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NFC: Re: Native Fish Conservancy Digest V2 #900

Getting back to the fish part, I have seen conservation groups in other
countries develop stream protection policies based on what is necessary
for a stream to be healthy and support fish. This includes the riparian
zone near the shore to a particular distance (100 to 200 meters) where
trees offer root shelter, shade the water to keep it cool and native
vegetation provides habitat for insects that fish eat. We are going to
have to consider the ecology of food organisms. Some of these groups put
actual numbers to this, and entered into the inevitable struggle of
compromise with other interests for legislative protection. I think the
story went, they upped the number in response and got it. Planting
native vegetation in your yard helps the fish by creating a reservoir of
food supply. Supporting clean living removes pollution generated in our
daily lives that ends up in the waterways. I suggest we start our
restoration with particular watersheds we are interested in and can
monitor without too much effort... those that are close to where we
live. We need scientific facts and studies to back it up, I have been
collecting information but it would be nice to collaborate on developing
this into some sort of cohesive and accessible resource base. I can
proceed with my own effort by organizing the stuff I have and presenting
it. My question to the list is, what is being done in your community for
this sort of thing? What actions are taking place?

For instance, in my local community paper I read the following:

by Anne Hayes
The Stream Flows and the Plants Grow
Some say that in California the new year truly begins with the first
rains. If that's the case, then we've already celebrated New Year's Day.
Hip hip, hooray!
	Sausal Creek carried the fall's first storm flows successfully. Many
people were watching because a major stream-restoration project was
completed in Dimond Canyon in late October, a project of the City of
Oakland with support from the California State Coastal Conservancy and
the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District. 
	One of the people watching as the rains came down was Jill Marshall, a
hydrologist who works for the Regional Water Quality Conrol Board.
Heres's how she described our creek: "During the height of the rain, I
went to look at the restoration project. Ahh, what a beautiful sight!
The project was working beautifully, with the logs deflecting flow, the
rock structures directing flow, and the brush layers dissipating energy.
And the erosion control was awesome. Not a speck of dirt was moving from
the hillsides. The erosion control blankets were blanketing every bit of
the hill slopes and were fastened down tight enough for a nor'easter. 
	The erosion-control measures that Jill describes were needed because,
along with modifications to the creek channel, changes were made to the
slopes beside the creek. The bay trees were pruned to allow in more
light, some acacia trees were taken out, and a great deal of bushy
undergrowth was removed, leaving some pretty bare slopes in Dimond
Canyon. The next step weill be to replant those slopes - and that's
where the Friends of Sausal Creek (and maybe you) com in. 
	Starting December 1, the Friends will be planting in Dimond Canyon
every Saturday morning. The plants we'll be putting in the ground come
from a new native-plant nursery at Joaquin Miller Park, which the
Friends began to construct this summer with support from the City of
Oakland. The Friends have been holding workdays at the nursery every
Saturday since it opened in July, and we'll continue to do so this fall
and winter. It's a wonderful site, perched at the top of the watershed
with a view down to the estuary. As we move our current inventory into
the canyon, we'll be making way for more cuttings and flats of seeds.
The palette of plants we'll start this winter includes shrubs that, if
all goes well, will be placed in the ground a year from now. 
	To learn more about the Friends, come to a workday. It's a great chance
to meet other community members, explore your watershed, and have fun
being out-of-doors. Join us in Dimond Canyon (meet at the El Centro
trailhead) or at Joaquin Miller Park (follow the signs to the nursery
any Saturday at 9 a.m. The nursery is also open to groups of students on
Wednesday mornings. For more information, visit the Sausal Creek Web
site at www.aoinstitute.org/sausal.

This was printed last year. Tomorrow I am going to find out if it was ok
to type this in and send it to the list without getting permission
first, otherwise I can hopefully get clearance for some other articles.
I have recently taken lots of photos, soon they will be available for
you all to take a virtual creek tour. 

> 
> Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 18:13:43 -0600 (CST)
> From: mcclurg luke e     <mcclurgl at washburn_edu>
> Subject: Re: NFC: Nominations, Two.
> 
> Gentlemen,
> 
>   While I personally love a good debate about religion and other topics
> and frankly agreed with many of the things Arlus
My apologies, I was trying to not get completely off topic
> and others said, this is
> a forum to discuss NATIVE FISHES.  It's not a political forum or an
> ideaological forum and if it doesn't pertain directly to 
(conserving)
> NATIVE FISHES,
> has no place here.  (IMHO)
> 
> Luke