WSIP Postconstruction Onsite Restoration and Revegetation Program Overview February 5, 2014 Bureau of Environmental Management By Matt Weinand and Kim.

WSIP Postconstruction Onsite Restoration and Revegetation Program Overview

February 5, 2014

Bureau of Environmental ManagementBy Matt Weinand and Kim Stern

Overall Goal • Revegetate and restore WSIP sites to preconstruction condition or better (pursuant to CEQA and resource agency permits)

• Seeded areas/plantings become established and self-sustaining • Typical monitoring periods: 5 years grass and shrubs, 7 years woody

riparian, 10 years upland trees (i.e., oaks)

AS4 temporary access road during construction After Revegetation and Restoration

Participants and Roles

• Project Management = BEM & PMB• Monitoring and Reporting = Orion Team• Contractors = WSIP Project Contractors per warranty requirements and

two SFPUC JOC Contractors• QA/QC = ACRCD/NRCS and SFPUC CMB QA/QC Inspector

Monitoring & Reporting Procedures

• Established procedures for:

We developed detailed processes for:1. Site Assessments 2. Remedial Actions 3. Success Criteria Monitoring4. Annual Reporting

Site Assessments

Assessment Schedule•Restoration Monitor performs site assessments monthly•May eventually be able to adjust schedule based on site and season

Assessments and Recommendations•Cleary identify any recommended remedial actions and timing. For example

weed removal methods based on plant type and reproductive stage (i.e., blooming, bolting, seeds, etc)

Plant material disposal method•Assessments include, but are not limited to:

Weed Control Planting Survivorship Seeding/Hydroseeding Irrigation Erosion/Sediment Control

Site AssessmentForm

• Developed standard form to capture consistent information• Completed by Restoration Monitor and submitted to BEM• Use photos to capture key remedial action items and note them on

corresponding maps• Field quality maps adequate, saves time and money (as opposed to GIS)

Remedial Activities - JOC Work Request Form

• Developed standard form to communicate consistent information• BEM reviews Site Assessment Form; translates direction into concise,

specification-like language• Includes photos and maps of good and bad plants, work deadline, as

well as listed species that could be in the area for avoidance• May not include all Site Assessment recommendations

Remedial Activities

Schedule Work• SFPUC QC/QA Inspector schedules work with Contractor• Takes ~2 weeks from site assessment to JOC in field performing work• Level of effort varies through the year• Two ramp-ups for weeds that bloom in spring and fall• Seeding and replacement planting in fall FIELD QA/QC • Restoration Monitor QA/QC during contractor work (as needed)

Provide initial environmental training, ID sensitive species, and show targeted weeds

Explain JOC Work Request Forms and answer questions On-site during initial work and then as needed based on contractor

quality/site complexity• SFPUC QA/QC Inspector during contractor work

Coordinates with Restoration Monitor Required as part of JOC process

• Weed Control– Hand pulling/digging and weed whacker/brush

cutting primary methods– Mowing also performed– Herbicide use limited, will include coordination

with NRLM’s IPM specialist– We created an Invasive Species Pocket Guide

field tool for Contractors• Planting maintenance

– Irrigation– Repair browse protection– Replace dead plantings

• Reseeding bare areas (local decompaction as needed)• Test/adjust irrigation systems & perform hand

watering as needed• Addressing erosion control issues (limited)

Typical Remedial Activities

Pocket Guide

Success Criteria Monitoring

• Typically 2/year (April for grassland & Aug/Sept for scrub/trees) • Typically plant survival, percent cover native and target

invasives• Primarily transect monitoring, some point monitoring (CSSA)• Some plans are general, Restoration Monitor to recommend

detailed monitoring approach (i.e., transect locations)

Annual Monitoring Report

• Established program wide format• Varying degrees of quantitative vs. qualitative data collection per the

requirements• Submitted to resource agencies (USFWS, CDFW, RWQCB), with some

exceptions

Lessons Learned during 2013

Processes and Procedures Lessons Learned

Monthly Site Assessments

Streamline field notes by using hand written field notes only. Also streamline form by making it specific to either a project or a region and listing all the target invasive species known to occur so that field biologist can simply circle those that are present to be removed.

Remedial Actions

Streamline JOC requests - have Regional managers complete JOC requests. JOC work request to include map circling weed infestations to be addressed in addition to weeding the planting basins and representative photos taken by the staff biologist during the monthly site assessment. Consider regular field days for remedial weeding actions during the weedy spring months.

Success Criteria Monitoring

Evaluate and achieve agreement on annual success criteria interpretations early on, prior to monitoring, as new projects come online. Enter and process data from spring monitoring ASAP, don't wait until annual report writing time.

Reporting

Proper planning for annual report submission in the fall with multiple projects. Process spring survey data early and consider writing/submitting that portion of the report to SFPUC for review at mid-year. Submit grassland monitoring only reports earlier than end of year to the resource agencies (i.e., NCSBT, Pulgas, and BDPL5).

Individual Project Status and Update

WSIP Postconstruction Onsite Restoration and Revegetation Program

Feburary 5, 2014

BDPL5 East Bay• Location: Fremont and Newark• Type of Monitoring: Grassland only• Year 2 Success Criteria Summary:

*Note: revised success criteria in Year 2 AR

• Challenges: Wild radish, thistle and mustard; lack of cover in some areas.• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Completed January 2014 • Typical time for Site Assessment: 1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: 2 days with 2 people

Crossing Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

1 0.75% 0.63% N

3 8% 8.46% Y

4 3.5% 9% Y

7 4% 6.75% Y

NVL 6% (E), 8%(W) 5.03%, 12.08% N, Y

BDPL5 Peninsula• Location: Redwood City• Type of Monitoring: Grassland only• Year 2 Success Criteria Summary:

*Note: revised success criteria in Year 2 AR

• Challenges: Need to prevent goat grazing; steep slopes; French broom, Italian thistle, Himalayan blackberry

• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Completed January,2014• Typical time for Site Assessment: 1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: 1 day with 2 people

Crossing Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

12 4% 3.67% N

13 4% 4.5% Y

14 1% 0.88% N

SVWTP• Location: Sunol Valley• Type of Monitoring: Grassland and oak woodland monitoring• Year 2 Success Criteria Summary:

* Note: 1) need to start understory herbaceous cover along tree transects during Spring 2014 survey in addition to fall tree transect surveys; 2) Construction contractor will also perform period weeding in 2014

• Challenges: Tubex constraining oaks, deer browsing, irrigation system issues, invasive species (esp. thistles, mustard)

• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Pending action (remedial seeding not done at Site 2; replacement planting not done yet)

• Typical time for Site Assessment: ½ -1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: Spring - 2 days with 2 people, Fall – 3

days with 2 people

Habitat Type Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

Grassland: 50% 48% N

Woodland: 25% 29.8% Y

Plant Survivorship:

90% 95.4% Y

AS4• Location: Sunol Valley• Type of Monitoring: Grassland, Scrub, and woodland monitoring• Year 2 Success Criteria Summary:

* Notes: 1) need to start understory herbaceous cover along tree transects during Spring 2014 survey in addition to fall tree transect surveys; 2) revised criteria proposed for scrub habitat

• Challenges: Irrigation system issues, damage from deer/elk, invasive species (thistles, mustard, stinkwort)

• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Pending action• Typical time for Site Assessment: 1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: spring – 2-3 days 2 people, fall – 2-3

days 2 people

Habitat Type Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

Grassland 40 35.8 N

Scrub: 80 17.1 N

Woodland: 30 13.8 N

Plant Survivorship:

90 76.5 N

CSPL2• Location: San Mateo• Type of Monitoring: Grassland and riparian • Year 1 Success Criteria Summary:

• Challenges: Many invasive species, water (no irrigation system installed)• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Pending action• Typical time for Site Assessment: 1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: spring - 2 days 2 people, fall – 3

days 2 people

Habitat Type Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

Grassland: 12% 44.6% Y

Riparian: 3% 11.9% Y

Plant Survivorship:

90% 82.3% Y

LCSD• Location: San Mateo• Type of Monitoring: Grassland and riparian • Year 2 Success Criteria Summary:

* Note: 1) regrading may be necessary to better reestabilsh “pre-construction condition” and 2) may propose revised success criteria for Willow/Wetland Scrub Areas

• Challenges: Willow planting die-off, invasive species, erosion issues, water (no irrigation system installed)

• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Pending action• Typical time for Site Assessment: 0.5 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: spring – 0.5 to 1 day 2 people, fall – 1-2

days 2 people

Habitat Type Success Criteria

Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

Grassland: 52.2% 44.6% Y

Riparian: 10% 19.5% Y

Plant Survivorship (# alive willows):

547 377 N

NCSBT and Pulgas

• Barbara prepared Year 1 report. • Year 2 report is final• Small weeding coordination at both of these sites• 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: None• Typical time for Site Assessment: 2 hours max per

month, incorporate monitoring with other peninsula sites

• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: spring only – 0.5 day for 2 people

SJPL Eastern Segment• Location: San Joaquin• Type of Monitoring: Grassland/Stream crossing (% cover) and woodland

(survivorship only)• Year 1 Success Criteria Summary:

• Challenges: Invasive species (mustard, thistle), • 2014 Remedial Action Planned/Status: Pending action• Typical time for Site Assessment: 1 day per month• Typical time for Success Criteria Monitoring: spring – 5 days 2 people, fall –

0.5 to 1 day

Habitat Type Success Criteria Y2 Average Met (Y/N)

Stream crossing: 70% 65.2% N

Upland: 70% 74.2% Y

Plant Survivorship:

70% 100% Y

Status of New Sites Not Currently Monitored by ACRCD

Bay DivisionProject Acreage Vegetation

Transects Description of Restoration Status of Restoration Monitoring

BAY DIVISION BDPL 3&4 seismic upgrade

9 5 grassland, 2 scrub

Grassland hydroseeding, with 561 woody plantings at Agua Fria Creek.

Monitoring not expected to start until spring 2015.

BDPL 5 reliability upgrade--tunnel

15.3 10 grassland/ wetland

Hydroseeding and ca 800 plants at Ravenswood Shaft.

Monitoring not expected to start until spring 2015.

BDPL 3&4 Crossover--Barron Creek

0.2 N/A Landscaped area. Monitor health of 2 valley oaks, 3 Aleppo pines and 6 Canary Island pines.

ACRCD has not worked on this. Reporting is internal memo to SFPUC.

BDPL 3&4 Crossover--Guadalupe River

0.2 N/A Landscaped area; 44 plantings. ACRCD has not worked on this. Reporting is internal memo to SFPUC.

Status of New Sites Not Currently Monitored by ACRCD

Peninsula Region

Project Acreage Vegetation Transects Description of Restoration Status of Restoration Monitoring

PENINSULA REGION CS/SA Transmission Upgrade

80 TBD Hydroseeding and multiple planting locations with 32 creek crossings.

Post-construction monitoring to begin in early 2014. As-built, scope of revegetation, and requirements for monitoring surveys (butterfly, other wildlife, lessingia, wetland) need to be specified.

HTWTP Long-term Improvements

2 N/A No information on restoration planning.

Monitoring work not expected to begin until 2015.

Baden Valve Lot Improvement

0.5 N/A Landscaped area only. ACRCD has not worked on this. Reporting is internal memo to SFPUC.

Status of New Sites Not Currently Monitored by ACRCD

San Joaquin

Project Acreage Vegetation Transects Description of Restoration Status of Restoration Monitoring

SAN JOAQUIN DIVISION Tesla Treatment Facility

0.5 N/A Landscaped area. ACRCD has not worked on this. Reporting is internal memo to SFPUC.

Status of New Sites Not Currently Monitored by ACRCDSunol Valley Region

Project Acreage Vegetation Transects Description of Restoration Status of Restoration Monitoring

SUNOL VALLEY REGION New Irvington Tunnel 30 8 grassland

8 woodyHydroseeding and 5,000 plants. Expect to begin monitoring in 2014. Geomorph yrs

1-3 done by others; begin yr 4 in 2015. What is status of restoration plan? Monitoring may be divided into Sunol Valley and Bay Division for convenience.

Calaveras Dam Replacement

460 TBD Construction still in progress. Restoration monitoring may begin in phases but has not started. What is status of restoration plan?

San Antonio Backup Pipeline

26 TBD Hydroseeding, 300 plantings. Construction scheduled for completion late 2014; begin monitoring in spring 2015. Restoration plan being finalized.