Upper Feather River Watershed

More than 4;000 miles of roads and motorized trails exist on Plumas National Forest. The road and trail network is essential to supporting popular recreation activities in the region and is vital for effective forest management and wildfire suppression. However; forest roads have also been frequently identified as the primary source of fine sediment to streams on National Forest System lands. Fortunately; sedimentation issues are not spread equally across all Forest roads so the problem can largely be addressed by cost-effectively treating a small subset of problem road segments.

This project will reduce road-generated sediment delivery to streams in four priority watersheds on Plumas National Forest by improving drainage along roughly 80 miles of Forest roads or motorized trails. All of the 260 miles of road in the 4 watersheds will be field surveyed and treatments will target problem road segments.

Road treatments will generally fall into two types. One; existing road surface and ditch drainage features will be improved; and new drainage structures added; so that road runoff is effectively dispersed and not concentrated in ditches or rills that run directly to streams. Drainage features to be added include roadway dips; ditch relief culverts; and rocked ford crossings. Second; the potential for large scale erosion of road prisms will be reduced by providing emergency overflow dips at existing stream crossing culverts. These critical dipsù will function when a crossing culvert plugs during a flood; assuring that flood flows will flow directly back into the channel; rather than being diverted down the roadway in an uncontrolled fashion.

Roads will be graded and rock surfacing will be installed at key stream crossings. No roads or motorized trails will be closed or obliterated with these treatments.

USDA ? Plumas National Forest

Joe Hoffman

jahoffman@fs.fed.us

UF-7

$120,000

$1,120,000

Yes

Improved Forest access Improved aquatic habitat Reduced road maintenance costs

Ecosystem restoration, Forest management, Land use planning and management, Outreach and engagement, Pollution prevention, Sediment management, Wastewater/NPDES, Water and culture, Water-dependent recreation, Watershed management

Address water resources and wastewater needs of DACs and Native Americans, Build communication and collaboration among water resources stakeholders, Effectively address climate change adaptation and/or mitigation in water resources management, Enhance public awareness and understanding of water management issues and needs, Improve coordination of land use and water resources planning, Protect, restore, and enhance the quality of surface and groundwater resources, Reduce potential for catastrophic wildland fires in the region, Restore natural hydrologic functions, Work with counties/communities/groups to maintain capacity for water-related projects, Work with DWR to develop strategies and actions for the operation of SWP facilities

Assessment

Assist the region in adapting to effects of climate change, Disadvantaged Communities, Generation or reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. green technology)

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