Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area - Soil Conservation and Revegetation in Zone 4 Area 23

Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area - Soil Conservation and Revegetation in Zone 4 Area 23

The goal of the project is to restore native vegetation cover to approximately 2.4 acres located to the north of the 4x4 staging area. The project will prevent soil loss and improve water infiltration rates, protect local waterways from sedimentation, and improve water quality. Downstream waterways include Coyote Creek, Carson Creek, Deer Creek and the Cosumnes River, which contains salmon spawning habitat. It will also enhance existing habitat by increasing plant cover, improving native plant community abundance and diversity, and supplementing the native seed bank for future growing seasons. To prepare the area, spot grading and recontouring will be conducted by heavy equipment. In areas of high compaction, the ground surface may be scored or ripped to loosen the dirt and allow for greater root establishment. Hand tools will be used to dig wattle trenches in areas where slope pitch may lead to possible erosion. Burlap wrapped straw wattles will be laid by hand in the trenches then staked in row perpendicular to the incline. The wattles will serve as an erosion control measure. Once the wattles are in place, a mix of native seed, tacifier wood mulch and hydrostraw will be sprayed from a hydroseeder onto the project area. This will stabilize the soil surface, reduce wind and water erosion and introduce native seed to the exposed earth. Areas not already restricted by concrete barricades will be temporarily blocked off with barricades. The land will be allowed to lay fallow while the native grasses grow and become established.

Rancho Cordova

Sacramento