Bodega, CA
Riparian Habitat and Salmon Conservation
Overview
The Salmon and Other Fish
Riparian Habitat Conservation
History
Current Situation and Conservation Efforts
Overview
As its name suggests, Salmon Creek Ranch is located on Salmon Creek -- in fact about a mile and a half of it flows through our ranch, representing approximately 5% of the Creek's total 30 mile length. A 700 ft section of Fay Creek also runs across our property and disgorges into Salmon Creek. In addition, seasonal creeks border the ranch and are scattered throughout its area. The creeks and their associated riparian habitat are home to numerous species of flora, fish and other fauna which we are very concerned to protect and encourage. This page details some of the issues involved in riparian habitat and salmon conservation, and our efforts to help in these activities.
The Salmon and
Other FishSalmon creek is a natural home to trout and salmon. Not long ago, it was so full of fish that local residents could easily harpoon them with pitchforks while wading across the stream. According to local farmers who have lived in the area for decades, this situation ended after the great flood of 1982. During the 1990's the native coho breed of salmon disappeared altogether from the stream, leaving only a modest population of other salmon and steelhead trout. Local hikers have seen 3-4 ft fish in the creek in recent years, but they are clearly not present in the numbers that they were in the old days. Explanations of these losses differ depending upon whether you talk to local residents, fishermen, or modern environmental theorists, and may even have more to do with the ocean environment than the streams, but whatever the reason it is clear that the salmon need help.
Accordingly, Salmon Creek Ranch has been working closely with the Gold Ridge Conservation District, giving them access to our property to help restore the native Coho Salmon in our Creek. In 2009 they planted fish in the creek and found later that they were thriving. More details of the project can be found at this link. We are also working with them on another experimental project to modify the in-stream creek bed in Fay Creek to attempt to create more pools and hiding places for the salmon and steelhead (see details below under Riparian Habitat).
Riparian Habitat Conservation
History
In the 1950's, the common wisdom of the time motivated the local county authorities to bulldoze all fallen trees and other obstacles out of the area's creekbeds as it was thought these contributed to flooding problems. (Nowadays, it is thought that the falling and lodging of such large trees in the stream is part of a healthy ecosystem, as it helps form the natural pools where fish like to hang out and feed). In the same period the area was logged, and some stretches of the creek banks were cleared of trees to maximize pasture acreage. Even today, some sections upstream of Salmon Creek Ranch are still devoid of tree cover, with grass extending right down to the banks.
When cleared areas of stream bank vegetation started recovering, the first species of tree to bounce back was apparently the willow, a very robust and invasive plant that is so vigorous that it seems to make it extremely difficult for some of the larger historic species of trees to get re-established. It can grow from just a twig, and branches touching the ground form new roots and trunks that spread like weeds to cover areas far from the banks, sucking up huge amounts of water that must deplete the residual summer flows of the creek. While the willows do provide some shade for the creek and thus help keep the stream water temperature at cooler levels, they are not very tall, so cannot shelter wide sections. Their branches and trunks are fairly small and when they do fall in the creek they are neither large enough nor long lasting enough to be ideal for pool formation and maintenance.
Current Situation and Conservation Efforts
At Salmon Creek Ranch, our section of the famous creek is covered with extensive vegitation and contains numerous large natural fish pools which we are careful to perserve. These natural features help filter out any adverse effects that may be happening in other sections of the creek upstream, where some stretches are still bordered directly by grazed pasture with increased likelihood of sedimaentation and reduced shelter for the fish.
As noted above, we are cooperating with the Gold Ridge Rsource Conservation District in efforts to improve the riparian habitat and restore the native coho salmon. We are also working with the USDA Natural Resouce Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop a conservation plan that controls access of livetock to the creek area and provides alternative water sources for them to reduce pollution and erosion of creekside areas. Next time you hear about the federal "Farm Bill" (famous in the public mind mainly for its pork and subsidies to large corporate farmers) be aware that the NRCS is one of its most important components. Without it farmers would have greatly diminished incentives and means to protect the environment.
In another effort to help save the salmon and enhance the steelhead populations, we have partnered with the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District in an experimental program to improve the fish habitat in the vital final segment of Fay Creek that runs through our property into Salmon Creek. This work involves the lodging of artificial obstacles (large boulders, which are not commonly seen in this area, with old tree trunks anchored to them using iron bolts) in the creek bed to simulate the fallen trees that would naturally occur there, forming pools and hiding areas for the fish. While we feel these interventions in the creek bed are rather artificial, we are willing to see if they work -- according to current theories they should improve the fish habitat. We are anxious to see the results of the experiment!
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For more information about Salmon Creek Ranch, contact us at: info@salmoncreekranch.com