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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.04.21 Board Correspondence - FW_ Butte County Support Letter - Friends of Butte Creek Grant Application From:Paulsen, Shaina To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Cook, Robin;Hironimus, Patrizia; Kimmelshue, Tod;Lucero, Debra;Paulsen, Shaina;Pickett, Andy;Reaster, Kayla;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami; Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Butte County Support Letter - Friends of Butte Creek Grant Application Date:Wednesday, August 4, 2021 8:04:58 AM Attachments:8-02-21 Butte County CC Support Letter - FBC Grant Application.docx.pdf FRGPCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife.BUTTE CREEK.pdf Please see Board Correspondence below. Shaina Paulsen Administrative Assistant, Senior Butte County Administration 25 County Center Drive, Suite 200 Oroville, CA 95965 T: 530.552.3304 | F: 530.538.7120 From: Moak, Peggy <pmoak@buttecounty.net> Sent: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 5:41 PM To: Walker, Thad <thad@bcrcd.org>; Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>; Bob Gage (bobgage65@gmail.com) <bobgage65@gmail.com>; Carolyn Denero <carolyn@explorebuttecounty.com>; Buck, Christina <CBuck@buttecounty.net>; Daniel Taverner <Daniel.Taverner@ca.usda.gov>; Frank Stewart <rpf235@comcast.net>; Holly Jorgensen <holly@sacriver.org>; Jessee, Meegan <Mjessee@buttecounty.net>; Nick Repanich <nrepanich@csuchico.edu>; Nuzum, Danielle <DNuzum@buttecounty.net>; Pack, Joshua <jpack@buttecounty.net>; Patricia Puterbaugh <pmputerbaugh@yahoo.com>; Daneluk, Paula <PDaneluk@buttecounty.net>; Peggy Moak (pmoak19@gmail.com) <pmoak19@gmail.com>; Pickett, Andy <APickett@buttecounty.net>; Teri Faulkner <terifa@ix.netcom.com>; Thad Walker <thadwalker@chicovelo.org>; Vance Severin <mrshred@sbcglobal.net> Cc: Allen Harthorn <allen@buttecreek.org> Subject: Butte County Support Letter - Friends of Butte Creek Grant Application Good afternoon: Attached is a letter of support for a grant proposal submitted by the Friends of Butte Creek to the Fisheries Restoration Grants Program for the riparian corridors of Butte Creek and Little Butte Creek within the Camp Fire footprint. In short, the proposal intends to survey about 20 miles of the corridor to identify the extent of tree mortality and potential flooding and erosion effects of a massive influx of tree trunks into the stream system. Log jams as a result of flood conditions could have a devastating effect on the riparian corridor and the critical habitat it sustains for threatened steelhead and spring run Chinook salmon. The grant application is also attached, for your reference. If you have any questions about the grant or the letter, please feel free to contact me. Best, Peggy Moak Special Projects Butte County Federal/State Land Use Committee Butte County Forest Advisory Committee 25 County Center Drive, Suite 213, Oroville, CA 95965 T:530.552.3737 | M: 530.370.2933 Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest 1725887 - Butte Creek Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Project FRGP - Fisheries Restoration Grant Program Status: Submitted Submitted Date: 04/13/2021 2:31 PM Submitted By: Allen Harthorn Applicant Information Primary Contact: Allen Harthorn Executive Director allen@buttecreek.org 2024 W. Sacramento Avenue Chico California 95973 530-228-5342 Organization Information Organization Name: Friends of Butte Creek Organization Type: Nonprofit Organization Tax ID: 68-0470009 Website: www.buttecreek.org 2024 West Sacramento Avenue Chico California 95973 530-228-5342 allen@buttecreek.org Focus Focus Watershed (FRGP) Butte Creek Primary Species Benefited (FRGP) Chinook Additional Species Information Additional Species Benefitted Amphibians/Reptiles: Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog, Western Pond Turtle Mammals: Black Bear Birds: Bald Eagle Project Type (FRGP) PL Planning, Assessment, Coordination and Design Recovery/Restoration Plan and Associated Task Recovery Plan for Sacramento River/Central Valley Chinook Salmon and Steelhead (NOAA July 2014) Recovery/Restoration Plan Task BUC-2.4: Develop and implement a strategy that prioritizes projects with the intent of promoting Butte Creek watershed resiliency and reducing the potential for wildfires. The Butte Creek Watershed Fire Recovery and Resilience Project will survey the most heavily impacted reaches of Little Butte Creek and mainstem Butte Creek to determine the extent of the destruction of the riparian forest from the Camp Fire of 2018. Little Butte Creek was scorched from the Magalia Reservoir all the way to the confluence with Butte Creek. Much of the landscape of this important tributary to Butte Creek is composed of the remnants of historical gold and gravel mining. The tailings of the massive dredgers that plowed through the floodplain have been, for the most part leveled by developers and subdivided into residential homesites. Most of the homes were lost in the fire and many are being rebuilt. The upper reaches are privately owned and are in large parcels. The County of Butte and the private landowners recognize the destruction but have no resources to assess the potential for more destructive fires, logjams from fallen trees, landslides and creek avulsions. The narrow floodplain of Little Butte Creek makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding issues. Several access bridges are not well designed for passing large amounts of woody debris. The conditions of the mainstem of Butte Creek are severe in the overall amount of forest destruction, but perhaps less dangerous for logjams and flooding due to the larger floodplain. There are, however, already logjams that may be impacting salmon migration. Again, severe rainfall and flooding events could easily change this situation into a catastrophe. Drought conditions have fortunately avoided any flooding issues for the time being. The survey of the riparian corridor will include acquisition of historical and contemporary air photos, Google Earth images pre-fire and post-fire, fire severity maps, landslide potential maps as well as drone and ground based images as needed. The Watershed Emergency Response Team, WERT, reports will be utilized to further target the most severe areas of concern. Project Information Summary Information Were previous parts of this project funded by FRGP? No Project Category: Planning, Assessment, Coordination and Design Project Overview: The goal of this project is conduct post-fire restoration planning in Lower Butte Creek Canyon and Little Butte Creek following the 2018 Camp Fire in order to restore and protect habitat for spring run salmon and steelhead. The fire killed thousands of trees that are currently standing and intensely burned steep hillsides in these watersheds that present risks of landslides and debris flows that would severely impact valuable spring run and steelhead habitat. Expected Benefits This project will benefit salmonids by developing designs for actions that will reduce excess wildfire- induced sediment and debris from being deposited in the deep cool water pools and spawning riffles that spring run salmon and steelhead rely on. The risk of large-scale deposition and channel avulsion will be reduced. Time Frame Start Date: 03/01/2022 End Date: 07/01/2023 Location Description The centerpoint of the project location is approximately the Honey Run Bridge over Butte Creek. The burn scar of the 2018 Camp Fire extends downstream approximately 4 miles. On the mainstem, the burn area extends upstream 4 miles to the Quail Run Bridge area. On Little Butte Creek the project area extends upstream 9 miles to the base of Magalia Dam and Reservoir. The project area is approximately 40 miles upstream of the confluence with the Sacramento River at the Butte Slough Outfall gates. Butte creek is diverted into the Sutter Bypass and it joins the Sacramento a second time downstream. Description of Coordinates Confluence of Butte Creek & Little Butte Creek Latitude: 39.434513 Longitude: -121.421166 Project Location Information Project is Program-wide across all FRGP Regions: No County: Butte County Stream: Butte Creek Tributary to: Sacramento River HUC 8: Butte Middle HUC 10: Butte Creek California Senate: 4th District California Assembly: 3rd District Licensed Professional(s) First and Last Name Affiliation (Organization) License Type/Code (e.g. Engineer, Geologist, etc.) License Number Contact Phone # Colin Hanley FlowWest Civil Engineer C74867 916-584-5689 Cristen Elejalde FlowWest Civil Engineer C91846 909-971-7978 Anthony Falzone FlowWest Certified Floodplain Manager N/A 510-454-9378 Watershed Information Watershed Project Area: 6190 Acres Land Use Statement The watershed has a diverse set of land uses, ranging from steep commercial timberlands in the north to flat, vast rice fields in the south. The upper watershed is primarily conifer forest owned by the US Forest Service and Sierra Pacific Industries. Intermixed with timber is a residential area and popular recreation destination known as Butte Meadows. The middle canyon area is primarily forest in private ownership with some scattered federal parcels. No changes are anticipated in the upper watershed over the next 10 years. As the main fork of Butte Creek descend through the middle canyon, it is joined by three drainages devastated by the Camp Fire: Middle Butte Creek, Little Butte Creek and Honey Run Creek. These creeks drain the communities of Magalia and the Town of Paradise. Most of the 18,000 structures destroyed in California's most destructive wildfire were in these communities, and the Butte Creek watershed absorbed some of the runoff from these burned structures over the intensely rainy winter that followed the fire. Over the next several years, as debris removal and reconstruction proceeds in these communities, the watershed can anticipate massive topsoil disturbance and almost around-the-clock heavy equipment use. Paradise and Magalia both consist of dispersed and concentrated urban and business areas and will be actively cleaned up, restored and rebuilt over the next several years. The mainstem of Butte Creek in the project area was also devastated by the wildfire. Here, approximately 40% of the homes were destroyed. Much of this area will also be cleaned up and rebuilt. Because noxious invasive plants often follow wildfire and subsequent disturbance, this area will be the core focus of non-native plant removal and restoration actions designed to reestablish a proper functioning floodplain. Some landowners will not return, so some parcels may be considered for land acquisition and restoration to a more natural landscape. Virtually everything below the project area, i.e. from Highway 99 downstream, is intensively farmed, high-value agricultural land and will likely remain in agricultural production for the foreseeable future. Watershed Ownership Watershed Ownership: 86.8% 4.4% 8.8% Private State Federal N/A Length of Anadromous Streams in Watershed Length: 59.0 Miles Description of Last Focus Species Observation Spring run Chinook salmon return to Butte Creek every year. Run sizes range from 2000+/- in 2018, to 15,000+/- in 2019, 1500+/- in 2020. The 2021 run has not been counted except for a percentage that passed the Vaki camera. As of this date nearly 10,000 have passed the camera. Many have passed directly over the dam. The 2021 run appears to be a record breaker. Protecting the valuable critical habitats for such an important run is critical to the Butte Creek run and as a source population for the entire ESU. Steelhead trout use both Butte Creek and Little Butte Creek and spawn in April. Background Information Butte Creek was a prime target for the 1849 Gold Rush in California. In-stream mining activity began as soon as 49'ers reached the area. Mining techniques advanced rapidly: By the 1860's hydraulic mining was in its heyday. The condition of the creek and the upslope areas deteriorated rapidly. Sand, silt and gravel began migrating downstream and the dynamics of the creek changed dramatically. Most of the riparian corridor was destroyed and the upslope forest cut for timbers. Hard rock mines were drilled and blasted into the hillsides at dozens of locations. Flumes were cut up and down the canyon to supply water to the hydraulic mining areas. After the 1884 Supreme Court ban on hydraulic mining, dredgers moved into the canyon and began disrupting the entire floodplain. This activity continued into the 1950's when it was replaced with floodplain gravel mining operations. The entire lower watershed floodplain has been completely disrupted numerous times. To this day, the floodplain is marred with "boneyards" of bleached gravel that will support almost no life. Despite the disruptions spring run salmon persisted. In the late 1960's, runs were still over 5000 salmon. With the completion of the State Water Project, which changed diversion times and rates in the Delta, the population crashed to an average of less than 200 fish per year. Recognizing the decline, agencies began focusing on diversions in the agricultural areas and the DeSabla Centerville hydroelectric project. Reduced diversions in key holding areas in 1980 helped double the returns throughout the 1980's. In 1992, again, the agencies reduced the diversion of the Hydro project and returns jumped dramatically into the 1000's of salmon. The agencies began coordinating with the agricultural diverters to improve flow, protect passage, and reduce entrainment. The combination of these efforts resulted in runs rebounding from 7500 in 1995 to 20,000+ in 1998. The creek experienced numerous years with runs over 10,000 salmon. Although this was an exceptional recovery, water management issues resulted in the pre-spawn mortality of 1000's of fish in many years. Combined with the most recent drought, runs have once again decreased to less than 1000 fish in 2017. The 2018 run jumped back up to 2,114 fish and optimism for increased run size has risen. The 2019 run was nearly 15,000 but the 2020 run was back down below 2000 fish. The Camp Fire in November 2018 happened just as the juvenile salmon began emerging from the gravel. Within days, the Friends of Butte Creek, volunteers from all the Federal, State and local agencies and dozens of private volunteers began installing straw wattles around burned out structures and areas subject to erosion. Considering the extraordinary number of salmon returning in 2021(see attached photo and view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHQ9Crn0RtU ), mostly offspring of the 2018 cohort, there certainly were no adverse effects from water toxicity. An Existing Conditions Report was developed in 2000 by CSU Chico and the Butte Creek Watershed Conservancy. The top ten issues of concern are as follows: 1. Recreational Pressure 2. Fisheries Decline 3. Extreme Fuel Load 4. Inadequate Timber Management Regulations, Water Quality Concern 5. Improper Road Construction and Maintenance 6. Groundwater Recharge 7. Domestic Water Supplies 8. Urban Runoff 9. Flooding 10. Education A Watershed Management Strategy was developed after the Existing Conditions Report was completed. Elements of the Existing Conditions Report and the management strategy are attached. Watershed Plans Butte Creek Watershed Project 1998 Butte Creek Watershed Project-Existing Conditions Report California State University, Chico Chico CA Butte Creek Watershed Project 2000 Watershed Management Strategy CSU Chico for the Butte Creek Watershed Conservancy Chico CA Butte Creek Watershed Project 1998 Butte Creek Watershed Project-Existing Conditions Report Fire History and Fluvial Geomorphology CSU Chico Chico CA Project Description This post-fire planning project will complement the Camp Fire recovery planning where the initial post- fire analysis work left off, to protect valuable spring run salmon and steelhead habitat in the severely burned watershed of Little Butte Creek (from Magalia Reservoir to the Butte Creek confluence) and Lower Butte Creek Canyon (from the Quail Run Bridge to the CDFW Butte Creek Canyon Reserve just above the Skyway Bridge). The 2018 Camp Fire has left behind landslide risk and thousands of dead but still currently standing trees in the high-burn intensity, steep slopes of Little Butte Creek and Lower Butte Creek Canyon. Fortunately, the watershed has not yet been subject to significant storms, but when the storms hit, there is a risk of large landslides with debris flows sweeping thousands of dead trees downstream, which could pile up at the bridges in the watershed and cause severe flood damage, reworking of the channel, and deposition of massive excess sediment into the valuable spring run salmon and steelhead habitat along Little Butte Creek (primarily steelhead, though spring run have been observed) and Lower Butte Creek Canyon (spring run and steelhead spawning, rearing, and holding habitat). The riparian areas are also habitat for the Western Pond Turtle and the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog. This project would conduct post-fire recovery planning to prevent this damage from happening in Little Butte Creek and Lower Butte Creek Canyon. We will gather information from the post-fire emergency planning work, collect high-resolution geo-referenced drone aerial imagery, identify and prioritize actions to protect the watershed, and develop a post-fire recovery and resilience plan for Little Butte Creek and Lower Butte Creek Canyon that protects the watersheds from excess sedimentation and debris flows. We will conduct stakeholder engagement to work with the community on the post-fire recovery work. The goal of the project is to develop a restoration guidance document that will serve as a roadmap to addressing the most serious fire-damaged areas with the highest potential for catastrophic failure to protect critical habitat for the anadromous salmonids of Butte Creek. The project is needed because the post-fire recovery efforts have been primarily focused on immediate public safety. Hazard trees along public right-of-ways have been removed as needed. Further efforts to remove hazard trees from private right-of-ways is ongoing with assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are no programs to deal with the many miles of destroyed riparian corridors. Although Butte County, the Resource Conservation District and the Fire Safe Council are all aware of the problem, there are no resources to even begin quantifying the extent of the problem. Project Set Up Allen Harthorn, Friends of Butte Creek Executive Director, will be managing the project and leading the stakeholder engagement efforts; he will be supported by an administrative assistant to help with invoicing and reporting. FlowWest's team of scientists and engineers will be leading the technical work in Tasks 1 through 6: Anthony Falzone, a geomorphologist and certified Floodplain Manager, will be managing the FlowWest work; Colin Hanley, Senior Engineer will be leading the conceptual design development process; Cristen Elejalde, P.E. will be leading the field work efforts and design technical engineering work; Priscilla Liang will be providing administrative support and GIS mapping; Gretchen Umlauf will be providing senior fisheries biology input. Gayland Taylor will be leading stakeholder outreach efforts and negotiating conservation efforts and agreements with private landowners. Materials: The materials for this project include monitoring equipment to record stage in the channel, water temperature, and air temperature. Stage and water temperature will be monitored using pressure transducers in four locations. We will use cabled LevelSCOUT 2X water level & temperature loggers with stainless steel housing and 30 PSIA range. Barometric pressure will be recorded using a fith LevelSCOUT 2X located on the floodplain. Barometric pressure will be corrected using LevelSCOUT software and data will be recorded at 15-minute intervals. The pressure transducer will be installed in a casing at the deepest part of the channel and the communication cable will be run through conduit to a locked box on the floodplain. Data will be downloaded quarterly using a laptop and USB communication device. The monitoring equipment will be located at the upstream and downstream extents of the Little Butte Creek and Butte Creek in the project area. To measure temperature in the riparian zone we will use ATMOS 14 air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure & vapor pressure sensors with solar radiation shields. The temperature monitors will be installed in the riparian zone adjacent to the channel measurement sites. Stage and temperature data will be used to document high flow and baselevel stage in the channels and to calibrate the hydraulic modeling conducted for the project. Water temperature and stage will be collected to access suitability for salmonids. On Butte Creek the upstream pressure transducer will be located near the boundary of the Camp Fire. Comparison of water temperature should show increase temperatures from the decrease in riparian vegetation from the Camp Fire along Butte Creek. Air temperature sensors in the burned area of Butte Creek should show higher temperature than in the unburned reach with a mature riparian canopy. The monitoring equipment will be purchased and installed by FlowWest. Protocols CDFW California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual Protocols: III. Habitat Inventory Methods, X. Upslope Erosion Inventory and Sediment Control Guidance, XI. Riparian Habitat Restoration PART III. HABITAT INVENTORY METHODS - LARGE WOODY DEBRIS (LWD) PART X UPSLOPE EROSION INVENTORY AND SEDIMENT CONTROL GUIDANCE - Measuring and Estimating Future Erosion Volumes PART XI RIPARIAN HABITAT RESTORATION - Erosion Control Primary Limiting Factors Excessive Sediment Yield (pool and gravel quality) How Does the Project Address the Primary Limiting Factors: The three major threats to Butte Creek spring-run Chinook salmon include loss of historical spawning habitat, degradation of remaining habitat, and genetic threats from Feather River hatchery practices (Good et al. 2005, NMFS 2009). Therefore limiting factors in Butte Creek are: spawning habitat (space), low habitat quality (sedimentation results in lack of oxygen- so O2 is limited), and genetic threats (limiting factor would be diversity in genetics). Liming factors to salmon viability and fecundity are at substantial increased risk from fire related impacts and include: (1) increased sedimentation from slope failures, leads to increased turbidity and sediment in the channel, and LIMITS Oxygen for spawning, emergence, feeding, rearing etc.; (2) increase LWD in the channel which in turn traps sediment and reduces available oxygen; and (3) loss of vegetation which retains moisture in the riparian zone, this loss can lead to increases in stream temperatures, therefore limiting survival. Description of Activities Task 1 Acquire available information and data In this task, the project team will acquire relevant current and historical air photos, LiDAR data, detailed burn severity maps, landslide potential maps, and drone imagery of the project area in the affected reaches of Butte Creek and Little Butte Creek. The project team will obtain hydrology data from the USGS Butte Creek near Chico CA Gage #11390000 for Butte Creek and calculate hydrology for Little Butte Creek by scaling the Butte Creek gage data. We will also obtain historical precipitation data for the project area. Lastly we will acquire soils and geology GIS data to better under the potential for sediment delivery to the Little Butte Creek and Butte Creek. We will reference the Camp Fire Watershed Emergency Response Team Final Report (CA WERT 2018) for data. Deliverables Technical Memorandum cataloging data collection Start Date 03/01/2022 End Date 05/01/2022 Description of Activities Task 2 Conduct field surveys and map high priority sites The project team will synchronize imagery and data collected in Task 1 with field surveys and develop maps of areas of greatest concern. Before conducting field surveys, we will incorporate all imagery, LiDAR, and GIS data collected in Task 1 in a project GIS. We will conduct post-fire hydrologic modeling using information provided in the WERT Report (CA WERT 2018) to estimate expected post-fire flows in the study area. We will apply the factors developed in the WERT Report (CA WERT 2018) for the watershed to the project area. In addition, we will use Curve Number Rainfall/Runoff Modeling to compare pre- and post-fire hydrology conditions and to refine the watershed scale analysis conducted the WERT Report (CA WERT 2018). Using GIS and the data collected in Task 1 will we intersect soils, land use, burn severity, drainage subbasin area to estimate post-burn hydrology by modifying the curve number by fire intensity. Using both the watershed scale information in the WERT Report (CA WERT 2018) combined with the curve number modeling will allow us to provide better estimates for post-fire hydrology in the project area. post-fire hydrology estimates will also be compared to USGS gage flood frequency analysis. This information will be compared to available FEMA flood mapping. Using this information, we will conduct a field survey to identify critical sites to protect, identify sites to for restoration, and identify sites for erosion control actions. While the WERT Report (CA WERT 2018) looked at major infrastructure at the watershed scale, the analysis will be focused on erosion control and restoration in the project reach. Deliverables Survey data and maps of high priority sites Start Date 05/01/2022 End Date 07/01/2022 Description of Activities Task 3 Establish stage measuring stations The project team will establish four stage, water temperature, and air temperature measuring stations in the project area. At these four sites we will measure discharge during two wadable events. Pressure transducers will measure stage, which will also be correlated with discharge at the USGS gage on Butte Creek. We will collect, process, and manage data for use in monitoring and prioritization of restoration actions. Water and air temperature will be compared in burned and unburned areas to quantify differences between burned and unburned riparian zones. Data will be downloaded quarterly. Deliverables Technical Memorandum summarizing installation monitoring equipment Start Date 03/01/2022 End Date 06/01/2022 Description of Activities Task 4 Landowner outreach The project team will overlay areas of greatest concern with landowner assessor parcel information from Butte County and develop a database for contacting landowners. We will purchase the assessor data that includes contact information for landowners and incorporate into the project GIS. The project team will contact landowners in the areas of greatest concern from burn severity and landslide susceptibility maps and hydrologic modeling using post-fire conditions (Task 2). Landowner outreach will include education of potential post-fire hazards and willingness to participate in restoration planning and implementation. Friends of Butte Creek has reached out to landowners in Butte Creek and Little Butte Creek watersheds and have identified numerous land owners that are excited to participate in this project by providing access to their property and implementation of sediment reduction and restoration actions. Additionally, Friends of Butte Creek has reached out to Eli Goodsell at CSU Chico and Mario Klip at CDFW, land managers at the preserves. Deliverables Technical Memorandum summarizing landowner outreach activities and list of landowners willing to participate in restoration actions Start Date 03/01/2022 End Date 06/01/2023 Description of Activities Task 5 Develop post-fire management and restoration plan For the areas of greatest concern, the project team will develop a post-fire management and restoration plan. The plan will identify and prioritize post-fire restoration sites and erosion control actions in the watershed. Riparian zones will be identified for revegetation. The project team will engage local Native American tribes to identify Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) management actions and culturally significant vegetation. We will integrate these species into revegetation plans and management actions. A technical memorandum will be developed for this task that includes maps and typical erosion prevention and restoration designs to be applied through the project area. 30% percent designs will be completed for each of the selected erosion and flood control alternatives. Alternative erosion and flood control methods will include methods to reduce sediment delivery to Butte Creek and Little Butte Creek to protect salmonid habitat and bridge modifications to accommodate the increase LWD load from downed trees in the floodplain. Our work will directly support the recommendation for the Butte Canyon Area to utilize experts in civil, geotechnical, and hydrologic engineering, soil erosion, hydrology and engineering geology to develop site-specific recommendations and mitigation activities (CA WERT 2018). Designs will be of sufficient detail to complete CEQA for implementation in a future phase of the project. Deliverables Draft and Final Post-fire Management and Restoration Plan Start Date 06/01/2022 End Date 02/01/2023 Description of Activities Task 6 Prepare a draft and Final Report Technical analyses performed to identify restoration and post-fire management actions will be summarized in a report along with conceptual design drawings and maps showing the location of proposed restoration and erosion control actions. This document will serve as a roadmap for implementation of post-fire restoration and erosion control actions for the Butte Creek watershed. Deliverables Draft and Final Report Start Date 11/01/2022 End Date 05/01/2023 Qualifications and Experience of Applicant Friends of Butte Creek will lead the implementation of the project. FBC is a 501(c)3 non-profit with 20 years of involvement in protecting SRCS. FBC has over 1100 followers on Facebook and an email newsletter. FBC has been a volunteer for its entire existence. The overwhelming effects of the Camp Fire on the landscape and the community have demonstrated the need for paid personnel to lead the efforts to rebuild and enhance the landscape. Allen Harthorn, Project Manager and Executive Director of FBC, will provide coordination of activities and serve as representative for FBC. Many meetings have taken place regarding the damage from the Camp Fire and more planning meetings will be required to restore and enhance the SRCS critical habitat. Allen worked 5 years at CSU Chico as Manager of the Watershed Project. He conducted numerous meetings and coordinated the development of the Existing Conditions Report, Watershed Management Strategy and numerous funded projects for Butte Creek. Applicant's Previous Projects WCB Streamflow Enhancement Grant Agreement Q-2096017 Butte Creek Water Acquisition On-going Butte Creek spring run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout thrive in this stream, despite the severely depressed populations region-wide. Water quality and quantity go hand in hand in ensuring habitat is protected for these fish. Friends of Butte Creek works to ensure existing conditions, the water rights acquisition, and future conditions, the fire ravaged riparian forest, are restored and protected as much as possible. Professionals Professionals 1 Licensed Professional Name: Anthony Falzone Subject Matter Expert: Geomorphologist Provide Direct Oversight? Yes Qualifications and Experience Anthony is a Fluvial Geomorphologist and Floodplain Manager who is a partner in FlowWest. FlowWest's capabilities span the full suite of water resources management and ecosystem restoration services aligned for projects at the intersection of people, infrastructure, and the environment. FlowWest will assist in design and implementation of the planning efforts to map, analyze and propose improving the functionality of the lower Butte Creek floodplain. Work Samples The flood protection infrastructure for the community and habitat conditions for salmon on Deer Creek have degraded. The challenge of balancing the needs of both the salmon and the local community have made it hard to identify and fund a solution. FlowWest is addressing both concerns with the Lower Deer Creek Flood and Ecosystem Improvement Project. The solution includes raising and setting back levees to reduce flooding and provide more and better connected floodplain habitat, bank stabilization, flood easements, as well as bridge and diversion structure improvements. Together, these elements will provide the local community with the flood protection they need while increasing the amount and quality of salmon habitat - a win-win! Was Work Funded by CDFW? Yes Professionals 2 Licensed Professional Name Colin Hanley Subject Matter Expert: Civil Engineer specializing in habitat restoration Provide Direct Oversight? Yes Qualifications and Experience Mr. Hanley has experience leading topographic surveys, developing topographic basemaps for habitat assessment and design development, conducting hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, developing design drawings and specifications, evaluating construction costs. Work Samples Senior Engineer, Yellowjacket Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project, Jackson Family Wines, FlowWest, 2018 Senior Engineer, Dennett Dam Removal Project, Tuolumne River Trust, FlowWest, 2018 Senior Engineer, Budisellich Dam Fish Passage Improvement Project, California Department of Water Resources. 2012. Senior Engineer, Rancheria Creek and Russian River Stream Flow Enhancement and Restoration Project, Dry Creek Rancheria, FlowWest, ongoing Senior Engineer, Great Valley Grasslands Floodplain Reconnection Feasibility Study, California State Parks, FlowWest, 2019 Was Work Funded by CDFW? Yes Professionals 3 Licensed Professional Name Cristen Elejalde Subject Matter Expert: Civil Engineer specializing in habitat restoration Provide Direct Oversight? Yes Qualifications and Experience Staff Engineer, Office and Project Management Work Samples Staff Engineer Lower Deer Creek Flood and Ecosystem Improvement Project, Deer Creek Water Conservancy, FlowWest, Ongoing Staff Engineer Bear River Setback Levee Project, RD 817, FlowWest, Ongoing Staff Engineer, Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, FlowWest, Ongoing, http://cvpia.scienceintegrationteam.com/ <http://cvpia.scienceintegrationteam.com/> Staff Engineer, Dry Creek Rancheria Streamflow Enhancement Project, FlowWest, Ongoing Was Work Funded by CDFW? Yes Subcontractors Subcontractors 1 FlowWest Provide Direct Oversight? Yes Qualifications and Experience FlowWest's team of geomorphologists, fish biologists, and civil engineers will be conducting the technical work described in Tasks 1 ral resources management and ecosystem restoration services targeting the intersection of people, infrastructure, and the environment. Our passion, innovative use of technology, creativity, and commitment to building a diverse and inclusive team drive our ability to deliver unique and highly effective solutions. Work Samples Deer Creek Flood and Ecosystem Improvement Deer Creek Conservancy - Vina, CA Deer Creek is one of only three streams in the Central Valley that still supports a viable wild population of spring-run Chinook salmon. The Creek has also been home to a thriving agricultural and ranching community for decades. Over time, flood protection infrastructure for the community and habitat conditions for salmon have degraded. The challenge of balancing the needs of both the salmon and the local community have made it hard to identify and fund a solution. FlowWest is addressing both concerns with the Lower Deer Creek Flood and Ecosystem Improvement Project. The solution includes raising and setting back levees to reduce flooding and provide more and better connected floodplain habitat, bank stabilization, flood easements, as well as bridge and diversion structure improvements. Together, these elements will provide the local community with the flood protection they need while increasing the amount and quality of salmon habitat - a win-win! Dennett Dam Removal Tuolumne River Trust - Modesto, CA Originally built in 1935 to create a swimming hole, Dennett Dam blew out and was rebuilt twice. The third time it washed away, all that was left was a jagged, steel sheet pile wall that blocked fish passage and prevented safe boating. FlowWest worked tirelessly for over a decade with the Tuolumne River Trust raising funds, planning, designing, and ultimately monitoring demolition of Dennett Dam. Even though the dam posed serious risks to public safety and blocked migration of salmon on the Tuolumne, it took perseverance and creative technical approaches to make dam removal a reality. Removing Dennett dam required temporary rerouting of the entire Tuolumne River during a 12-week construction window. FlowWest worked with the City of Modesto and State and Federal regulatory agencies to deliver a safe dam removal design and a pro-active environmental compliance approach to make the job a success. Leveraging our deep experience implementing river construction projects, we helped Modesto weather multiple surprises leading up to and during the removal. With our help, the dam was removed and the river restored. Was Work Funded by CDFW? Yes Subcontractors 2 Gayland Taylor Provide Direct Oversight? Yes Qualifications and Experience Gayland received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries from Humboldt State in 1970. He began working for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife soon after graduating. He was a game warden in the CDFW with a specialty in Protection and Restoration of Anadromous Fisheries. He also served CDFW as Supervisor of the Environmental Enforcement Unit, Stream Bank Alterations and Water Rights Enforcement. He served the CDFW for more than 30 years. guided him to be a lifelong advocate for Butte Creek protection and restoration. Work Samples Gayland has served as a Member and Past Chair of the CDFW Fisheries Restoration Grants Program where he reviewed and oversaw the granting of millions of dollars of restoration grants. He was a Legislative Appointee for the California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead for more than 15 years. Was Work Funded by CDFW? Yes Landowner Access Chico State Enterprises An access agreement has been signed by the Chico State Enterprises. They are a partner in the project. Landowner database will be accessed with assistance from the Butte County Resource Conservation District. Many landowners have requested assistance from multiple agencies but none have any funding available for help. Landowner Information Is the Applicant the Landowner? No Is Landowner Access Needed for this Project? Yes Permits Government Permits: N/A CEQA N/A This is a planning project. Is the work mitigation pursuant to CEQA or other authority? No Species Listed Species: Chinook salmon, Steelhead trout, Western pond turtle Budget Expenditure Forecast Table Grant Year Fiscal Year 1 $100,000.00 (Execution to June): Fiscal Year 2 $100,000.00 (July to June): Fiscal Year 3 $54,947.56 (July to June): Fiscal Year 4 $0.00 (July to June): Fiscal Year 5 $0.00 Total Annual Forecast $254,947.56 Personnel Services Project Role CDFW Requested Amount Project Manager $15,000.00 Administrative Assistant $8,000.00 Total $23,000.00 Staff Benefits $3,450.00 CDFW Requested Amount $26,450.00 General Operating Expenses General Operating Expense CDFW Requested Amount Travel $1,100.00 $1,100.00 Subcontractors Subcontractor Name or Role CDFW Requested Amount Gayland Taylor Project Biologist $7,500.00 FlowWest $198,449.00 $205,949.00 Indirect Costs Indirect Charge Rate (%) 10.0 Indirect Costs $14,563.00 CDFW Requested Amount $14,563.00 Equipment & Electronics - Excluded Items Equipment and Other Items CDFW Requested Amount GPS Unit $750.00 Mapping Program $200.00 LevelSCOUT 2X water level & temperature logger (5@$605.00) $3,025.00 Non-vented PU standard cable with Kevlar (120ft @$2.51/ft) $300.96 Weather-tight USB and communications cables $440.00 ATMOS 14 air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure & vapor pressure sensor (4@$339.90) $1,359.60 Installation supplies (conduit, secure boxes, mounting hardware, locks) $660.00 Gage shipping $150.00 $6,885.56 Totals CDFW Requested Amount Personnel Services + Staff Benefits $26,450.00 General Operating Expenses $1,100.00 Indirect Costs $14,563.00 Equipment & Electronics - Excluded Items $6,885.56 Consultants Project Biologist $7,500 FlowWest $198,449 CDFW Requested Amount $254,947.56 Cost Share Applicant Cash $8,280.00 Status Secured In-kind $0.00 Brief Summary Friends of Butte Creek will contribute an additional $300/month plus 15% benefits to the Project Manager for 2 years. Total $8,280.00 Other Sources, Including Project Partners Agency Name Cash Status Date Awarded /Anticipated Award Date Date CSU Chico Cash $0.00 Status Secured In-kind $11,980 Brief Summary CSU Chico personnel will assist in identifying project areas of concern with the boundaries of the CSUC Butte Creek Ecological Preserve. Total $11,980.00 Total Project Sources: Cash In-Kind Total Project Total Project Cost: $263,227.56 $11,980.00 $275,207.56 Budget Justification Task Activity/Equipment/Subcontractor/Travel Cost CDFW Amount Requested Task 1 through 6 FlowWest professional services $198,449.00 Task 1 through 6 Friends of Butte Creek Management $56,498.56 Task 1 through 6 Gayland Taylor Project Biologist $7,500 Justification FlowWest's professional services will be leveraged to examine the watershed for significant risk to excess sedimentation and debris resulting from the 2018 Camp Fire. They will be conducting a thorough evaluation of the severely burned areas at a scale and level of detail that surpasses the preliminary summary in the WERT Report, with a primary goal of protecting salmonid habitat. They will be valuating mitigation alternatives and identifying a suite of proposed actions to protect salmonid habitat in Butte Creek. Supplementary Documents 4. Project Location Topographic Map. Yes Project Location Topographic Map Documentation Project_Location_Map_2021_v2.pdf 5. Watershed (or County) Map. Yes Watershed (or County) Map Documentation Watershed_Map_2021_v2.pdf 6. Provisional Landowner Access Agreement/Provisional Resolution. Yes Provisional Landowner Access Agreement/Provisional Resolution Documentation 2021AccessWildfireRecovery.pdf 7. Applicable Detailed Budget Spreadsheet (Including Subcontractors) Yes Applicable Detailed Budget Spreadsheet (Excel) 2021 FRGP Budget Spreadsheet - Combined Applicant and Subcontractors.xlsx 8. Federally Approved Indirect Rate Letter (NICRA) Yes Federally Approved Indirect Rate Letter (Excel) NICRA.docx 18. Invasive Species Prevention Plan Yes Invasive Species Prevention Plan Documentation CDFW R1 DeconProtocol_final.pdf 19. Reference Documents Yes Reference Documents Camp Fire Watershed Emergency Response Team Final Report 2018.pdf 23. Wildfire Priority Justification Yes Wildfire Priority Justification Documentation Butte Creek Wildfire Priority Justification.pdf Additional Attachments/Documentation Description: Additional Attachments/Documentation: Burned CDFW riparian forest from 2018 Camp Fire CDFWReserve.jpg Burned CSUC/CDFW riparian from 2018 Camp Fire CSUC_Preserve.jpg Letter of Support Chico State Enterprises LOSCSU2021.pdf CSUC Center for Water and the Environment LOS _CWE April 2021.pdf 4/7/2021 Butte Creek drone photo LWD build up CSUC Ecological Preserve Drone Photo LWD.jpg 4/7/21 drone photo - Little Butte Creek dead trees1 Little Butte Creek Drone Photo Downstream.jpg 4/7/21 drone photo - Little Butte Creek dead trees2 Little Butte Creek Drone Photo Upstream.jpg 2021 spring run Chinook salmon-Helltown-April 11 HelltownPool.jpg Existing Conditions Report-Fluvial Geomorphology ecr_ch03.pdf Existing Conditions Report-Fire History ecr_ch09.pdf Butte Creek Watershed Management Strategy ButteCreekWatershedMgmtStrategy1.pdf Butte Creek Debris Flow Prediction from WERT Report Butte Creek Debris Flow Prediction Figure from WERT Report.png