Climate-Smart Meadow Restoration Program
Increasing the pace, scale, inclusivity, and effectiveness of meadow restoration to benefit all Californians.
Overview
Through a $24.7 million grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), the Sierra Meadows Partnership , led by Point Blue Conservation Science, is restoring critical headwater meadows across the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades of California.
These funds are part of California’s 30x30 initiative , a bold plan to conserve and restore 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. WCB is a primary implementing agency of 30x30. The Sierra Meadows Partnership’s in-progress goal of restoring 30,000 acres of mountain meadows by 2030 is directly in line with state-level conservation targets.
Restoring Sierra meadows in reference to a historic baseline is unlikely to ensure that the restored meadow will be resilient, which we define as the capacity of an ecosystem to return to desired conditions and regain basic characteristics and functions after disturbance.
In order to retain our investment in meadow restoration, it is necessary to design and implement climate-smart meadow restoration projects in the context of a changing climate and associated uncertainty about future conditions.
We recommend that practitioners engage in climate-smart ecological restoration, which we define as the process of enhancing ecological function of degraded, damaged, or destroyed areas in a manner that makes them resilient to the consequences of climate change. More on this approach can be explored in our Guide to Climate-Smart Meadow Restoration .
Since its inception in March 2023, we have funded 51 projects totaling over $17 million and leveraging nearly $6 million in cost share. We have provided over $2 million dollars for indigenous groups, including 8 projects that are indigenous led.
What is a Healthy Meadow?
What differences do you notice when you slide from one image to another?
In a degraded meadow (left) you can see eroded stream banks, fast moving deeply channelized water, drier conditions, bare ground, and a lower abundance and diversity of plants and animals. Healthy meadows (like the rendition on the right) have densely vegetated stream banks with little active erosion, multiple shallow channels that allow flood waters to readily access the meadow surface, attenuating floods and improving water quality. The water table is near the surface for much of the year supporting cold stream temperatures, wetland plants, and facilitating the storage of large amounts of carbon. A diversity of native amphibians, birds, fish, insects, and mammals are present. (Artwork by Anne Chadwick)
Click here to learn more about the poster creation and download one!
What does meadow restoration look like?
Restoring mountain meadows is a multi-stage, collaborative process. It involves planning and partnership-building, funding and implementation, maintenance and monitoring, and reporting and applying lessons learned to improve ongoing action and stewardship of our ecosystems.
Below are examples of what it can look like to implement and monitor a meadow restoration. Roll over the "i" in each image for a description.
Monitoring: How we measure effectiveness
An important pillar of Climate Smart Meadow Restoration is tracking project success in achieving multiple benefits that endure. All restoration projects in this program have scientifically sound monitoring strategies following the Wetland and Riparian Area Monitoring Plan (WRAMP) standardized protocols. By using standardized protocols, data from individual projects can be combined to conduct regional analyses to inform advancements in meadow restoration practice to further our goal of increasing the effectiveness of meadow restoration and management.
Implementation Projects
Each of the projects featured below are providing multiple benefits--such as reducing atmospheric carbon, providing cold clean water downstream, promoting biodiversity, enhancing recreational and cultural uses, and increasing climate resilience to their surrounding watersheds for the people of California, helping the State reach our 30x30 goals.
Kern Plateau Meadow Restoration Project
Haskell Peak Meadows Restoration Project
Restoration of Six Meadows to Pair Process-Based Restoration with Wildfire
Rock Creek Meadow Restoration
Mountain Meadows Creek Restoration
Euer Valley Meadow Restoration
Exchequer Meadow Restoration Phase 1 Handwork
Modoc Plateau – Implement High Priority Meadows
Leek Springs Meadow Restoration Project
Murphy Ranch Meadow Fencing Implementation Project
Logan Springs Meadow Restoration Project
Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve Meadow Restoration and Forest Health Project
Sierra National Forest Bass Lake 8 Meadows Restoration Project
Kwolokam Meadow Grazing Management Project
Grouse Meadow Restoration Project
Bijou Park Creek Enhancement Project
Kern Plateau Meadow Restoration Project
Project lead: Trout Unlimited Watershed: Kern River County: Tulare & Inyo Funding Awarded: $2,951,486 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $14,850 Cost Share: $575,000 Meadow Acres: 2,500 Description: Trout Unlimited and the Inyo National Forest will restore 13 degraded meadows using low-tech process-based restoration techniques. The project is largely in the Golden Trout Wilderness area. The meadows targeted for restoration are hydrologically connected thus improving hydrologic function will increase hydrologic and habitat connectivity across the Kern Plateau.
Haskell Peak Meadows Restoration Project
Project lead: South Yuba River Citizens League Watershed: Upper Yuba County: Sierra Total Awarded: $894,530 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $40,000 Cost Share: $317,315 Meadow Acres: 229 Description: The Haskell Peak Meadow Restoration Project will restore hydrologic and ecologic function in five degraded headwater meadows, totaling 229 acres, using low-impact, process-based restoration techniques such as beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post assisted log structures (PALS). This project also includes training for members of the United Auburn Indian Community on how to build BDAs and PALS.
Restoration of Six Meadows to Pair Process-Based Restoration with Wildfire
Project lead: USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station Watershed: San Joaquin, Kings, and Feather Rivers County: Plumas, Madera, and Fresno Funding Awarded: $458,400 Cost Share: $248,000 Meadow Acres: 90 Description: This project will implement restoration at four meadows and expand and maintain over 100 instream structures installed in fall 2022 at two additional meadows as part of a restoration experiment to document ecohydrological changes following process-based restoration (PBR) within recent wildfire footprints.
Rock Creek Meadow Restoration
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Feather River County: Plumas Funding Awarded: $120,250 Cost Share: $7,840 Meadow Acres: 83 Description: This project will restore an 83-acre subset of a larger 223-acre meadow restoration project. The majority of the treatments were completed in 2020-2021, but the project area was burned in the Dixie Fire, which made some areas inaccessible. This project will construct additional post-assisted log structures (PALS) and bolster those that were installed previously.
Mountain Meadows Creek Restoration
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Feather River County: Lassen Funding Awarded: $1,237,490 Cost Share: $223,548 Meadow Acres: 441 Description: The Mountain Meadows Creek Restoration Project will restore 441 acres of meadow floodplain function and to create a more resilient forest landscape on 2,948 acres surrounding the meadow. Restoration will be accomplished through channel fill, pond-and-plug, riffle construction, and road decommissioning.
Euer Valley Meadow Restoration
Project lead: Truckee River Watershed Council Watershed: Truckee River County: Nevada Total Awarded: $434,839 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $6,000 Cost Share: $1,621,000 Meadow Acres: 30 Description: This project will address stream channelization and incision to improve floodplain connectivity, stream complexity, and aquatic habitat on 30 acres of high-quality meadow habitat. These benefits will be achieved through removal of a culvert system, constructing riffles, trail decommissioning and rerouting, and adding habitat structures.
Exchequer Meadow Restoration Phase 1 Handwork
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Kings River County: Fresno Total Awarded: $185,276 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $6,000 Cost Share: $4,500 Meadow Acres: 20 Description: Exchequer Meadow is in a degradational trend, with a large headcut moving up-valley and threatening wet meadow habitat that is used by Federally Threatened Yosemite toads for breeding. Plumas Corp will work with the North Fork Mono tribe to complete handwork on 1,872 feet of channel at the top of the meadow to protect against headcutting, channelization, and channel enlargement.
Modoc Plateau – Implement High Priority Meadows
Project lead: Stewardship West Watershed: Pit River County: Modoc Funding Awarded: $173,900 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $67,000 Cost Share: $4,000 Meadow Acres: 28 Description: Stewardship West, Lomakatsi Restoration Project, and Forest Creek Restoration will restore hydrologic and biologic processes in three degraded meadows (28 acres total) identified as high priority by the Modoc Meadows Working Group.
Leek Springs Meadow Restoration Project
Project lead: American River Conservancy Watershed: Cosumnes River County: El Dorado Funding Awarded: $333,002 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $21,497 Cost Share: $45,604 Meadow Acres: 92 Description: At 92 acres, Leek Springs Meadow is the largest meadow in the Cosumnes River watershed and functions as the headwaters of the North Fork Cosumnes River. American River Conservancy will implement process-based restoration methods including beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post assisted log structures (PALS) to restore hydrologic function of the meadow.
Murphy Ranch Meadow Fencing Implementation Project
Project lead: Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians Watershed: Tuolumne River County: Tuolumne Total Awarded: $82,352 Meadow Acres: 27 Indigenous-led Project Description: This project will protect 27 acres of meadow located on Murphy Ranch, a 1,344-acre property in the Tuolumne River watershed re-acquired by the Tuolumne Band of Me Wuk in 2015. To exclude future grazing from the meadow, 3,300 feet of existing fenceline will be repaired and modified to be wildlife-friendly and an additional 4,850 feet of fencing will be constructed.
Logan Springs Meadow Restoration Project
Project lead: Trout Unlimited Watershed: Pine Creek County: Lassen Total Awarded: $372,016 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $30,720 Cost Share: $258,402 Meadow Acres: 40 Description: Logan Springs Meadow is a 40-acre, low-gradient, depositional meadow located in the 230 square-mile Pine Creek Watershed. It is the primary inflow to Eagle Lake and the natural spawning habitat for endemic Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout (ELRT). Trout Unlimited will employ in-stream structures, a grade control structure, and channel fill to restore hydrologic function to the meadow, thus increasing ecosystem resilience and services provided and improving aquatic and mesic habitats for meadow-associated species.
Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve Meadow Restoration and Forest Health Project
Project lead: Butte County RCD Watershed: Butte Creek County: Butte Funding Awarded: $351,590 Cost Share: $65,762 Meadow Acres: 100 Description: The 100-acre meadow at Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve (BCHER) has been degraded due to historic overgrazing and logging activities resulting in headcutting, stream channel incision, and lodgepole encroachment. Butte County RCD will address source problems and promote natural hydrologic processes in the meadow through instream structures, channel fill, conifer removal, and willow planting and other revegetation.
Sierra National Forest Bass Lake 8 Meadows Restoration Project
Project lead: Trout Unlimited Watershed: San Joaquin River County: Madera Total Awarded: $751,871 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $114,000 Cost Share: $409,709 Meadow Acres: 91 Description: Trout Unlimited, the Sierra National Forest, and the North Fork Mono Tribe will restore 53 acres of degraded wet meadow and treat an additional 38 acres of converted dry/upland legacy meadow, totaling 91 acres across eight distinct meadow sites. Restoration actions will include channel and low-tech, process-based restoration techniques such as beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post assisted log structures (PALS).
Kwolokam Meadow Grazing Management Project
Project Lead: Tübatulabals of Kern Valley Watershed: South Fork Kern County: Kern Funding Awarded: $162,600 Cost share: $10,000 Meadow Acres: 100 Indigenous-led Project Description: This project will protect 100 acres of meadow from cattle grazing by installing 1.5 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing and repairing existing off-site water infrastructure. The meadow is part of a larger 1,241 acre property acquired by the Tübatulabals of Kern Valley (TKV) in 2023 and has been degraded by a long history of overgrazing and water diversion. Fencing will occur in parallel with the restoration planning of the meadow, thereby allowing a minimum of two years of rest and healing from grazing in advance of restoration. The project will help develop a tribal workforce and will include development of a grazing management plan.
Grouse Meadow Restoration Project
Project Lead: American Rivers Watershed: Walker River County: Mono Funding Awarded: $247,992 Cost Share: $96,000 Meadow Acres: 40 Description: Grouse Meadow is a 40-acre meadow in the headwaters of the West Walker River. This site emerged as a priority during a 2014 assessment of meadows in the watershed. Grouse meadow is threatened by headcuts, channel incision at the downstream end, and partially blocked culverts that affect the natural flowpaths entering the meadow. This project will stabilize the headcuts, install a large grade control feature at the downstream end of the meadow, install BDAs and post assisted log structures, and address the upstream culverts to restore and protect hydrologic function and ecological complexity in Grouse Meadow and improve meadow resilience to climate change and future degradation.
Bijou Park Creek Enhancement Project
Project Lead: USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Watershed: Lake Tahoe County: Placer Funding Awarded: $375,000 Cost Share: $85,000 Meadow Acres: 10.5 Description: Bijou Park Creek, located in South Lake Tahoe, has been degraded by artificial expansion of the watershed and urban development within its watershed, resulting in reduced water quality and frequent flooding of nearby neighborhoods. This project will repair and stabilize a large channel headcut and prevent further creek degradation by restoring the natural stream gradient. The Bijou Park Creek riparian area provides valuable open-space benefits for the surrounding community and is currently used by neighborhood children to access the Bijou Community School nearby. This project also includes trail improvements with installation of a bridge over Bijou Park Creek and several segments of boardwalk leading to protect the meadow and creek and allow for safer year-round access.
Photo Credit:
Planning Projects
In order to achieve these benefits, ensure the durability of meadow restoration projects, and complete all environmental compliance requirements, planning of restoration projects is an important part of the process. Restoration planning results in projects that are ready for implementation.
Crane Valley Meadow Restoration Planning
Dog Valley Meadow Restoration Planning and Washoe Capacity Building
McReynolds Valley Restoration Planning Project
Moonlight Road and Lower Goodrich Creek Restoration Planning Phase II
Advancing Meadow Restoration in the Caldor Fire Footprint
Advancing Meadow Restoration in Sequoia National Forest at Horse Meadow and Double Bunk Meadow
Glass Mountain Meadows Restoration Planning Project
Castle and Round Valley Meadows Restoration Planning Project
Cannell and Redwood Meadow Restoration Planning Project
Murphy Ranch Meadow Restoration Planning and Design
Goodrich Creek Home Ranch Restoration Planning
Little Indian Valley and Indian Valley
Kwolokam Meadow/Hot Springs Restoration Planning Project
Windy Springs Meadow Restoration Planning and Design
Galiano Fen and Haypress West Meadow Restoration
Huntoon Valley Meadow Restoration Project
South Fork Tule Lost Meadow Restoration Planning Project
Spring Creek Restoration Planning
Battle Creek Meadows Ranch Meadow Assessment
Crane Valley Meadow Restoration Planning
Project lead: Butte Valley RCD Watershed: Feather River County: Butte Funding Awarded: $178,930 Cost Share: $18,100 Meadow Acres: 100 Description: Crane Valley Meadow is a 100-acre degraded meadow suffering from stream channelization, head cuts, and conifer encroachment. This project will complete restoration design and environmental compliance to restore hydrologic function and improve wildlife habitat in the meadow.
Dog Valley Meadow Restoration Planning and Washoe Capacity Building
Project lead: American Rivers Watershed: Truckee River County: Sierra Funding Awarded: $750,892 Cost Share: $25,000 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $100,000 Meadow Acres: 485 Description: American Rivers will work in partnership with the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest and the Washoe Environmental Protection Department (WEPD) to advance a shovel-ready meadow restoration project for Dog Valley. The project will complete restoration planning for Dog Valley meadow to restore 485-acres of wet meadow habitat, build capacity and provide training for the WEPD to conduct meadow restoration planning and monitoring, and reconnect Washoe tribal members to their traditional territory in wá la ša (Dog Valley).
McReynolds Valley Restoration Planning Project
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Feather River County: Plumas Funding Awarded: $211,837 Cost Share: $32,260 Meadow Acres: 600 Description: This project will complete a restoration design and environmental compliance for a shovel-ready project that addresses disconnected hydrology, vegetation conversion, loss of habitat, and poor soil health. Once implemented, the restoration would re-establish hydrologic function, improved forage and wet meadow habitat, and increase native plant diversity.
Moonlight Road and Lower Goodrich Creek Restoration Planning Phase II
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Feather River County: Lassen Funding Awarded: $230,723 Cost Share: $20,505 Meadow Acres: 579.5 Description: Plumas Corp will complete planning to restore 579.5 acres of degraded mountain meadow habitat and several miles of intermittent and perennial stream channels to improve meadow function and simultaneously upgrade road culverts to improve hydrologic and habitat connectivity through a heavily trafficked road that transects the meadow project area.
Advancing Meadow Restoration in the Caldor Fire Footprint
Project lead: American Rivers Watershed: South Fork American and Cosumnes Rivers County: El Dorado, Amador, Alpine Funding Awarded: $620,027 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $23,038 Cost Share: $76,821 Meadow Acres: 75 Description: The 2021 Caldor Fire burned approximately 255,000 acres of the Eldorado National Forest (ENF), of which approximately 40% burned at high severity. Through this project, American Rivers and ENF will assess post-fire meadow condition, prioritize sites and create a project pipeline for restoration, and complete restoration planning at the previously prioritized 75-acre Forni Meadow, located in the American River watershed.
Advancing Meadow Restoration in Sequoia National Forest at Horse Meadow and Double Bunk Meadow
Project lead: CalTrout Watershed: Kern River County: Tulare Funding Awarded: $193,481 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $5,000 Cost Share: $16,500 Meadow Acres: 36 Description: This project will complete planning and environmental compliance to develop a shovel ready project to restore 20.52-acre Horse Meadow and 15.35-acre Double Bunk Meadow. Both meadows were identified as high priority projects for Kern River Rainbow Trout recovery and their eventual restoration will aid in reducing high sediment loads downstream, contribute to a mosaic of natural fuel breaks, and help improve timing of flows in the North Fork Kern River.
Glass Mountain Meadows Restoration Planning Project
Project Lead: California Trout Watershed: Mono Lake County: Mono Funding Awarded: $328,559 Meadow Acres: 127 Description: This project will begin the design and environmental compliance process for the restoration of Crooked Meadow (119 acres) and Wild Horse Meadow (8 acres) at the headwaters of Dexter Creek located in the Glass Mountains. Crooked Meadow was previously identified as one of the two largest documented populations of Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs in the Sierra, although their numbers have declined in recent decades. Restoration of these meadows aims to restore the hydrologic processes in the meadow and enhance wildlife habitat. This restoration is part of a larger pilot project to demonstrate the potential combined carbon, water, and fire benefits of managing forests and meadows with an integrated landscape approach.
Castle and Round Valley Meadows Restoration Planning Project
Project lead: South Yuba River Citizens League Watershed: Yuba River County: Nevada Funding Awarded: $404,894 Cost Share: $82,200 Meadow Acres: 93 Description: The Castle and Round Valley Meadows Restoration Planning Project seeks to complete planning for the restoration of 93 acres of meadow and 30 acres of forest at the headwaters of Upper and Lower Castle Creeks that feed into the South Yuba River. Initial site assessments show channel incision, and conifer encroachment in both meadows, and significant road impacts to Castle Valley. The Castle Peak area, where both meadows sit, has high recreational value, and both Castle Valley and Round Valley have the potential to provide high quality meadow habitat.
Cannell and Redwood Meadow Restoration Planning Project
Project lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Kern River County: Tulare Funding Awarded: $221,179 Cost Share: $26,307 Meadow Acres: 121 Description: Plumas Corps will bring 120.5 acres of meadow to shovel-ready implementation status: Cannell Meadow (111 acres), at the headwaters of Cannell Creek, and Redwood Meadow (9.5 acres), situated in the headwaters of Long Meadow Creek, are both tributaries to the North Fork Kern River. This project will refine project designs and complete NEPA/CEQA environmental documents for both meadows.
Murphy Ranch Meadow Restoration Planning and Design
Project lead: Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians Watershed: Tuolumne River County: Tuolumne Funding Awarded: $233,994 Cost Share: $43,000 Meadow Acres: 27 Indigenous-led Project Description: This project will complete restoration planning for 27 acres of meadow located on Murphy Ranch, a 1,344-acre property in the Tuolumne River watershed re-acquired by the Tuolumne Band of Me Wuk in 2015. The restoration design will aim to address multiple gullied channels in the meadow, improve habitat for wildlife, facilitate tribal uses of the meadow, and allow the meadow to return to a healthier ecological condition.
Goodrich Creek Home Ranch Restoration Planning
Project lead: Point Blue Watershed: Feather River County: Lassen Funding Awarded: $209,426 Cost Share: $30,000 Meadow Acres: 229 Description: This project will complete restoration planning on Goodrich Creek Home Ranch, a 229-acre section of meadow in the larger 7,000-acre Mountain Meadows complex. The project design will aim to increase habitat for sensitive species, restore hydrologic function and ecosystem services, and improve the meadow’s climate resilience.
Little Indian Valley and Indian Valley
Project Lead: Plumas Corp Watershed: Mokelumne River County: Alpine Funding Awarded: $243,235 Cost Share: $34,791 Meadow Acres: 34 Description: This project will complete 65% designs and NEPA and CEQA compliance for restoration of 24-acre Little Indian Valley and an additional 10 acres in Indian Valley. In Little Indian Valley, restoration design will address multiple gullies and incised channels that have disconnected the hydrology and dewatered the meadow. In Indian Valley the restoration design will focus on rehabilitation of a road that crosses the meadow that was not addressed in the previous restoration of the meadow in 2012. Restoration will aim to reactivate the historic floodplain, reestablish native plant communities, and enhance habitat for sensitive species including Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and Yosemite toad.
Kwolokam Meadow/Hot Springs Restoration Planning Project
Project Lead: Tübatulabals of Kern Valley Watershed: South Fork Kern County: Kern Funding Awarded: $299,553 Cost share: $30,000 Meadow Acres: 100 Indigenous-led Project Description: This project will complete planning for the restoration of 100 acres of meadow, part of a larger 1,241 acre property acquired by the Tübatulabals of Kern Valley (TKV) in 2023. The meadow was previously used for ranching and has been degraded by overgrazing and water diversion. This project aims to develop a restoration plan using traditional ecological knowledge and a revegetation plan that includes culturally significant plants. The project will fully engage tribal community members, including elders and youth, and help develop a tribal workforce for meadow restoration.
Windy Springs Meadow Restoration Planning and Design
Project lead: Jon Christensen Watershed: South Fork Kern County: Tulare Funding Awarded: $139,496 Amount to Indigenous Groups: $5,000 Cost Share: $81,223 Meadow Acres: 50 Description: Windy Springs meadow is a 50-acre meadow near Kennedy Meadows in the southern Sierra Nevada, which has been degraded by construction of roads and berms, grazing, and hydrologic alteration of springs. Due to its location, this meadow and the species that depend on it are at the forefront of anticipated climate change impacts and vulnerabilities facing Sierra Nevada meadows. This project will complete restoration design, environmental compliance, and pre-restoration monitoring to restore ecological function and improve the climate resilience of the meadow.
Galiano Fen and Haypress West Meadow Restoration
Project lead: SYRCL Watershed: North Fork Yuba County: Sierra Funding Awarded: $320,757 Cost Share: $165,000 Meadow Acres: 100 Description: The Galiano Fen and Haypress West Meadow Restoration Planning Project will complete planning on 100-acres of high priority meadow, fen, and associated aspen & forest habitat in the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project (NYLRP). The objective of the Project is to plan meadow restoration that restores hydrology and removes conifers in order to achieve the following outcomes and benefits: (1) place based, cultural value to Indigenous people of the Sierras (2) delayed spring recession period and increased groundwater levels to support aquatic wildlife species and wetland plant species, providing refuge for native species during prolonged drought, (3) provide wet habitat for migratory bird diversity, (4) improved water quality, (5) wetted fuel breaks that reduce high intensity fire risk, (6) increased resilience to changing precipitation patterns, and (7) increased carbon sequestration.
Huntoon Valley Meadow Restoration Project
Project lead: Eastern Sierra Land Trust Watershed: East Fork Walker River County: Mono Funding Awarded: $375,000 Cost Share: $21,250 Meadow Acres: 450 Description: Eastern Sierra Land Trust will complete planning for the restoration of Huntoon Valley Meadow, a 450-acre meadow in Mono County. The project team will identify and address factors on the property currently causing meadow degradation, restore hydrologic connectivity between the channel and meadow floodplain, and develop a long-term management plan that protects the restored meadow and supports a sustainable ranching operation.
South Fork Tule Lost Meadow Restoration Planning Project
Project lead: Tule River Indian Tribe Watershed: South Fork Tule River County: Tulare Funding Award: $365,017 Indigenous-led Project Cost Share: $25,000 Meadow Acres: 20 Description: The Tule River Indian Tribe will coordinate with Trout Unlimited on a meadow restoration planning project to restore the natural hydrological function of degraded meadows within the Tule River Reservation. This project will also focus on building the Tribe's capacity to conduct hydrological assessments and ecological surveys to support future restoration work.
Spring Creek Restoration Planning
Project lead: Point Blue Conservation Science Watershed: Frenchman Lake-Little Last Chance Creek County: Plumas Funding Award: $229,544 Cost Share: $50,000 Meadow Acres: 160 Description: This project will focus on restoration planning for a 160 acre meadow conserved by the Feather River Land Trust located near Frenchman Lake. The objective of the restoration project is to restore floodplain connectivity and address source problems.
Battle Creek Meadows Ranch Meadow Assessment
Project lead: Point Blue Conservation Science Watershed: Upper South Fork Battle Creek County: Tehama Funding Award: $65,000 Cost Share: $10,000 Description: Battle Creek Meadows Ranch is a ~2,000 acre, privately owned cattle ranch in the southern Cascade Range. The property has over 1,000 acres of diverse montane wet meadows. Battle Creek is one of the most significant salmon streams in California. The property has rich cold-water resources with numerous springs and fens. Point Blue is working with the owners to assess the condition of the meadow and identify restoration and management actions to enhance multiple-benefits and ensure long-term resilience, leading to restoration planning in the future.
Technical Assistance Projects
In addition to funding restoration planning and implementation, the grant supports technical assistance projects with the goal of identifying the highest priority meadows for future restoration and advancing the practice of meadow restoration and management. To date, we have selected 15 technical assistance projects totalling $2.9 million in funding to advance the practice of meadow restoration and management.
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Metrics
The Path Ahead
We are proud of the Climate-Smart Meadow Restoration Program’s accomplishments to date. We will continue to work to advance high impact, multi-benefit projects with important ecological, community, and cultural benefits to a diversity of stakeholders.
The work to restore these vital headwater wetlands has just begun. The SMP is committed to this journey to confer resilience to our Sierra watersheds by ensuring meadows can provide these vital services even in the face of increasing environmental change.
We will continue to grow and strengthen our relationships with indigenous groups, local communities, and the many partners, such as WCB, that make this work possible, impactful, and enduring.
