AND SOIL EROSION ISSUES IN UPPER BIDWELL PARK

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1 Copies of this Agenda General Services Department-Park Division Agenda Prepared: 04/01/10 Available from: 965 Fir Street Agenda Posted: 04/05/10 Telephone: (530) Prior to: 5:00 p.m. BIDWELL PARK AND PLAYGROUND COMMISSION NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 8, 2010 Conference Room 2, 421 Main Street, Chico 6:00 p.m. (Commissioners Emmerich, Watts, and Brentwood, Chair) NOTE: Items Not Appearing on Posted Agenda - This agenda was posted on the Council Chamber bulletin board at least 72 hours in advance of this meeting. For each item not appearing on the posted agenda, upon which the Committee wishes to take action, it must make one of the following determinations: 1. Determine by a two-thirds vote, or by a unanimous vote if less than two-thirds of the Committee is present that the need to take action arose subsequent to the agenda being posted; or, 2. Determine that the item appears on a posted agenda for a meeting occurring not more than five calendar days prior to this meeting and the item was continued to this meeting. Items may be added to the agenda for the Committee to acknowledge receipt of correspondence or other information, or for discussion only, of items brought up by a member of the general public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee. AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT: Please contact the General Services Department at should you require an agenda in an alternative format or if you need to request a disability-related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting. This request should be received at least three working days prior to the meeting in order to accommodate your request. Anyone who has difficulty hearing the proceedings of a meeting may be provided with a portable listening device by requesting one from the General Services Department. AGENDA MATERIALS: Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Commission after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection in the General Services Department Office at 965 Fir Street, Chico during normal business hours. Such materials are also available on the City of Chico's website at subject to staff's ability to post the materials before the meeting. 1 CALL TO ORDER 2 REGULAR AGENDA - All items listed under the Regular Agenda are in the order which is believed are of interest to the public or which require Committee action at this meeting. The items will be considered in the order listed unless the Committee members request a change. Any person may speak on items on the Regular Agenda. 2.1 UPDATE ON BANK ISSUE AT THE VALLOMBROSA SWIMMING HOLE Adam McGrath, CSU, Chico hydrology student will give a brief update on his senior class project that will involve an analysis and a range of solutions for the bank issue at the Big Chico Creek swimming hole west of the Manzanita Bridge. 2.2 DISCUSSION OF IMPLEMENTING MASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN The Park and Natural Resources Director will give an update on the Park Division s plans for implementation of the Master Management Plan and the prioritization of Park projects. 2.3 CORRESPONDENCE OF 3/11/10 FROM JOSEPHINE GUARDINO ON TRAILS AND SOIL EROSION ISSUES IN UPPER BIDWELL PARK Staff received the attached correspondence on 3/11/10 from Josephine Guardino requesting that a committee discuss the issues of trail conditions and soil erosion in Upper Bidwell Park. Friends of Bidwell Park has published an article in their Spring 2010 newsletter (attachment) addressing the issue of soil erosion in Upper Park and would like to utilize the information in some form for educational purposes.

2 2.4 OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON BIDWELL PARK At the 2/22/10 BPPC meeting, Commissioner Turney requested a committee discussion on outreach and education efforts for Bidwell Park. The Park Division staff will give an update on some of the methods currently being used for educational outreach and some ideas for incorporating new methods. 3 BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR 4 ADJOURN cc: BPPC Distribution List Adam McGrath Susan Mason Josephine Guardino Edd Hamilton Martin Whitehead, Field Supervisor

3 BPPC Natural Resource Committee Report Meeting Date: 4/8/10 DATE: APRIL 2, 2010 TO: NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE (Commissioners Emmerich, Watts, and Brentwood, Chair) FROM: DAN EFSEAFF, PARK AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR, RE: APRIL 2010 NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE STAFF REPORT 2.1 UPDATE ON BANK ISSUE AT THE VALLOMBROSA SWIMMING HOLE Background At the BPPC s 8/31/10 meeting, Susan Mason asked that the Commission review the situation at the swimming hole bank along Vallombrosa Avenue and the item was directed to the Natural Resources Committee for consideration. This location on Big Chico Creek has been a popular swimming hole for many years and is downstream from the new pedestrian/bicycle bridge. At its 9/24/10 meeting, the General Services Director updated the Natural Resources Committee on the history of the swimming hole area. Several years ago, the Park Division staff placed splitrail fence along the top of bank along the heavily used bike path to provide a degree of safety for anyone who intentionally or unintentionally veered off the pathway. The Committee discussed the possibilities of having an area consultant or professor from CSU, Chico review the creek bank situation. Update Adam McGrath, CSU, Chico hydrology student has selected Big Chico Creek swimming hole bank as a topic of his senior class project. His research will involve an analysis of the site and provide a range of solutions for the bank issue. Adam has been in contact with Professor Matt Kondolf of the University of California Berkely, who has worked on similar creek bank issues. 2.2 DISCUSSION OF IMPLEMENTING THE MASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN The Park and Natural Resources Director will give an update on the Park Division s plans for implementation of the Master Management Plan and the prioritization of Park projects. 2.3 CORRESPONDENCE OF 3/11/10 FROM JOSEPHINE GUARDINO ON TRAILS AND SOIL EROSION ISSUES IN UPPER BIDWELL PARK Background The BPPC referred a letter dated 5/19/09 from the Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance to the Natural Resource Committee for consideration. The letter details the organization s concerns regarding erosion on the Middle Trail and other trails in Upper Park as well as mountain bike use and erosion along the pedestrian use only Yahi Trail that runs along Big Chico Creek. At its 7/14/09 meeting, the Natural Resources Committee discussed the increase in visitors using the Upper Park trail system and how multi use of the trails has increased the need for trail repair and maintenance to reduce erosion problems. S:\BPPC\COMMITTEE\Natural Resources\2010\4-8-10\ Nat Res Committee Report.wpd

4 Meeting Date: 4/8/10 Page 2 At the 7/27/10 BPPC meeting, the Natural Resources Committee recommended that a. As practical, surveillance will be increased along the Yahi Trail to help reduce the number of incidents where bicyclists are using the pedestrian only trail. b. Hold a community forum about visitors trail use and trail conditions a future Commission meeting. The Trail Forum was held during the BPPC s 10/26/09 meeting. It was advertised through a letter and flyer to bicycle shops, sports stores, Chico Equestrian Association, Chico Velo, and Chico Mountain Bikers, CSU, Chico Department of Recreation and Parks, local environmental organizations and agencies and was posted on Bidwell Park kiosks. The flyer was ed to the Bidwell Park Volunteers list and a press release was distributed to local radio, TV and newspaper during the week of October 12, Update Park staff received the attached correspondence on 3/11/10 from Josephine Guardino requesting that a committee discuss the issues of trail conditions and soil erosion in Upper Bidwell Park. Friends of Bidwell Park has published an article in their Spring 2010 newsletter (attachment) addressing the issue of soil erosion in Upper Park and would like to utilize the information in some form for educational purposes. 2.4 OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON BIDWELL PARK At the 2/22/10 BPPC meeting, Commissioner Turney requested a committee discussion on outreach and education efforts for Bidwell Park. The Park Division staff will give an update on some of the methods currently being used for educational outreach and some ideas for incorporating new methods. ATTACHMENTS: Josephine Guardino s of 3/11/10 Friends of Bidwell Park article on Soil Erosion, Spring 2010 DISTRIBUTION: BPPC Distribution List Adam McGrath Susan Mason Josephine Guardino Edd Hamilton Martin Whitehead, Field Supervisor S:\BPPC\COMMITTEE\Natural Resources\2010\4-8-10\ Nat Res Committee Report.wpd

5 From: Josephine Guardino To: Carmen Parachou Ruben Martinez Date: 03/11/2010 1:06 PM Subject: Requesting date to discuss trail problems in Bidwell Park Attachments: fobp_soils.pdf Hello all, Let's try again-carmen, please forward to all BPPC members Please let me know what date we can meet with whatever committee is responsible for the trails in Bidwell Park. Specifically we want to discuss soil erosion, education about soil erosion, designation of official trails and how the city assesses trail maintenance needs. Attached is a flyer we wrote with consultation of the soil scientists from NRCS.We would like this flyer to reviewed, discussed, modified and approved for posting in Bidwell Park. It is imperative that the public understands why soil erosion is such a huge problem in Bidwell Park and we need accurate information that is assessable to all park users and park staff. In addition, we would like to know and discuss how the City assesses soil erosion in the park and what criteria they use for determining which trails need to be repaired each year. Josephine Guardino President, Friends of Bidwell Park

6 Soil Erosion- It s More than Skin Deep! It s easy to see that severe soil erosion is not a pretty thing to look at. In Upper Bidwell Park, the slopes between Horseshoe Lake and Monkey Face are crisscrossed with the brown barren scars from years of foot-travel. In many places, ever-widening trails spread laterally down steep slopes leaving broad swaths of barren rock. The scars of soil erosion are more than skin-deep though. Native wildflowers, wildlife and water quality all suffer from the affects of soil erosion. What is soil erosion? Soil erosion is the permanent loss of an irreplaceable natural resource. It is a 3-step process which involves the detachment of soil particles from the soil mass, the transportation of those particles downhill by floating, rolling, dragging and splashing and finally the deposition of the particles in new locations at lower elevations. Wind can also permanently erode damaged and exposed soil surfaces. How strongly do rain drops interact with soil particles? The speed of a rain drop reaches terminal velocity at about 15 miles per hour, which hits exposed soil with enough force to detach soil particles, sending them flying off in all directions. If the soils are saturated, these particles will land in ponding water which is subject to transportation by gravity. Moving down slope, this run-off picks up volume, velocity and turbulence, stripping off even more soil to add to the flowing slurry. What suffers from soil erosion? Other than looking ugly, run-off high in sediments causes declines in aquatic life in nearby creeks and rivers because it increases cloudiness (turbidity). High turbidity reduces the amount of sunlight that penetrates the water Bootleg trails on Monkey Face photo Steve Green which in turns reduces photosynthesis and survival of submerged aquatic plants. Aquatic plants support insects, which in turn support fish, which in turn support other animals (including people). High sediments also kill aquatic life directly by coating the gills of fish and other organisms, depriving them of life-giving oxygen. Lifechoking sediments also get deposited in gravels used by spawning salmon, smothering eggs and young newly hatched fish larvae, which live in the spaces within the gravels. Why is soil erosion a problem in Bidwell Park? Some of the shallowest soils in northern California are on the Tuscan Volcanic Surfaces. In places, soils that have taken many millennia to develop are less than a few inches in depth. The shallowest soils in Bidwell Park are on the North Rim and South Rim ridge tops on each side of Big Chico Creek; these soils are only inches deep to bedrock. When it rains, these soils quickly become saturated. Typically, the shallow soils transmit water laterally in a subsurface drainage network. However, when the soils are disturbed and unvegetated, the subsurface water becomes surface water, gaining energy draining in channels and eroding adjacent soil. Soil from these volcanic surfaces can be lost quickly and forever. Trails play a significant role in soil erosion. Not only do trails remove vegetation that prevents soil erosion, they also act as linear watercourses. Trails intercept and concentrate the natural movement of water that passes over and through the soil profile. Where soils are intact and properly functioning, rainfall is absorbed to the point of saturation, after which additional water either slowly continued on page 7 Friends of Bidwell Park - Spring

7 continued from page 6 Multiple trails scar wildflower field Steve Green passes over the vegetated surface, or seeps laterally through the soil profile itself. When this laterally-seeping water encounters a trail, it quickly gathers volume, velocity, and erosive force. Too often, the new rivulet will broaden and meander before it finds an eventually stable channel and bed. Understandably, people generally do not like walking or bike-riding on trails that actively convey water. As a result, foot and bicycle traffic tends to concentrate on the still-vegetated margins of the trail-streams. While this lateral travel helps keep people dry and mud-free, it further impacts vegetation at the vulnerable eroding edge and causes the trail to widen and expose even more barren rock surface, which collects even more water and increases erosive potential. One consequence of this kind of trail degradation is that parallel trails are established as people try to stay out of the water and mud. The creation of multiple trails (trail braiding) is a major concern for Upper Bidwell Park. Examples of severe trail braiding can be seen at two disc golf courses in Upper Park. Trail braiding can also be observed around the Horseshoe Lake area; there, the soils have a high clay content which also contributes to poor drainage. On the North Rim Trail, one can observe extreme trail widening and braiding. What was once an old single lane dirt road has now become 20 to 30 foot wide swaths of exposed lifeless bedrock. It is impossible to replace the soil and ecological functions that are lost. The scars of our momentary carelessness will mar the beauty and function of the landscape for many centuries to come. You can help! The best solution to soil erosion is to avoid it from happening to begin with. Respect park rules and refrain from mountain biking, horse-riding and playing disc golf when the trails are closed during the wet season. If you are hiking in Upper Park during the rainy season, please stay on designated trails! Avoiding mud puddles in the trails is only making soil erosion in the park worse. If you walk in the rain, you should be willing to get your shoes wet and dirty. If you enjoy using Upper Park trails, do your part and volunteer for trail maintenance or donate money to the Park s volunteer program. Trail Streams photograph Steve Green Friends of Bidwell Park - Spring