Sedgwick Reserve

30 Jun, 05 PM - 29 Jun, 05 PM

The Gully Project is a long-term (25+ years) stabilization and restoration project centered on a badly eroded and unstabile first order drainage downcutting in serpentine soils (largely Franciscan melange) immediately below Figueroa Mountain Road within Mystery Canyon watershed on the upper reserve. Monitoring and experimental treatments began in November, 1997, providentially immediately before the extreme El Nino events of January-February, 1998. Re-vegetation experiments are based exclusively on California native annuals (especially Lupinus succulentus) and perennials (especially Salix spp., Baccharis salicifolia, Eriogonum elongatum, Yucca whipplei) obtained at Sedgwick, generally within several hundred meters of the site. The major new activities of the 2003-2004 water year were related to the failure of the culvert under the upper ranch perimeter road that intersects the gully at the bottom end of the main treatment area. The culvert was removed, the headwall of the new incision was armored with rock, and a series of new checkdams were built to stabilize the site. Various experimental trials of perennials cuttings were introduced, of which as of the last site visit (late June, 2004) the successful trials were Baccharis salicifolia and a few willow (Salix spp) cuttings, with total mortality for the Sambucus mexicana cuttings. For the next year's project, the major activities planned include additional checkdams to raise the water-retention capacity zones in the gully bottom, plus establishment of much large and longer perennial cuttings much deeper in the soil through the use of manual or possibly powered soil augers. Additionally, an experimental fog water collection system will be attempted for supplemental watering. There will be less emphasis than in the past on erosion cloth installation, because the diminishin areas of the gully that are devoid of vegetation (which are the most difficult sites) seem relatively unresponsive to use of the erosion cloth, unlike many other areas now sufficiently vegetated that the cloth is no longer necessary. As always, consistent repeat photography from established vantage points will be used to document and analyze the status of gully treatments.

Visit #5922 @Sedgwick Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 1731 | Research

The Gully Project

research_scientist - NOAA (all units)

Reservation Members(s)

John Cloud Jun 30, 2004 - Jun 29, 2005 (365 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Studio Apartment 1 Jun 30, 2004 - Jun 29, 2005