{ Los Amigos de Valles Caldera – San Antonio Tributaries and Valle Seco Restoration By Steve Vrooman

Forest Landscape Restoration Act (PL , Sec. 4003(c)), the natural resources monitoring program objectives are: (1) contribute toward the restoration of the structure and composition of pre-fire- suppression old growth stands, (2) reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire, and/or maintain or re-establish natural fire regimes, (3) improve fish and wildlife habitat, including endangered, threatened and sensitive species, (4) maintain or improve water quality and watershed function, and (5) prevent, remediate, or control invasions of exotic species. Monitoring Objectives:

Restoration using the plug and pond technique

Plug and Pond Construction Removing sod tiles and digging pond Sod tiles saved Building plug wall using clay from pond Completed plug and pond with sod tiles covering plug

Benefits and Functions of Rosgen Priority 1 Plug and Ponds  Restoration to a historic channel  Restores water table  Increases wetland area  Retains and Releases runoff slowly  Restores wetland vegetation PLUG AND POND TECHNIQUE  Slow it, Spread it, Sink it PLUG POND

Change in wetland area as seen from satellite

Monitoring Methods  Thermographs – placed above and below Plug and Pond structures  Shallow ground wells – placed in rehydrated wetland areas due to PnP  Vegetation transects – Line-Point Intercept with 3 parallel 100 ft lines and 300 points total  Wetland Delineation – throughout the tributary valleys  Photopoints

Monitoring & Plug and Pond Study Control and Treatment Sites along San Antonio Six Tribs

Monitoring & Plug and Pond Study Control (RED) and Treatment (GREEN) Sites in Valle Seco headwaters of Sulfur Creek

Preliminary Results  Re-hydration is seen as soon as pond fills  Vegetation changes will take longer to appear, increased % cover is seen in 1 st year  Thermograph data from Spring 2014 will show if snowmelt runoff is attenuated from treatment, using Sulphur as control

BEFORE AFTER