OOS 44-6
Dos Rios Ranch: Large-scale, multi-benefit riparian restoration in the San Joaquin Valley
We report project background, design, progress, and future directions of collaborative, multi-benefit riparian restoration efforts at the 2,100-acre Dos Rios Ranch located at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne Rivers in the San Joaquin Valley. Adjacent to the 8,000-acre San Joaquin River NWR, the property was acquired by River Partners through cooperation with 12 private, local, state and federal funders in addition to other regional non-funding stakeholders. The property is being developed as a landscape-scale model for strategic habitat restoration, T&E species recovery, transient floodwater storage, conservation funding, and public engagement. The project benefits numerous stakeholders through ancillary benefits to water supply, flood protection, water quality, recreation, employment, and education. Restoration activities have included site assessments, restoration plan development, site preparation (e.g., weed control, earthwork, irrigation installation), planting of native species via seeds, plugs, cuttings, and container stock, volunteer days, and both maintenance and monitoring of restored communities. Innovative design features include high-water refugia for endangered species, habitat mosaics to benefit specific T&E species, expansion and connection of existing habitat, diverse native plant communities, experimental sites for refinement of restoration methods, and fish screens for water diversion infrastructure.
Results/Conclusions
The first restoration phase was planted on 198 acres in spring 2013, and included 40,000 native trees and shrubs planted on wetlands, floodplains, and uplands. The second restoration phase began in late 2013, and includes 100,000 trees and shrubs planted on another 400 acres. Additional phases are planned across the property over the next decade. Plans to breach the federal levee to provide river-floodplain connectivity are also in development. On-going monitoring has revealed successful weed control, good native establishment (> %70) and rapid growth of most species, even under challenging drought conditions. Baseline and monitoring data are also being used to address key questions relevant to broader-scale restoration efforts: How can riparian restoration be planned and implemented to address multiple objectives and to enhance multiple ecosystem services? What are the dynamics of restored riparian communities through time (e.g., species composition, woody stem density), and how do they relate to water conveyance and flood attenuation? What in-field methods can increase restoration success while reducing labor and cost? This long-term project should provide multiple, sustained benefits to the coupled human-natural system of the San Joaquin Valley, while serving as a model for large-scale collaborative restoration efforts in the state and beyond.