HFQLG
Project Evaluation Form
Project Name: Davis/Merrill Watershed Restoration_ Project Type: Plug and Pond Watershed Restoration
Scraps EA -Bits and Claw projects
DFPZ (biomass/thinning) and Group Selection
Forest: Tahoe Ranger District: Sierraville
Date: 5 June 2007
Attendance:
Agency- None
Public- Frank Stewart, Counties Forester and Quincy Library Group (QLG); Linda Blum, QLG; George Terhune,
QLG; James Laughlin, California Waterfowl Association
USFS- Timothy Evans (Resource Officer), Bruce Troedson (Sale Administration), Craig Wilson (Wildlife Biologist),
Randy Westmoreland (Soil Scientist), Larry Ford (District Silviculturist), Scott Conway (Assistant District
Culturist), Lance Noxon (Fuels Officer), Debbie Broback (Forester), Vivian Kee (Tahoe NF Natural Resource Staff
Officer), Mark Brown (Forest Silviculturist), Colin Dillingham (HFQLG Monitoring Coordinator), Angela Parker
(HFQLG Assistant Team Leader)
Project completed by: Erickson Lumber Company (Bits Timber Sale) Date completed: _2006___
Folchi Excavation (Davis/Merrill Watershed Restoration)__
Type of treatment and acres:
Attribute
Objective
Soils
Erosion
(Davis/Merrill
projects)
Reduce Active
Erosion
Scraps EA
Yes
Hydrology
Meadow
hydrology
(Davis/Merrill
project)
Restore water to
dewatered meadow
system
Scraps EA
Yes
Silviculture
Tree Density
Reduce density to
100 trees/acre
Scraps EA
Yes
Silviculture/
Wildlife
Canopy Cover
Reduce canopy to
approximately 30%
Scraps EA
Yes
Silviculture
Tree spacing
Reduce tree spacing
to approximately 21
foot spacing
Scraps EA
Yes
Fuels
DFPZ
Create an effective
DFPZ as part of
network
Scraps EA
Partially,
follow-up
underburn
required
Soils/
Wildlife
Large Woody
Material
Retain large wood in
project area where
available
Scraps EA
Yes/where
available
Resource
Area
Source of
Objective
Degree
Met
Comments
Installed plugs in
eroding channel,
redirected flow into
historical channel.
Installed plugs in eroded
creek channel, brought
water table up 3-4 feet in
lower end of Sardine
Valley
Tree density reduced
from 412 to 106
trees/acre
Canopy reduced from
63% to 33%
Average tree spacing
reduced from 10 feet to
20 feet
Rate of spread, Flame
Length, Reaction
Intensity, Heat per unit
area and Fire line
intensity all effectively
reduced
Some areas appeared to
have fewer large logs
than desirable, but there
were few logs present
prior to treatment
Shortcomings and Successes:
Successful implementation of a DFPZ – met stand restructuring objectives and fuels objectives are expected to be
achieved after implementation of the follow-up underburn.
The Bits project was implemented under Sierra Nevada Framework 1, which did not allow the removal of trees
greater than 20” in diameter. If implemented under Framework 2, the project may have been able to be sold as a
timber sale and contributed money to the federal treasury, instead of put out as a service contract, consequently
using taxpayer dollars. Implementation under Framework 2 would have allowed inclusion of additional sawlogs 20
– 30 inches in diameter, and would have made the project more economical.
The district learned that flagging boundaries of groups was not satisfactory alone. Group selection boundaries
need to be tagged and marked with GPS units as well.
The group discussed the apparent lack of large woody material in some portions of Bits Unit 36. There were few
logs present prior to treatment, so it is difficult to create logs. As an alternative, the group discussed maintaining
some grapple piles or doodles to provide potential habitat for rodents and medium sized mammals.
California Waterfowl Association was interested in the Plug and Pond projects and saw the ponds and associated
habitat as providing important waterfowl nesting habitat.
Follow up actions:
Implement planned underburns to meet fuels objectives.
Retain large wood, some grapple piles and doodle piles to provide habitat for rodents and medium sized mammals
in lieu of the non-existent large logs. Attempt to preserve some piles where it does not constitute a fuels hazard.
District Ranger: /s/ Sam J. Wilbanks___ Date: 6/12/2007
Appendix 1. Project handout distributed to field trip participants.
Scraps Project
Sierraville Ranger District
Project Objectives and Prescriptions (Scraps Project EA pgs. 1-14):
The alternative selected specifically would be more effective than the No Action alternative in reducing
negative effects from catastrophic wildfire, providing a safer fire suppression environment, connecting links to
existing fuel breaks in adjacent area, creating the pre-conditions necessary for reintroducing fire to the
ecosystem, beginning the process of restoring fire to its natural role in the ecology of the area.
The thinning and underburning are proven methods for reducing density in fuel ladders and ground fuels. In
addition, the thinning from below and group selection harvest included in selected alternative would be more
effective in improving timber stand health, vigor, and resistance to fire, insects and disease, and increasing
diversity of age classes with forest vegetation types.
This alternative would contribute more than the No Action alternative to economic activity, income, and
employment, which could support economic stability in local rural communities, and also more toward
implementing the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group (HFQLG) Forest Act and Pilot Project. A variety
of cost effective methods, including timber sales, service contracts and Forest Service crews were used in
response to site-specific conditions, to achieve the project objectives.
Bits #36
Prescription:
Thin stands mainly from below at approximately 21 foot spacing to retain about 100 trees per
acre.
Harvest trees less than 20 inches DBH; Retain a minimum of 30% canopy closure.
Retain all snags greater than 15 inches DBH.
Follow up treatments, including grapple/hand piling and burning, under burning or a
combination of those methods would be implemented to reduce and rearrange excessive surface
fuels.
Quantification of Existing Conditions (Pre-Treatment) and PostTreatment Conditions for Bits Unit 36:
Forest Structure:
Trees Per Acre
Mean Diameter (in)
2
Basal Area (ft /ac)
Canopy Cover (%)
Average Spacing
(ft)
Pre-Treatment Conditions
Post-Treatment
Conditions
412
9.6
206
106 tpa
12.3” dbh
2
88 ft / ac
33%
20 ft.
63%
10
Harvest Data for Bits DFPZ
Trees Per Acre
Mean Diameter (in)
Mean Height (ft)
Harvested Volume
Sawlogs (10.0-19.9” dbh)
Biomass (1.0-10.0” dbh)
34 tpa
13.3
51
2 mbf/ac
114 tpa
7.4
28 ft
6.4 ccf/ac
Desired Fuel Characteristics:
Fuel Treatment: Implement a Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) as a part of an extensive fuel treatment
network that is effective in reducing the potential size of wildfires, providing fire suppression personnel safe
locations for taking actions against a wildfire, and providing protection for the community of Sierraville, Cal
Pine and Loyalton in the event of a wildfire. Proposed treatments would insure that fuels would be
heterogeneous and discontinuous for approximately 5 to 10 years following implementation. After
approximately 5 to 10 years fine surface fuels would become more continuous due to needle drop from
residual trees but any fire should be a low intensity surface fire.
Surface Fuel Characteristics for Claw Unit 121A:
Size Class
1-Hour Fuels
10-Hour Fuels
100-Hour
Fuels
Live
Herbaceous
Live Woody
Pre-Treatment
Conditions
Post-Treatment “Average”
Conditions
Post-Treatment
Range
Fuel Model 10
Fuel Model 9
Tons/Acre
3.01
2.00
5.01
Tons/Acre
0.8
3.1
3.2
Custom Fuel
Model 9
Tons/Acre
0.7-0.9
2.2-3.9
2.2-4.3
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.00
0.00
0.00
Pre-Treatment
Conditions
Rate of Spread
Flame Length
Reaction
Intensity
Heat per unit
Area
Fire Line
Intensity
Post-Thinning
Pre Under Burn
Conditions
Post-Treatment with
Prescribed Fire
Model 10
28
9.7
6944
Model 9
31
5.8
2901
Custom Fuel
Model 9
1.8
1
550
1511
448
106
788
258
4
Davis/Merrill Water Restoration Project:
Implement watershed restoration activities within the Davies Creek and Merrill Creek watersheds. These
activities would reduce active erosion within the watersheds, reduce the potential for future erosion, improve
the quality of surface runoff by improving surface filtration, restore floodplain function on portions of
Merrill and Davies Creeks, increase flood attenuation potential, increase seasonal ground water storage and
will improve and increase the riparian habitat in the area. The nature of this type of restoration work requires
work within the floodplain of Davies and Merrill Creeks. The following sites have been identified as
benefiting from restoration work:
Site 2: Davies Creek: A railroad grade was constructed in the late 1920s in the channel and floodplain for
almost a mile. The construction of the grade rerouted the natural stream flow, disrupted the flood flows on
the floodplain, and caused the stream to erode a large gully that is still actively eroding. The railroad grade
and the existing road impact two alluvial fans on tributaries to Davies Creek. At this site the proposal is to
(site 2 diagram in Appendix A):
Site 5: Davies Creek from the lower end of Sardine Valley to Stampede Reservoir: A railroad grade was
constructed following Davies Creek in the 1920s. Some of the grade was constructed in the channel
and on the floodplain and has redirected and confined flows of the creek in several places. The
railroad grade construction caused a loss and degradation in riparian habitat, has caused the stream to
downcut in several places, and has created headcuts that have eroded up into the lower end of Sardine
Meadow. In turn this has caused a lowering of the meadow water table and a loss of meadow habitat.
The channel system is still actively eroding. Additionally, the existing road at the bridge site has
constricted the flood plain of Davies Creek. The proposal for this site is (diagram for Site 5 in
Appendix A):
a. Re-direct the flow of Davies Creek from the existing incised eroding channels in lower
Sardine Valley into stable remnant channels on the meadow surface where the stream can
access the floodplain.
b. Close off 1000 feet of the incised channel using gully plugs at lower end of Sardine Meadow
to stop the active erosion and raise the water table. Small ponds would be excavated along
the side of the closed stream segment to generate material needed to construct 6 plugs to close
off the gully. Material excavated for plug construction totals about 1000 cubic yards for the 6
plugs (about 167 yards per plug). Some material may be obtained from the RR grade
removal. No disturbance would occur in the remnant channel where the water will flow.
Disturbance would cover from 1 to 1.5 acres
c. Remove approximately 150 of railroad grade fill and rebuild the creek elevation for 300 feet
at the bottom of Sardine Valley using material removed from the railroad grades. An eroded
portion of channel would be reconstructed with rock and earth and re-vegetated. This will
create a riffle/pool system that maintains fish passage. Disturbance will be less than ½ acre.
d. Remove 7 short sections of railroad grade (1300 feet total) between Sardine Valley and the
Davies Creek Bridge that are currently confining the flows of Davies Creek and causing the
creek to scour. Disturbance will be approximately ½ acre.
e. Add 3 to 4 culverts to the County road system in the approaches of the existing bridge to
facilitate flood flow of Davies Creek underneath the road. The culverts will be installed at
floodplain elevation to increase flood capacity at the bridge.
Site 5 continued:
f. Return Davies Creek to its original channel below the bridge.
g. Use plugs to close off the railroad ditch that now carries stream flow below the Davies Creek
Bridge. 9 plugs will be needed for a total of approximately 1300 cubic yards. Most
(approximately 60%) of the material will come from the railroad grade described in h below.
The remainder of the fill will be moved from site 6 below or excavated from the abandoned
channel and will make some of the ponds larger.
h. Remove 1000 feet of railroad grade below the bridge. Material removed from the grade will
be used to create plugs in the channel as described in g above. Disturbance from g & h
combined will be approximately 1 acre.
i. Remove trees along the railroad grade as needed to complete restoration work.
j. Returning Davies Creek to its original channel will cause the existing vault toilet and 4
campsites in the Davies Creek Campground to be within the floodplain. The toilet vault and
the four affected campsites will be re-located to a location just above the existing campground
and well out of the floodplain.
k. Create an interpretative site near the Davies Creek Campground where the road intersects
with a historic railroad grade. Signs would describe the historical railroad system and why it
was removed (in order to restore the creek function).
HFQLG Field Tour
Sierraville Ranger District
Monitoring Field Tour Agenda
June 5, 2007
9:00
Meet at Sierraville/ Introduction of Project Participants
9:15
Load Up and Leave for Projects
Stop 1
Bits Unit #36 treated stand – Implement a Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) as part
of an extensive treatment network that is effective in reducing the potential size of
wildfires, discussion leader Larry Ford ,Bruce Troedson and Lance Noxon.
Stop 2
Davis/Merril Unit #2, Watershed project consisting of one of the 13 individual restoration
sites to improve the watershed conditions in the Davies Creek and Merril Creek
Watersheds, discussion leader Randy Westmoreland.
Lunch
Stop 3
Davis/Merril Unit 5, Second of 13 individual restoration sites to improve the watershed
conditions in the Davies Creek and Merril Creek Watersheds, discussion leader Randy
Westmoreland.
Stop 4
Claw Unit 121A, Group Selection, Biomass/thinning and underburning, discussion leader
Steve Weaver, Larry Ford and Lance Noxon.
16:00
Finish field trip and ask questions of what when well and what needs improvement.
Scraps Project
Sierraville Ranger District
Project Objectives and Prescriptions (Scraps Project EA pgs. 01-14):
The alternative selected specifically would be effective than the No Action alternative in reducing negative
effects from catastrophic wildfire, providing a safer fire suppression environment, connecting links to existing
fuelbreaks in adjacent area, creating the pre-conditions necessary for reintroducing fire to the ecosystem,
beginning the process of restoring fire to its natural role in the ecology of the area.
The thinning and underburing are proven methods for reducing density in fuel ladders and ground fuels. In
addition, the thinning from below and group selection harvest included in selected alternative would be more
effective in improving timber stand health, vigor, and resistance to fire, insects and disease, and increasing
diversity of age classes with forest vegetation types.
This alternative would contribute more than the No Action alternative to economic activity, income, and
employment, which could support economic stability in local rural communities, and also more toward
implementing the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group (HFQLG) Forest Act and Pilot Project. A variety
of cost effective methods, including timber sales, service contracts and Forest Service crews were used in
response to site-specific conditions, to achieve the project objectives.
Bits #36
Prescription:
Thin stands mainly from below at approximately 21 foot spacing to retain about 100 trees per
acre.
Harvest trees less than 20 inches DBH; Retain a minimum of 30% canopy closure.
Retain all snags greater than 15 inches DBH.
Follow up treatments, including grapple/hand piling and burning, under burning or a
combination of those methods would be implemented to reduce and rearrange excessive surface
fuels.
Quantification of Existing Conditions (Pre-Treatment) and PostTreatment Conditions:
Forest Structure:
Trees Per Acre
Mean Diameter (in)
2
Basal Area (ft /ac)
Canopy Cover (%)
Average Spacing
(ft)
Pre-Treatment Conditions
Post-Treatment
Conditions
412
9.6
206
106 tpa
12.3” dbh
2
88 ft / ac
33%
20 ft.
63%
10
Harvest Data for Bits DFPZ
Trees Per Acre
Mean Diameter (in)
Mean Height (ft)
Harvested Volume
Sawlogs (10.0-19.9” dbh)
Biomass (1.0-10.0” dbh)
34 tpa
13.3
51
2 mbf/ac
114 tpa
7.4
28 ft
6.4 ccf/ac
Desired Fuel Characteristics:
Fuel Treatment: Implement a Defensible Fuel Profile Zone (DFPZ) as a part of an extensive fuel treatment
network that is effective in reducing the potential size of wildfires, providing fire suppression personnel safe
locations for taking actions against a wildfire, and providing protection for the community of Sierraville,
Cal Pine and Loyalton in the event of a wildfire. Proposed treatments would insure that fuels would be
heterogeneous and discontinuous for approximately 5 to 10 years following implementation. After
approximately 5 to 10 years fine surface fuels would become more continuous due to needle drop from
residual trees but any fire should be a low intensity surface fire.
Surface Fuel Characteristics:
Size Class
1-Hour Fuels
10-Hour Fuels
100-Hour
Fuels
Live
Herbaceous
Live Woody
Pre-Treatment
Conditions
Post-Treatment “Average”
Conditions
Post-Treatment
Range
Fuel Model 10
Fuel Model 9
Tons/Acre
3.01
2.00
5.01
Tons/Acre
0.8
3.1
3.2
Custom Fuel
Model 9
Tons/Acre
0.7-0.9
2.2-3.9
2.2-4.3
0.00
0.00
0.00
2.00
0.00
0.00
Pre-Treatment
Conditions
Rate of Spread
Flame Length
Reaction
Intensity
Heat per unit
Area
Fire Line
Intensity
Post-Treatment
No Burn
Conditions
Post-Treatment with
Prescribed Fire
Model 10
28
9.7
6944
Model 9
31
5.8
2901
Custom Fuel
Model 9
1.8
1
550
1511
448
106
788
258
4
Davis/Merril Water Restoration Project:
Implement watershed restoration activities within the Davies Creek and Merril Creek watersheds. These
activities would reduce active erosion within the watersheds, reduce the potential for future erosion, improve
the quality of surface runoff by improving surface filtration, restore floodplain function on portions of Merril
and Davies Creeks, increase flood attenuation potential, increase seasonal ground water storage and will
improve and increase the riparian habitat in the area. The nature of this type of restoration work requires work
within the floodplain of Davies and Merril Creeks. The following sites have been identified as benefiting
from restoration work:
Site 2: Davies Creek: A railroad grade was constructed in the late 1920s in the channel and floodplain for
almost a mile. The construction of the grade rerouted the natural stream flow, disrupted the flood flows on the
floodplain, and caused the stream to erode a large gully that is still actively eroding. The railroad grade and
the existing road impact two alluvial fans on tributaries to Davies Creek. At this site the proposal is to (site 2
diagram in Appendix A):
Site 5: Davies Creek from the lower end of Sardine Valley to Stampede Reservoir: A railroad grade was
constructed following Davies Creek in the 1920s. Some of the grade was constructed in the channel
and on the floodplain and has redirected and confined flows of the creek in several places. The
railroad grade construction caused a loss and degradation in riparian habitat, has caused the stream to
downcut in several places, and has created headcuts that have eroded up into the lower end of Sardine
Meadow. In turn this has caused a lowering of the meadow water table and a loss of meadow habitat.
The channel system is still actively eroding. Additionally, the existing road at the bridge site has
constricted the flood plain of Davies Creek. The proposal for this site is (diagram for Site 5 in
Appendix A):
a. Re-direct the flow of Davies Creek from the existing incised eroding channels in lower Sardine
Valley into stable remnant channels on the meadow surface where the stream can access the
floodplain.
b. Close off 1000 feet of the incised channel using gully plugs at lower end of Sardine Meadow to
stop the active erosion and raise the water table. Small ponds would be excavated along the
side of the closed stream segment to generate material needed to construct 6 plugs to close off
the gully. Material excavated for plug construction totals about 1000 cubic yards for the 6 plugs
(about 167 yards per plug). Some material may be obtained from the RR grade removal. No
disturbance would occur in the remnant channel where the water will flow. Disturbance would
cover from 1 to 1.5 acres
c. Remove approximately 150 of railroad grade fill and rebuild the creek elevation for 300 feet at
the bottom of Sardine Valley using material removed from the railroad grades. An eroded
portion of channel would be reconstructed with rock and earth and re-vegetated. This will
create a riffle/pool system that maintains fish passage. Disturbance will be less than ½ acre.
d. Remove 7 short sections of railroad grade (1300 feet total) between Sardine Valley and the
Davies Creek Bridge that are currently confining the flows of Davies Creek and causing the
creek to scour. Disturbance will be approximately ½ acre.
e. Add 3 to 4 culverts to the County road system in the approaches of the existing bridge to
facilitate flood flow of Davies Creek underneath the road. The culverts will be installed at
floodplain elevation to increase flood capacity at the bridge.
Site 5 continued:
f. Return Davies Creek to its original channel below the bridge.
g. Use plugs to close off the railroad ditch that now carries stream flow below the Davies Creek
Bridge. 9 plugs will be needed for a total of approximately 1300 cubic yards. Most
(approximately 60%) of the material will come from the railroad grade described in h below.
The remainder of the fill will be moved from site 6 below or excavated from the abandoned
channel and will make some of the ponds larger.
h. Remove 1000 feet of railroad grade below the bridge. Material removed from the grade will be
used to create plugs in the channel as described in g above. Disturbance from g & h combined
will be approximately 1 acre.
i. Remove trees along the railroad grade as needed to complete restoration work.
j. Returning Davies Creek to its original channel will cause the existing vault toilet and 4
campsites in the Davies Creek Campground to be within the floodplain. The toilet vault and
the four affected campsites will be re-located to a location just above the existing campground
and well out of the floodplain.
k. Create an interpretative site near the Davies Creek Campground where the road intersects with
a historic railroad grade. Signs would describe the historical railroad system and why it was
removed (in order to restore the creek function).