or management of the habitat area in ways that will sustainably increase its score(s) for the low-scoring Metric(s).

For more information about CRAM Attributes and Metrics, including their scientific rationale, see the CRAM Manual.

Display Habitat Development Curves For Wetland Type:

CRAM Site Scores