State Coastal Conservancy Grant Pond Projects
Project Overview
Basics
Completed
Livestock ponds supply water for cattle while providing important habitat for protected species like the CRLF and CTS. The Wildlife-Friendly Ponds initiative helped ranchers restore pond habitat, increased water availability for cattle and improved downstream water quality. These goals were accomplished through pond restoration, including de-sedimentation, embankment and spillway repair, fencing and turtle rafts. The initiative streamlines regulatory hurdles and provided a cost-sharing to EQIP-eligible ranchers. The initiative restored 11 ponds on public and private land (two of the ponds were primarily developed under ACRCD’s Rangeland Resilience Project and are quantified in that project.)
2012
2015
2017
2/8/2023
Location
Ponds are distributed throughout Alameda County in Livermore, Union City, and Hayward.
Organizations
| Funders | |
| Lead Implementer | |
| Partners | |
| Primary RCD | |
| State Assembly Voting District | |
| State Senate Voting District |
Contacts
Hillary Sardinas (hillary.sardinas@acrcd.org)
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 468 - Lined Waterway or Outlet Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 2,600 lf |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 468 - Lined Waterway or Outlet Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 500 lf |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 468 - Lined Waterway or Outlet Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 960 lf |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 468 - Lined Waterway or Outlet Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 714 lf |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 382 - Fence Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 744 lf |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (no.) | Conservation Practice: 378 - Pond Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 1 |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (no.) | Conservation Practice: 378 - Pond Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 2 |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (no.) | Conservation Practice: 378 - Pond Operation Type: Range/Pastureland | 3 |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Restored Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Restored Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | 56 acres |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Restored Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Enhanced Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Restored Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Enhanced Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Enhanced Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | Action Taken: Restored Habitat Type: Seasonal wetland | Not Provided |
| Special Status Amphibian Species Habitat | Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: California tiger salamander Listing Status: Federally Threatened/State Threatened | Not Provided |
| Special Status Amphibian Species Habitat | Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: California red-legged frog Listing Status: Federally Threatened/State Threatened | Not Provided |
Reported Performance Measures
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation Practice | Operation Type | Total | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | Units |
| 382 - Fence | Range/Pastureland | 1,344 | 600 | 744 | lf | |
| 468 - Lined Waterway or Outlet | Range/Pastureland | 4,774 | 4,774 | lf | ||
| Total | 6,118 | 0 | 600 | 5,518 | lf | |
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (no.) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation Practice | Operation Type | Total | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | Units |
| 378 - Pond | Range/Pastureland | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | number |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | number | |
| Habitat Restoration/Creation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Taken | Habitat Type | Total | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | Units |
| Enhanced | Seasonal wetland | 1.59 | 1.59 | acres | ||
| Restored | Seasonal wetland | 2.15 | 0.6 | 1.55 | acres | |
| Total | 3.74 | 0 | 0.6 | 3.14 | acres | |
| Special Status Amphibian Species Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Performed | Focal Species | Listing Status | Total | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | Units |
| Enhanced | California tiger salamander | Federally Threatened/State Threatened | 3.74 | 3.74 | acres | ||
| Enhanced | California red-legged frog | Federally Threatened/State Threatened | 3.74 | 3.74 | acres | ||
| Total | 7.48 | 7.48 | 0 | 0 | acres | ||
Financials
Budget
| Comment: | None provided |
|---|
Reported Expenditures
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Ready Program (SCC) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,181.50 | $1,181.50 |
| EQIP (NRCS) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $128,851.80 | $18,684.00 | $84,119.40 | $231,655.20 |
| Landowner Cost Share (Private) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $121,719.29 | $47,152.00 | $2,136.00 | $171,007.29 |
| Prop 1 (SCC) | $0.00 | $2,600.00 | $27,415.00 | $63,672.00 | $47,906.00 | $33,407.00 | $175,000.00 |
| USDA NRCS Field Office Staff Time (NRCS) | $0.00 | $2,625.00 | $2,625.00 | $2,625.00 | $2,625.00 | $0.00 | $10,500.00 |
| Grand Total | $0.00 | $5,225.00 | $30,040.00 | $316,868.09 | $116,367.00 | $120,843.90 | $589,343.99 |
| Note: | None provided |
|---|
Project Themes
Project Themes
The projects improve the availability of water for livestock on annual grasslands. Water distribution is a valuable tool and limiting factor on cattle movement and livestock capacity to manage forage. Improved grazing distribution facilitates a reduction in fine fire fuels, decreasing the risk of wildfire in grasslands.
Pond enhancement projects improve the quality and stability over time of pond habitat for two federally and state endangered species, the California red-legged frog and the California tiger salamander. The project also helped it improve the habitat of the Western Pond Turtle through the implementation of turtle rafts.
By removing sediment accumulation in ponds, sediment is more likely to settle than be transported downstream. In addition, repair of pond structures such as dams and spillways can decrease erosion while increasing pond storage capacity.
During the dry season in a water-scarce region, cattle are more likely to use fields where water is present. Therefore, pond improvement projects throughout a ranch can help make grazing more even, which benefits fuel reduction and can improve habitat for native flora.
Project Details
Attachments
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Notes
| 02/13/2019 11:50 AM | Ian Howell | Performance Measure Notes: -Acres reported are the combined totals for all pond projects -Restored pond or seasonal wetland areas were calculated based on the maximum surface water area of ponds after improvements were implemented -Special Status Species values reported are the combined totals for all pond projects and include the pond and immediate uplands as quantified in project regulatory permits |