Dos Palmas Wetland Creation Project

Dos Palmas Wetland Creation Project

The Coachella Canal Lining Project (CCLP) was established to minimize water loss due to ground seepage in the approximate 30-mile, earthen section of the canal between siphons 7 and 31 in Riverside and Imperial counties. Construction activities related to the CCLP began in October 2004 and were completed in April 2007. As part of the mitigation required to offsite environmental effects associated with the CCLP, the project is to replace wetlands and springs that were lost during project construction. The BLM and other federal, state, and local agencies have identified the Dos Palmas Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) as the site for the creation of a 17-acre marsh, the Wetland Project. The ACEC encompasses both public and private lands and includes important habitat for the federally-listed Desert Pupfish, Yuma Clapper Rail, other plant and wildlife species, and cultural resources. The Wetland Project consists of the creation of 17 acres of emergent marsh and aquatic plant communities located on land owned by the BLM. This project would be constructed on land adjacent to existing emergent marsh habitat. The creation of the marsh would provide habitat for sensitive bird species such as the federally-listed Yuma Clapper Rail and the state-listed California Black Rail which have been documented in wetlands within the project area. The marsh would also provide habitat for a variety of songbirds, invertebrates, and small mammals. The 17-acre marsh would be constructed between Aqua Farms and Rancho Dos Palmas in an area with a shallow gradient mostly devoid of vegetation. This location has a reliable source of water at the north end, highpoint, of the site. The ground slopes gently to the south which lends itself well to creation of a series of shallow pools. Pools would form behind created berms and would range from saturated soil to a 4-inch water depth and would drain into the existing Core Marsh and Salt Creek.

Riverside