CALTRANS NEWS
In This Issue...
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Caltrans Donates Timber
for State and Federal Agencies to Use
Caltrans recently donated logs and stumps removed from the Confusion Hill bypass project to state and federal conservation projects at various locations.
The donations went to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) to be recycled for use in salmonid (salmon and trout) habitat restoration projects on Sproul Creek and Elk Creek, both in southern Humboldt County. The CDFG identified the creeks as lacking large, woody debris that provide protective cover for juvenile salmon and steelhead trout. Allan Renger from CDFG said, "Logs and stumps are expensive and hard to come by, so this donation from Caltrans greatly contributed to the cost-effectiveness of these projects."
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Lonely logs, a gift from Caltrans, will create a better habitat for salmon in Northern California waterways. |
Hollow Tree Creek in Mendocino County also received a donation. Trout Unlimited, a non-profit group, is managing and coordinating this multi-year, multi-agency effort by Mendocino Redwood Company, Pacific Watershed Associates, CDFG, California Conservation Corps, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service.
In addition, Caltrans delivered logs and stumps to the California Department of Parks and Recreation at Richardson Grove and Standish Hickey State Parks. The larger items will be used for salmon habitat restoration on Bull Creek in Humboldt County, and the smaller ones will be used for bumper logs in campgrounds.
Caltrans will also use some of the stumps and logs for two of its own projects in Humboldt County. Caltrans is storing some redwood stumps and logs for use at the future Mad River Bridges Replacement project on Highway 101 to provide fish habitat. Another log will be cut and split to construct fish weirs in a culvert (fish ladder) at Chadd Creek and Highway 101.
The cost to deliver these logs and stumps was included in the Confusion Hill contract, so there were no delivery charges to these other agencies. Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder said, “I am pleased that Caltrans is able to put this material to good use to the benefit of the environment.”