Res 2003-152 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The City of San Marcos would like to incorporate the 'River Coalition study into the existing 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project as long as the Raver Coalition study does not detract from funding restoration measures 1 -10 in the 206 Project. Future agency coordination meetings will determine if the River Coalition study can be incorporated into the 205 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration project as a viable restoration measure. d. Restoration Benefits & outputs. A preliminary habitat evaluation was conducted utilizing the accounting methods of the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) as developed by the USFWS. Estimates of acreage and habitat values were determined based on best professional judgment and general habitat conditions were used to determine habitat suitability index values. The analysis compared existing habitat conditions to habitat needs of conceptual grasslands, wetlands and riparian corridors to establish an estimate of general habitat value. Using specific representative species, the USFWS and USACE personnel will perform a complete field evaluation, analysis of existing habitat conditions and comparison of with and without project conditions in the Feasibility phase of the study. The initial HEP evaluation was based upon the assumption that the existing riparian forest habitat value would remain constant or decrease slightly during the project analysis period under without project conditions. This is due to current maintenance practices only allowing slight regeneration and some mature trees dying off. It is also likely that under without project conditions, increased development and expansion of exotic plant species along the riparian corridor will gradually decrease forest habitat value over the life of the project. The proposed project would gain an estimated 7.34 riparian forest average annual habitat units (AAHU) in the first ten years. Fifty years after project implementation, the project would net 14.31 riparian forest 's above future without project conditions (Table 1). The in- stream habitat restoration values would also show dramatic results with the J ro `ect in p place. Stream habitat values would decrease or remain constant during the project analysis period under without project conditions. Increased riparian corridor development, increased siltation from tributaries and run -off, and continued invasion of exotic species would decrease habitat values over the project without analysis period. Table 2 shows that in- stream habitat units would increase by 11.9 or 251 % in the first ten years, and after fifty years the habitat units would increase by 14.2 or 449% over the without project conditions. The proposed project would also restore high value wetland complexes in an area that currently has poor to non- existent wetland resources. It is estimated that the proposed project would gain 3.52 emergent wetland habitat units within 10 years of project implementation (Table 3). Incidental benefits associated with the emergent wetlands include improved water quality and an overall improvement in the natural aesthetics of the area. The proposed project would also restore native prairie grassland habitat in an area that is essentially devoid of prairie habitat. Under the without project conditions, the project area would continue to have poor prairie habitat, due primarily to continued park management practices such as mowing. It is estimated that the proposed project would gain 4.14 native prairie habitat units within 10 years of project implementation (Table 4). Additional benefits associated with installation of native prairie habitat include improved filtration of polluted runoff, decreased erosion and sedimentation and increased habitat biodiversity. 11