Zayante Creek Habitat Enhancement

18 large wood structures control erosion, mimic natural processes, improve water quality, and create critical habitat for endangered salmon along one mile of damaged creek.

Zayante Creek, which flows through the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains, is one of the most important tributaries of the San Lorenzo River. It provides critical habitat for threatened and endangered steelhead and Coho salmon. Historic land use, such as logging and road development, however, have impacted that habitat. To improve both habitat and water quality, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, in partnership with the City of Santa Cruz, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District and the County of Santa Cruz and other collaborators completed an instream habitat improvement project along approximately one mile of the creek. Because lack of large wood in the stream was one of the key threats, the restoration design included 18 large wood structures.

As the general contractor for the project, Biohabitats led the harvesting, construction, and installation of the wood structures, including rootwads and engineered structures made with more than 100 logs. Designed to mimic the natural processes that would occur when old growth trees would naturally fall into and around the stream, the structures add habitat complexity, such as pools and refuge areas for fish, while also improving water quality by controlling sediment and erosion. Specific tasks included mobilization, clearing and grubbing, dewatering, harvesting and placing rootwads, harvesting and constructing large wood structures, seeding and mulching, and collaborating with the project team during meetings and site visits.

The California Coastal Conservancy funded the design, which was completed by November 2019, and project construction was funded by grants from the State Water Resources Control Board and the Environmental Protection Agency.

TAGS

• Construction
• Ecological Restoration