Renewing Riparian Forests

Restoring Forests for the Future

A shining example of the strong environmental commitment of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) is our substantial investment in restoring riparian (streamside) forests on District-owned lands.

Human Impacts Decimated Riparian Forests

A century ago, the Central Valley's riparian forests were miles-wide jungles dense with sycamores, cottonwoods, willows, oaks and native roses and vines. Today, less than two percent of these once magnificent forests remain. Many acres were cleared to allow farming of fertile bottomlands, while other forests fell to gold and gravel mining, cattle grazing and even water pollution and impounding.

Songbirds Suffer From Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is primarily to blame for the dwindling populations of many songbirds that nest and forage in California's riparian forests. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, once found in large numbers throughout much of the state, now survives in only a handful of small, scattered locations. Other species threatened by forest destruction include the:

• Yellow Warbler
• Willow Flycatcher
• Cooper's Hawk
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret.

A Resource Survey Inventoried Riparian Assets

To accurately assess the health of riparian habitats, SRCSD's natural resources team surveyed the entire 2500 acres of District-owned Bufferlands in 1992. The survey identified two urgent problems:

• Less than 40 acres of mature riparian forest remained intact, and
• Seedling recruitment stock (the young trees needed to replace older trees nearing the end of their life span) was in short supply.

Forest Restoration Yields Dramatic Results

Since 1992, Bufferlands staff have moved aggressively to restore more than 50 additional acres to riparian forest. On lands ringing our Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, more than 15,000 young trees have been planted and now thrive, including:

• Valley Oak
• Elderberry
• Box Elder
• Fremont Cottonwood and
• Several species of native willows.

To ensure adequate numbers of young replacement trees, our restoration experts now manage the water flows in Morrison and Laguna Creeks to more closely resemble historical flow patterns. Re-creating the natural conditions necessary for trees to sprout and grow has resulted in a dramatic increase in natural tree recruitment (replacement).

For more information about renewing Riparian forests, please contact:

Bryan Young
Bufferlands Manager
Email: youngb@sacsewer.com