SRCSD - Case Study: Upper Beach Lake

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Case Study: Upper Beach Lake

A Case Study in Habitat Restoration

At the north edge of our Bufferlands property, next to bustling Interstate Highway 5, lies a showpiece wildlife sanctuary known as Upper Beach Lake. Few passing motorists realize that the shorebirds often visible from the roadway enjoy this healthy natural habitat as a result of restoration work by a coalition of public and private groups, led by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD).

Public-Private Cooperation Enhances Wildlife Habitat

Beginning in 1989, SRCSD joined the National Audubon Society, the Sacramento Job Corps Training Center and other groups in an ambitious effort to restore wildlife habitat on 650 acres of District-owned land. With our Bufferlands resource management experts taking the lead, by 1995 this unique coalition had:

Planted more than 10,000 native trees and shrubs;
Created and restored over 300 acres of seasonal and permanent wetlands;
Restored a large area to native perennial grassland habitat; and
Enhanced over 20 acres of open water habitat.

Habitat Restoration Provides Hands-On Training

The Sacramento Job Corps Training Center played a key role in Upper Beach Lake restoration efforts. Through the Corps' vocational training program, more than 100 young people participated in restoration work, learning skills such as heavy equipment operation, mechanical maintenance, surveying, carpentry and cement masonry. The California Department of Parks and Recreation recognized the Job Corps contribution with a “Take Pride in California” award.

Sculpting the Land to Restore Wetlands

During the project, Job Corps volunteers used heavy equipment to construct levees for water flow management and to create islands and potholes within the wetlands. A section of Morrison Creek was realigned into a natural meander, improving habitat for fish and other wildlife.

Nearby Meadowlark Lake, created as a borrow pit during the construction of Interstate 5, was enhanced by forming islands and submerged shelves suitable for tules, cattails and other aquatic vegetation. Today, waterfowl and other birds, previously uncommon at Meadowlark Lake, are often seen along the lake shore.

In addition to managing the restoration project, SRCSD Bufferlands staff planted massive numbers of trees, shrubs, native grasses and other vegetation in the newly-formed wetlands, grasslands and associated uplands.

SRCSD Provides Ongoing Resource Management

SRCSD will continue to manage the entire Upper Beach Lake area as an integral part of its Bufferlands, preserving precious open space and wildlife habitat for future generations to enjoy.

For more information about the Upper Beach Lake Wildlife Project, please contact:

Bryan Young
Bufferlands Manager
Email: youngb@sacsewer.com