Zanker Farm Salmonid Habitat Restoration Project Phase II

Salmonid Restoration Planning and Assessments

Project ID	1647630347209
Recovery Domains	-
Start Date	06/06/2022
End Date	03/14/2025
Year	2021
Status	Completed
Last Edited	05/28/2025

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Description

The 30% designs were completed and then it was decided to combine both phases. The combined Draft Zanker Phase I & Phase II 65%, 90% &100% (final) design deliverables were completed. Public outreach letter & 3-pannel informational brochure mailed on Dec 11, 2023. A public workshop & site visit was held on Friday, Mar 22, 2024. Zanker Phase I & Phase II project uploaded to EcoAtlas on Dec 15, 2023. Permit applications were completed, including: California Environmental Quality Act Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects Lead Agency Determination; California Environmental Quality Act Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects CDFW concurrence form; CDFW Lake & Streambed Alteration Agreement; Regional Water Quality Control Board Statewide Restoration Projects General Order (SRGO) Notice of Intent; Environmental compliance surveys that were conducted include wetland delineations, cultural resource surveys, & biological surveys.

FY18 & 19 funds spent within award windows.

Project Benefit

Specific Project objectives that are expected to benefit salmonids include: Adding spawning gravel to the main channel to enhance or create ~8 spawning riffles for adult salmonids. Build up the main channel to reduce habitats conducive to nonnative salmonid predators. Excavate and grade perched floodplain and remnant side channels to provide ~16.2 acres of high-quality rearing habitat to support an additional ~20,000-735,000 juvenile salmonids.

Source

Funds

PCSRF

$641,242

In-Kind Donated Labor

$16,390

In-Kind Other

$2,673

Report Total:

$660,305

Worksites

1647630347490

Worksite Identifier: 1647630347490
Start Date:
End Date:

Area Description
Zanker Family Farm on the Tuolumne River

Location Information

Basin: San Joaquin (180400)
Subbasin:
Watershed:
Subwatershed:

State: California
Recovery Domain:
Latitude: 37.6280555
Longitude: -120.5222222

ESU

California Central Valley Steelhead DPS

Map

Photos

Metrics

B.0 Salmonid Restoration Planning and AssessmentsY (Y/N)

. . B.0.a Planning And Assessment Funding 660,305.00
. . B.0.b.1 Area Encompassed 12.0
. . B.0.b.2 Stream Miles Affected .67

. . B.1 Restoration Planning And CoordinationY (Y/N)

. . . . B.1.a Planning and Coordination funding 660,304.95

. . . . B.1.b.11 Engineering/design work for restoration projectsY (Y/N)

. . . . . . B.1.b.11.a

Name of plan implemented
McBain & Trush. 2000. Habitat Restoration Plan for the Lower Tuolumne River Corridor final report. McBain & Trush. 2004. Coarse Sediment Management Plan for the Lower Tuolumne River revised final report.

. . . . . . B.1.b.11.b

Description and scope of the plan implemented

The project completed 100% designs and prepared permit applications/surveys that will rehabilitate Chinook Salmon and California Central Valley steelhead spawning and rearing habitat within a critical section of the Lower Tuolumne River. The project location was within the upper most end of the Dredger Tailings Reach extending into the downstream end of the Dominant Spawning Reach. The resulting final design will enhance ~23-acres of channel, floodplain, riparian, and upland habitats by reconstructing remnant channel left by gold dredger operations to a natural river/floodplain form, restore riffles to increase spawning/rearing habitat, regrade floodplains to reduce salmon stranding and promote riparian regeneration, reduce riparian encroachment onto low flow channel, and promote natural riparian regeneration (McBain & Trush 2000). In addition, River Mile 46 has been identified as a high priority/long-term gravel augmentation site and the resulting final design will augment suitable sized spawning gravel at ~8 riffles in the main channel to create/enhance adult salmonid spawning habitat, excavate/grade perched floodplain/remnant dredger channels to increase inundation of ~16.2 acres of rearing habitat, and restore the main channel/off-channel areas to eliminate deep warm water habitat conducive to nonnative salmonid predators and provision off channel refugia to reduce juvenile salmonid predation (McBain & Trush 2004).