Coldstream Canyon Sediment Reduction and Wetland Rehabilitation

Status Completed County Placer
Project Type Non-mitigation Location 39.30859° N, -120.24436° W Map
Project Area (Acres) 13.00 Last Updated 14 March 2024
Project Abstract The purpose of the Project is to reduce sediment loading and erosion in the Coldstream Canyon watershed, which has been highly altered by gravel mining and dirt road construction. This will be accomplished by re-routing and decommissioning dirt roads, improving drainage at road/stream intersections, and restoring wetlands.
Project Groups Sierra Meadows Partnership
Administrative Region Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board - Tiffany Steinert, Jan Zimmerman, Elizabeth van Diepen, LRWQCB

Project Identification

IDType
No Data

Habitat Plan

Site NamePhaseActivitySubActivitiesHabitatSubHabitatAcresActivity StatusWater Regime
Coldstream Wetlands None Restoration/Re-establishment Sediment Management, Vegetation Management Depressional Wetland Open water 13.00 Implementation in-progress Riparian

Related Habitat Impacts

Impact Project NameHabitatAcres LostType of Loss
No Data

Sites

NameStatusAcres
Coldstream Wetlands Construction completed 13.00

Events

DateTypeDescriptionSite Name
2023-12-31 Project end date Work tasks associated with this project and complete. Restoration activities have focused on improving drainage along 13 miles of degraded dirt roads and have restored and enhanced 13 acres of wetland habitat, resulting in reduced sediment loading to the Truckee River by up to 316 tons per year and assisting in the attainment of sediment reductions related to the Truckee River TMDL.
2023-12-31 Phase end Project implementation is complete. TRWC and California State Parks have been able to restore and enhance a total of 13 acres of wetland habitat in Coldstream Canyon on properties owned and managed by California State Parks. Coldstream Wetlands
2020-07-01 Project start date TRWC and California State Parks initiate project implementation to restore 13 acres of wetland habitat.
2020-07-01 Phase start TRWC and California State Parks initiate project implementation to restore 13 acres of wetland habitat in Coldstream Canyon. Coldstream Wetlands

People

TypeNameOrganizationDepartment
Partner Eben Swain Truckee River Watershed Council Not applicable/Unknown

Funding

PhaseActivityFunderAmount
None Restoration/Re-establishment State of California $800,000

Related CRAM Assessments

Visit DateVersionSite NameWetland TypeIndex Score
No Data

Performance Measures

Plan NamePlan GoalPerformance MeasureMeasure ValueStatusEvaluation Date
Revegetation Plan Ecosystem Protection, Restoration, and Enhancement Percent survivorship of shrubs (Year 1)
90.5 / 75 percent
121%
121%
measure achieved 2023-12-31

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