Wetland Project Moves Forward
The Board of Directors of the RCD entered into a memorandum of understanding with Trinity County to restore approximately 6 acres of wetlands in the Trinity Alps Industrial Park with construction planned for fall 2003. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing most of the funds through its Wetland Reserve Program – the same program that was used to place about 50 acres along Weaver Creek in an easement in 2001. Lorrie Bundy, the NRCS engineer, provided the design and Ann Francis, NRCS botanist from Paradise, has been working with RCD staff to design the planting plan for the restored site. The District will be implementing all phases of the project, including the re-grading of the site, construction of water control structures, erosion control and planting with native species of wetland plants.
Wetlands provide three important services, and the Industrial Park Wetland has been designed to provide all three – store flood waters; clean pollutants from the water before it gets into a stream; and provide wildlife habitat. This wetland, when fully restored, will provide a mixture of habitats that will add to the diversity in the Weaver Creek corridor and will receive water from Lance Gulch during winter storms.
A future phase of the project is to build a network of trails and wildlife viewing platforms around the wetlands and link it to the Weaverville Basin Trail system.
|
