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Although
a certain amount of erosion is natural and desirable in
any watershed, unnatural volumes of sediment introduced
into a salmon bearing stream destroy pool habitat and smother
spawning gravel. Improperly maintained roads and stream
crossings are a major source of preventable sediment pollution
in the Eel River.
Surface
erosion is one way that roads contribute sediment. The bare
soil exposed when a road is built is highly susceptible
to the impact of rainfall. This direct impact causes erosion.
While the volume of sediment from an individual site may
be small, the cumulative contribution of many roads with
many individual sites is potentially staggering.
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Before
decommissioning Cumming Creek Road
was eroding into the stream.
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Improperly
placed and sized culverts are another common medium for road-related
erosion. Tantamount among improperly placed culverts are so-called
“shotgun” culverts. These culverts jut sharply
out of the road on the downhill side. There may be a two-foot
or larger gap between the culvert outlet and the ground below.
The impact of steadily flowing water combined with the energy
gained from falling two feet is often enough to turn an otherwise
stable hillside into a steep-walled gully. |
The
scars left in the hillside by these culverts are immediately
visible, deep gashes with bare, near-vertical walls riddle
the hillside. At their worst, these gullies can be 20 feet
wide and 20 feet deep, delivering large loads of sediment
to streams. |
Fortunately, funding now exists for organizations like ERWIG
to assess these road-related problems. Landowners who would
like to improve their roads may contact ERWIG to complete
an evaluation. After its initial evaluation, ERWIG applies
for funding to accomplish a detailed assessment of roads within
interested landowners' rural subdivisions. ERWIG techs survey
each road in the subdivision, recording data on potential
and current sites of erosion. We then make recommendations
for improvement. All of this information is assembled in a
report, which is submitted as a proposal for funding to accomplish
the suggested improvements. If all goes smoothly, improvements
will be made to the roads the following year, preventing literally
tons of unnaturally eroded sediment from entering the waterways.
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Cumming’s
Creek Road Decommissioning and Improvement Project |
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Before
The old road needing decommissioning
on the left. |
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After
The old log bridge was removed and the
banks re-sloped to a natural grade. |
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This project reflects the united efforts of landowners committed
to restoring their stream to a more healthy and natural state
while solving their own access problems caused by a bad road.
The effort began in the spring of 1996 when all the landowners
in the watershed first met to form the Cummings Creek Watershed
Advisory Counsel. At that time, frustration was high and answers
to their road problems were few. During the winter residents
were forced to walk the last half mile to their homes because
the failing road could not support vehicle traffic.
Formation
of the Cummings Creek Watershed Advisory Council, which included
PALCO and Eel River Sawmills, allowed the landowners to speak
with a unified voice. CCWAC decide to focus on the restoration
of their once productive salmon spawning stream and considered
themselves a watershed restoration group as opposed to a roads
association. This opened the door to restoration funds.
Through
the corporation and financial donations from large timber
companies, grants from the National Fish and Wildlife foundation
and the Department of Fish and Game, and funds from the California
Commercial Salmon Stamp money, the failing road has been updated
and relocated away from the creek, two new bridges were installed,
and an interpretive trail has been installed along the former
road site.
As
a result of the road improvements, there is much less sediment
entering the lower river. The stream has down-cut, cleaning
the gravel, lowering the bed load and improving salmon habitat.
Migrating salmonids are now able to access the lower channel
nearly two months earlier than they’ve been able to
in the last 6 years!
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Livestock Management Fencing
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The
purpose of livestock management fencing is to prevent livestock
from degrading streams.
When
livestock have unrestricted access to streams, vegetation
becomes trampled and the banks can become unstable. Without
vegetation to anchor the stream bank, the amount of sediment
entering the stream is increased, causing streams to become
wider, warmer, and shallower. When these changes occur, the
result is a loss of sensitive spawning habitat for salmon.
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Livestock
exclusion fencing |
Restricting livestock access to creeks helps to protect the
riparian zone, which is critical in maintaining and restoring
the integrity of stream ecosystems.
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To contact us:
Phone:
707-725-4317
Fax:
707-725-1086
Email:
info@ERWIG.org
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ERWIG's
work and publications are made possible by funding from
the CA Department of Fish and Game SB 271 Fisheries Restoration
Grant.
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