INLAND EMPIRE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT PROJECTS

The IERCD Mitigation Program

The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District works with businesses, governmental entities and developers to provide a program, that when approved by the district's Board of Directors, manages natural resources on conservation easements and maintains mitigation sites in perpetuity.  If you are interested in learning more about IERCD's mitigation program, please contact Mandy Parkes, Project Manager at (909) 799-7407, extension 106.

Fall 2008 Clean-Ups

In the month of October, the IERCD planned and carried out two large clean-up efforts, using grant money acquired by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency from the California State Water Resources Control Board.  The first clean-up took place on October 16^th at an illegal dump site adjacent to Mill Creek in the city of Chino.  Over 25 employees from various conservation and regulatory agencies throughout the Santa Ana Watershed region volunteered time to assist with the clean-up effort.  The volunteers sorted the garbage at the site according to whether it was composed of recyclables, green waste, tires, concrete, or mixed garbage; following that, volunteers from the Army Corps of Engineers, Responsive Pest Work, and Viramontes Express used tractors to load the garbage into the appropriate bins for removal. 

The second clean-up took place at another illegal dump site in the city of Chino, in an area located next to Chino Creek.  This clean-up was a larger undertaking than the first, and was executed with the assistance of over 140 volunteers from area schools and service organizations.  The protocol for the second cleanup was similar to that of the first; trash was sorted into piles according to whether it was composed of recyclable materials or general garbage before ultimately being removed from the site.  The volunteers worked for four hours, assisted in their efforts by the donation of tools and gloves by the Orange County Water District, trash bags and gloves from REI, and trash bags from Trails 4 All.  At the end of the event, Tony’s Famous French Dips in Pomona provided lunch, followed by a raffle.  Vendors who actively supported the clean-up include Mimi's Cafe, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Cinemark Theatres, the office of Teaman, Ramirez, and Smith, Sierra Nursery, the Inland Orange Conservancy, and Law's Coffee Shop.

Both clean-up efforts were extremely successful, in large part.  The following table summarizes the garbage and recyclables removed from both sites, listed in tons.

The total amount of garbage collected from the Mill Creek site filled 11 40-yard roll-off bins and 1 10-yard roll-off bins, while the total collected from the El Prado Road site filled 13 40-yard roll-off bins and 2 10-yard roll-off bins.  Removing garbage from both sites has benefits beyond aesthetic improvements; both areas lie in close proximity to creeks that empty into the Santa Ana River.  Garbage that migrates into either creek will most likely end up in the river which supports thousand of species of plants and wildlife and provides drinking water for countless southern California residents.  The IERCD recognizes the environmental importance of the Santa Ana River and will continue to work toward ensuring its protection against pollutants.

Lytle Creek Grant:

 The IERCD is currently participating in an advisory group assembled by the Water Resources Institute for the purposes of improving the environmental quality of the Lytle Creek watershed.  The group is comprised of representatives from several organizations, including the West Valley Water District, the United States Forest Service, and the California State Water Resources Control Board.  All participants have been assigned a variety of tasks in an effort to achieve project goals ranging from conduction of water quality testing in the creek to public outreach.  The IERCD will conduct stormwater education outreach in schools as a method of educating students on the various negative effects of polluting in Lytle Creek.  The other major task assigned to the IERCD is the planning, implementation, and maintenance of a water-wise garden on a school campus located preferably within the Muscoy area of San Bernardino.  The RCD is currently scouting school locations and compiling information on species characteristics and prices; construction of the garden is planned to begin in early 2009.

Big Bear Lake Sediment Load Reduction Project

Big Bear Lake has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an impaired water body due to excessive nutrients and sediment loads. These excess nutrient and sediment loads are a result of many sources including runoff from rainfall or snowmelt flowing over and through the ground. This process carries natural and human-made pollutants into local streams and eventually the lake. Examples of these pollutants include excess fertilizers and pesticides, oil and antifreeze, sediment from improperly managed construction sites and eroding forest lands and stream banks.

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District has received funding from the Regional Water Quality Control Board to restore the abandoned Snow Forest Ski area. Native vegetation will be planted and existing erosion control methods will be improved in order to reduce sediment runoff into Knickerbocker Creek, and ultimately Big Bear Lake. Grant funding will also allow for water quality monitoring along Knickerbocker Creek and public education regarding non-point source pollution. The project will be completed with the cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service, Big Bear Municipal Water District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the City of Big Bear.

In October 2006 restoration work began on the slopes of Snow Forest.  Waterbars and spillways were installed to decrease water velocity along with redirecting flows. Biodegradable jute netting has been placed on the portions of the slope that are the most vulnerable to erosion. These measures have been taken to allow native vegetation to take hold on the slope, while reducing erosion and run off into Big Bear Lake. The last portion of the project will be completed in Spring of 2007 when the contractor can begin road removal. Staff members continue to monitor and photograph the water sampling sites on a regular basis.

In addition, IERCD is presenting an educational program called “Stormwater Pollution” for Big Bear schools and community organizations. Educating the public about non-point source pollution is incredibly important in the success of improving the water quality in our watershed. This program uses an Enviroscape® model of a watershed to simulate non-point source pollution.  If you are interested in having this program presented in your classroom or meeting area, please contact staff at extension 100.  For more information about this project please contact the RCD.

Santa Ana Watershed Non-Native Plant Removal

The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District is highly involved in the removal of Non-Native, Invasive plants from within the district boundaries. In particular, the district is focused on the eradication of Giant Reed or Arundo donax.  Arundo is a large bamboo like plant that spreads quickly, is extremely flammable, consumes large amounts of water and clogs up streams and waterways. Because Arundo spreads so rapidly, it pushes out native vegetation and the species that inhabit it. The district, through it's membership in the Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA), has removed most of the large stands of arundo from with in its boundaries and continues to address some of the smaller areas as well as re-growth. Some of the project areas include:

San Timoteo Creek: The arundo removal for San Timoteo Creek began in 1997 and concluded in 2007 with 100% biomass removal. The district continues to monitor this 239-acre removal project for any re-sprouting of arundo.

Yucaipa: The district removed 21 acres of Arundo from the Yucaipa removal project. This project was complex because it is comprised of a dozen drainages located throughout the city, making access difficult.  This project area continues to be monitored for any re-sprouting.

Highway 30: The district removed 22 acres of arundo and 10 acres of tamarisk from a drainage channel that parallels highway 30 in Redlands.

Modjeska Canyon and Santiago Creek- Orange County: Modjeska Canyon is located in Orange County and because Orange County does not have a Resource Conservation District, Inland Empire RCD assumed the invasive plant removal role for the Creek and its tributaries.  The district removed 20 acres of arundo and completely removed all biomass from the site.  Spraying and monitoring continues.

Cherry Valley/ San Timoteo subtributaries:  Three sub tributaries of San Timoteo Creek make up the Cherry Valley project area. The Cherry Valley arundo removal area is technically located in the city of Calimesa but accessed from Cherry Valley Boulevard off of the 10 freeway.  The tributaries flow intermittently into the upstream, southern portion of San Timoteo Creek.  The project area consisted of 17 acres of arundo. This was removed and the spraying and monitoring of the site continues to prevent any re-growth.

Santa Ana River Mainstem: The upper Santa Ana River project area spans 28 miles of the river and includes tributaries and drainage channels. The tributaries are Mill Creek, City Creek and the Redlands Zanja. The other drainage channels are located in the cities of Redlands, Yucaipa, Highland and San Bernardino. The concern of endangered species lengthened completion time  as did the need for obtaining access to private property. The project took two months to complete and consisted of 86 acres of removal.

Harrison Canyon: The canyon is located in the northern portion of San Bernardino, east of East Twin Creek. The removal project consisted of seven acres of arundo and less than an acre of castor bean.

East Twin Creek: The project area is located in the City of San Bernardino, with fifty percent of the arundo on private property. The remaining fifty percent was on San Bernardino County Flood Control District's right of way.  The district removed 84 acres of arundo and castor bean in East Twin Creek and will continue to monitor the site to ensure that re-growth does not consume the creek once again.

Lytle Creek: This creek lies at the eastern most extension of the San Gabriel mountains, running southeast in the Cajon Pass, south of Highway 138 and east of Interstate 15.  In addition to Lytle Creek, the project site included locations within the Upper Cajon Wash along Riverside Avenue, south of Interstate 15. In its entirety, the the streambed encompasses 46,000 acres, of which 9 acres contained arundo, tamarisk and castor bean.  Monitoring and spraying will continue for five years or until the invasives are completely eradicated.

Mill and Day Creeks: Mill Creek runs south from the terminus of the concrete lined Cucamonga Creek Channel west of Hellman Avenue and southwest across from Chino-Corona Road.  After skirting the east side of the Prado Regional Park, Mill Creek enters the Prado Flood Control Basin at the San Bernardino/Riverside County border. Day Creek is a concrete waterway that drains into an unlined spillway north of Interstate 15. Approximately 5 acres of arundo have been removed, with spraying and monitoring continuing to check any re-growth.

Cajon Pass / Lost Lake: The Cajon pass is a major modern transportation and utility corridor serving all of Southern California. The San Andreas fault is the dominant geologic feature of this site. Lost Lake is the only fault-formed perennial lake along the rift zone.  The dominant native vegetation in this area is Chaparral, yucca, sage, Yerba Santa, buckwheat, and several riparian plants.  The landscape is punctuated by an immense rock formation known as Mormon Rocks, one of the youngest and most active geological regions in Northern America. 17 acres of arundo was removed from along the banks of Lost Lake.  The site is being monitored quarterly and sprayed as needed to prevent re-growth.

Norco Bluff: This 300 acre section of the Santa Ana River runs southwest from the Goose Creek Golf Course through adjacent dairy-farm land and ends on the southwest side of the Hamner Avenue Bridge. This area is dominated by arundo and perennial pepper weed with less native vegetation, primarily large stands of black willow.  The Norco Bluff treatment area burned in December of 2002 and in order to prevent re-growth of arundo, an emergency spray contract was awarded.  Monitoring and spraying of re-growth continues as needed.

Martha McLean Anza Narrows/Santa Ana Mainstem: The District began a 300 acre Arundo removal project located in the Santa Ana River, adjacent to Martha McLeans Anza Narrows Park. The project has been extremely challenging due to the inundation of water. Various techniques have been tested and removal is expected to be completed before the next least Bell's vireo season in March 2008.

Devil's Canyon:  The District has initiated an invasive species removal project located behind Cal State San Bernardino in both the City and County of San Bernardino.  The project site is approximately 500 acres and the District will target five different invasive species for removal. These species include arundo, tamarisk, castor bean, tree of heaven and tree tobacco.  This site was a priority for removal due to its upper tributary location within the watershed. By removing invasives upstream, the amount of infestation downstream will be limited. 

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UPDATED 02/24/2009 11:30:47 AM