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View Fact Sheet

Pine Gulch Creek Enhancement and Pond Project

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Proposal
Planning/Design
Implementation
Post-Implementation
Completed
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Contents

Project Overview

Basics

Water Management and Conservation
Water Storage and Coordinated Water Management
Pine Gulch Creek Enhancement and Pond Project

Post-Implementation
One of the greatest threats to young Coho salmon in West Marin is low creek levels in the summertime. This is a time when Coho seek sanctuary in deep pools before growing to a stage when they are mature enough to survive in the open ocean. Sometimes the pools are too shallow or dry up completely, and the young fish die.

A voluntary plan by farmers in Bolinas to protect summertime creek levels has passed an important milestone: the farms built four storage ponds that draw water during the high-flow winter season for summertime use. Farmers agreed to temporarily abandon their riparian rights for agricultural use. In exchange, they will receive temporary, seasonal rights to store water.

2004
2015
2017
1/24/2024

Project Attributes

Census Tract Income
None
Direct Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
None
EnviroScreen
None
Free and Reduced Lunch
None
Indirect Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
None
Tribal Engagement (True/False)
None
Tribal Engagement
None

Location

To zoom, hold down Shift and drag a rectangle.

  • Bolinas Lagoon (180500050504)

Organizations

Funders
  • Unknown or unspecified
  • California Department of Fish & Wildlife
  • California State Coastal Conservancy
  • Marin Agricultural Land Trust
  • Marin County, CA
  • Point Blue Conservation Science
  • Private party
  • U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Wildlife Conservation Board
Lead Implementer
  • Marin Resource Conservation District
Partner
  • California Department of Fish & Wildlife
Primary RCD
  • Marin Resource Conservation District
State Assembly Voting District
  • State Assembly District 12
State Senate Voting District
  • State Senate District 02

Contacts

Elise Suronen - Marin Resource Conservation District (Marin RCD) (elise@marinrcd.org)

Performance Measures

Expected Performance Measures

Special Status Amphibian Species Habitat Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: California red-legged frog Listing Status: Federally Threatened 2.58 acres
Special Status Fish Species Habitat Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: steelhead - central California coast DPS Habitat Type: Rearing Listing Status: Federally Threatened 32,800 lf
Special Status Fish Species Habitat Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: coho salmon - southern Oregon / northern California ESU Habitat Type: Rearing Listing Status: Federally Endangered 24,600 lf
Summer Water Forbearance Operation Type: Row Crop 69.2 acre-ft
Water Conserved Action Performed: Water Storage Facility Site Type: Agricultural 69.2 acre-ft

Reported Performance Measures

Special Status Amphibian Species Habitat
Action Performed Focal Species Listing Status 2017 Units
Created California red-legged frog Federally Threatened 2.58 acres
Total 2.58 acres

Special Status Fish Species Habitat
Action Performed Focal Species Habitat Type Listing Status 2017 Units
Enhanced steelhead - central California coast DPS Rearing State Threatened 32,800 lf
Enhanced coho salmon - central California coast ESU Rearing Federally Endangered/State Endangered 24,600 lf
Total 57,400 lf

Summer Water Forbearance
Operation Type 2017 Units
Row Crop 69.2 acre-ft
Total 69.2 acre-ft

Water Conserved
Action Performed Site Type 2017 Units
Water Storage Facility Agricultural 69.2 acre-ft
Total 69.2 acre-ft

No accomplishments to report for:
Year(s): 2015-2016
Explanation: The project was not completed until 2016, so we cannot report on benefits until 2017

Financials

Budget

$3,318,889.00
$3,318,889.00
$0.00
$0.00
Total
EQIP (NRCS) $12,000.00 $0.00 $12,000.00
Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) (CDFW) $2,452,520.00 $0.00 $2,452,520.00
Landowner Cost Share (Private) $47,540.00 $0.00 $47,540.00
Marin County Measure A (MARCO) $67,418.00 $0.00 $67,418.00
Point Blue Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (PBCS) $15,365.00 $0.00 $15,365.00
Prop 1 (SCC) $275,000.00 $0.00 $275,000.00
Prop 1 (WCB) $406,917.00 $0.00 $406,917.00
Stewardship Assistance Program (MALT) $22,209.00 $0.00 $22,209.00
Unknown/Unassigned (Unknown or Unassigned) $19,920.00 $0.00 $19,920.00
Total $3,318,889.00 $0.00 $3,318,889.00
Comment: None provided

Reported Expenditures

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total
EQIP (NRCS) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $12,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 $12,000.00
Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) (CDFW) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $24,315.00 $2,414,843.38 $13,361.35 $0.00 $2,452,519.73
Landowner Cost Share (Private) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,725.00 $0.00 $4,565.00 $0.00 $6,290.00
Marin County Measure A (MARCO) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $54,715.00 $0.00 $12,703.00 $67,418.00
Point Blue Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (PBCS) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $15,365.00 $0.00 $0.00 $15,365.00
Prop 1 (SCC) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $99,565.29 $64,388.71 $77,546.00 $21,631.70 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $263,131.70
Prop 1 (WCB) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $406,917.00 $406,917.00
Stewardship Assistance Program (MALT) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $9,506.00 $12,703.00 $22,209.00
Unknown/Unassigned (Unknown or Unassigned) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $13,230.64 $0.00 $19,920.00 $0.00 $33,150.64
Grand Total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $99,565.29 $64,388.71 $77,546.00 $21,631.70 $0.00 $0.00 $39,270.64 $2,496,923.38 $47,352.35 $432,323.00 $3,279,001.07

Note: None provided

Project Themes

Project Themes

A riparian coordior planting along a section of Pine Gulch Creek will sequester carbon over time.
Summer irrigation water rights of three farms have been dedicated to coho and steelhead; therefore, increasing in-stream summer habitat within Pine Gulch Creek. In addition, a riparian planting of native trees will increase canopy cover over Pine Gulch Creek, thus positively affecting in-stream temperatures.
The riparian planting and increased in-stream flows will enhance watershed habitat.
One of the farms has set aside much of the property under a conservation easement.
The project provides three organic crop farmers with water storage ponds, thus increasing their water storage capacity on-farm, and their resilency to climate change.

Project Details

Attachments

No attachments

No attachments

Notes

No Notes entered.

External Links

  • Marin RCD Pine Gulch Project Page

Photos

Photos

  •  

    Farmers give summer irrigation water rights to the fish (Photo by Rod McLean).
(Timing: Before) (~247 KB)
Credit: Rod McLean

    Farmers give summer irrigation water rights to the fish (Photo by Rod McLean).
    (Timing: Before) (~247 KB)
  •  

    Removing critters from the pond
(Timing: Before) (~502 KB)
Credit: NScolari

    Removing critters from the pond
    (Timing: Before) (~502 KB)

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