Landscape Change in the Napa River Watershed, 1800–2002: Implications for the Restoration of In-Stream, Floodplain, and Valley Floor Habitat Grossinger, R., Striplen, C., Brewster, E., San Francisco Estuary Institute and L. Collins, Watershed Sciences CALFED Science Conference
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Landscape Change in the Napa River Watershed, 1800–2002: Implications for the Restoration of In-Stream, Floodplain, and Valley Floor Habitat Grossinger,
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Landscape Change in the Napa River Watershed, 1800–2002: Implications for the Restoration of In-Stream, Floodplain, and Valley Floor Habitat
Grossinger, R., Striplen, C., Brewster, E., San Francisco Estuary Institute
and L. Collins, Watershed Sciences
CALFED Science ConferenceJanuary 16, 2003
Project Goals– a map of the pre-European impact fluvial system
• extent of floodplain• location of distributary systems, side channels, riparian habitat flood control, stream restoration, fisheries recovery
– a map of the pre-European impact distribution and abundance of valley floor habitats• oak savanna• seasonal wetland/vernal pools• native grassland conservation planning (identifying remnants, proportional representation, designing corridors and
mosaics)
– land use history• spatial extent and duration of grazing, logging, ditching, etc. identify early uses which may have ongoing effects
– community-participatory processacquire needed datagreater shared understanding of how the current landscape has evolved and its potential for
restoration
Presentation Outline
1. Approach• Partnerships • Issues of scale
2. Methods• 19th-century Historical Documents• Early Aerial Photography• Mapping of Present-day Ecological Remnants
3. Preliminary Findings — methodological and technical• Pleasures and Pitfalls of Historical Sources• Discovery of Counter-Intuitive Changes• Substantial Variation in Historical Landscape within a Small Area (
variation in present-day geomorphic controls)
Napa River Watershed Historical Ecology
Project endorsed and/or funded by:
• Napa Valley Vintners Association• Land Trust of Napa County• Mead Foundation• Mennen Environmental Foundation• Napa County Planning Department • Napa County Resource Conservation District• SF Bay Region Water Quality Control Board• California Department of Fish and Game• Army Corps of Engineers• CALFED Watershed Program
Napa River Watershed Historical Ecology Project Collaborators
Shari Gardner and Chris Malan, Friends of Napa River – local project coordinators
Elise Brewster, Brewster Design Arts – archival research, historical cartography
Chuck Striplen, SFEI and UCB – pre-European land management
Josh Collins, SFEI – wetlands geomorphology
Lester McKee, SFEI – watershed processes
Jake Ruygt, Napa County Botanist – local plant community ecology
Robin Grossinger, SFEI – historical ecology/landscape history
Thomas Burns, GIS Mapping and Analysis – historical photogrammetry
Eric Wittner, SFEI – GIS development
1. Approach• Partnerships • Issues of scale
2. Methods• 19th-century Historical Documents• Early Aerial Photography• Mapping of Present-day Ecological Remnants
3. Preliminary Findings — methodological and technical• Pleasures and Pitfalls of Historical Sources• Discovery of Counter-Intuitive Changes• Substantial Variation in Historical Landscape within a Small Area (
variation in present-day geomorphic controls)
Project Scale and Corresponding TopicsScale: Region Major
WatershedsTributary Watersheds
Area: ~1000 sq. mi 100-500 sq. mi. 5-20 sq. mi.
Focus on: • tidal processes and lower reaches of streams
• fluvial processes of valley floor
• relationship between tributaries and main channel
• effects of flood control, ditching, drainage
• hillslope processes
• effects of grazing, logging, fire
Key Historical Sources
Federal Maps, Spanish Maps,
+ Aerial Photos,
Local Maps, Written Accounts
+ Landscape Photos, Local Interviews
Sulphur
SodaSoda
Carneros
Napa River Watershed
San Francisco Bay
1. Approach• Partnerships • Issues of scale
2. Methods• 19th-century Historical Documents• Early Aerial Photography• Mapping of Present-day Ecological Remnants
3. Preliminary Findings — methodological and technical• Pleasures and Pitfalls of Historical Sources• Discovery of Counter-Intuitive Changes• Substantial Variation in Historical Landscape within a Small Area (
variation in present-day geomorphic controls)
1. Approach• Partnerships • Issues of scale
2. Methods• 19th-century Historical Documents• Early Aerial Photography• Mapping of Present-day Ecological Remnants
3. Preliminary Findings — methodological and technical• Pleasures and Pitfalls of Historical Sources
– Importance of Pre-1940s Data– Potentials for Misinterpretation
• Substantial Variation in Historical Landscape within a Small Area ( variation in present-day geomorphic controls)
• Discovery of Counter-Intuitive Changes
USCS 1860 USCS 1861
ca. 1940 Aerial photomosaic 1993 Aerial photomosaic
Lower Sulphur Creek
Products from Napa River Watershed Landscape Change Studies
• Historical Ecology Component of Napa Watershed Exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum -- opens January 25
• Napa River Sediment TMDL Baseline Study: Geomorphic Processes and Habitat Form and Function in Soda Creek -- ~ 1 month
• Stewardship Support and Watershed Assessment in the Napa River Watershed: A CALFED Project (Sulphur and Carneros Creeks) -- ~ 6 months
• Napa Valley at the Time of European Contact GIS and Report -- ~ 1 year (pending funding)