What's Growing On - Winter 2005
"Feast or Famine"

West FloodPlain Section of the San Pasqual Valley Trail January 20th, 2005 that was completely underwater on the 11th and 12th.

Feast or Famine. In the West, we have drought and floods. When it rains things grow, groundwater is plentiful, and wildlife is bountiful. When it does not rain, it is difficult to make things grow, water tables are low, and wildlife numbers decline. But this year, maybe we can feast a little. When planting for habitat restoration, our season is incredibly short and keeping native species alive through the summer without regular irrigation is difficult, to say the least. For example, the River Park has a habitat enhancement project on Bernardo Mountain. To get to the site one must travel over 2 miles on a dirt road. The plants are south facing (hot), the site was covered in weeds, and there is obviously no irrigation. But, this is where good populations of declining California gnatcatchers and Coast cactus wren are hanging out, so this is where we work. A native landscape in your backyard, around a school, or next to a freeway, provides some wildlife habitat, and is very wise with regards to water usage, but a native plant project for the purpose of wildlife habitat has completely different considerations and benefits. The work on Bernardo Mountain is focused on linking smaller habitat patches though weed control and planting and seeding projects.

July 2004 Dust Devil Volunteer Jerry Rockwell contemplating the gravity fed drip line irrigation system at the Bernardo Mountain restoration site.

Same view, minus Jerry, in November 2004.

Last winter (2003/04), after some decent rain, I made arrangements to plant an area with mule fat (Baccharis salicifolia ) cuttings. Mule fat is probably the plant species that we work with the most because it is easy, filters pollutants from the soil, controls erosion, and provides great wildlife habitat. The planting site was located in a depression on the flood plain, mature mule fat specimens existed close by, and the young mule fat cuttings would mature into a much-needed barrier between the trail and a working farm.   Park Rangers and Volunteers harvested cuttings, cleared weeds, and planted and watered the mule fat poles. The rain did not persist and because mule fat is a wetland type plant, and it needs a fair amount water to get started, the plants did not do well. We could have driven water to the site, but this project was at the bottom of a long list of watering priorities and would require large quantities. So, after checking the site this fall I notice a few live cuttings, maybe a 3% survivor rate.

Now after the terrific rain that we have been experiencing, especially the flooding on January 11, the mule fat area is a pond! Well sort of, but so far this year we do not have the luxury of working on this project due to other priorities. In previous wet years, similar mule fat projects yielded an incredible 75% success rate. We were a year early on this project.  

San Dieguito River Flood Plain, 1 mile east of I-15.

Mule Fat Project Site

But was the flood plain mule fat project a failure? The answer is not at all because there are considerations other than the new plants. Habitat rehabilitation projects occur in areas that are, of course, disturbed. An area that is disturbed is usually inundated with non-native weeds that prohibit native plant growth. So, areas that are blanketed with a weedy monoculture must be disturbed in order for native plants to have a chance. I have seen areas in the grasslands section of the San Pasqual Valley Trail where a vehicle left the trail, disturbed the non-native grasses, and native plants showed up the next year. We joke that we should create an adjustable off road track in the grasslands, charge an admission fee and use the proceeds to buy coastal sage scrub seed to scatter over the now disturbed non-native grasses. The mule fat project opened the area beneath the planted poles and native plants now occupy the area especially western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) and golden bush (Isocoma menziesii). Birds perch on the now dead cuttings and drop seed. The rocks that were salvaged in order to shade the young plants now attract reptiles and insects. In addition, the area still needs a barrier and is prepped for future volunteer projects.  

The Santa Ysabel Creek Stream Bank Restoration Project was tested on January 11th and fared well. To visit the project site travel west on the San Pasqual Valley Trail from the Highway 78/Bandy Canyon staging area for 1/5 of a mile. Keep an eye out for students from San Pasqual Academy who are designing an interpretive panel for the project.

Now that over 1, 000 tons of trash have been removed, The River Park has begun the process of converting the dumpsite into wildlife habitat. See related story.