Scott Creek Restoration at Swanton Pacific Ranch

Graduate student, Ellis Price (center), recording data in Scott Creek with fellow Cal Poly students.

Master’s student, Mia Alanzo (right), with Violet Emerson
(environmental management and protection student),
collecting data in Scott Creek.

Madeline Windsor (environmental management
and protection student) conducting a riparian
vegetation survey at Scott Creek. 

Ellis Price – a beautiful day for data collection
in Scott Creek! Evidence of fire still visible
(burned trees on ridgeline left of her hard hat). 

By Lauren Schiff (Environmental Management and Protection,’24)

In the aftermath of the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire at Swanton Pacific Ranch, two Cal Poly students are spearheading efforts to restore Scott Creek — a vital habitat for endangered coho salmon and threatened steelhead trout — that runs through the ranch.

At the 3,200-acre ranch in Santa Cruz County students study forest, range, agriculture and watershed management. Professor Christopher Surfleet, who teaches courses on watershed management and hydrology, is leading a team of graduate students in stream restoration efforts for the lower portion of the creek.

Cal Poly is partnering with the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Santa Cruz County on the project under a grant from the California Department of Conservation. With the goal of creating floodplain connectivity and promoting groundwater recharge, environmental sciences and management graduate students Ellis Price and Mia Alonso are working with Surfleet to implement process-based, low-tech, in-stream restoration structures and revegetation efforts.

Price (Environmental Management and Protection, ’23), is focusing on riparian habitat restoration by conducting botanical surveys. She performed a preliminary assessment of existing site conditions in the summer of 2023. The fire led to increased sedimentation and large woody debris accumulation in the streams. Her survey work continued this spring. She will use the information to make recommendations to the RCD specifically identifying target areas to remove invasive species and prescribe species to introduce into the ecosystem.

The following spring, Price conducted additional botanical surveys to inform the RCD of target areas for invasive species removal, while also recommending beneficial species to introduce into the ecosystem. “I am so glad that I was able to continue my education at Cal Poly and work on this project” Price said. “It has been a rewarding experience, as I have gained valuable knowledge that will support me in my future career as a restoration ecologist.”

Concurrently, Alonso is developing a hydraulic model to determine how the stream will be affected by the placement of in-stream structures and the removal of levees. She will use a modeling system with remote sensing light detection and ranging (LiDaR) data to accomplish this. “The modeling components of this project help inform target areas for restoration,” Alonso said, “this is accomplished using the HEC RAS 2D model, which characterizes water surface elevation.” These results will guide where restoration efforts will need to be focused, alongside data collected by Price.

The restoration of Scott Creek is vital in protecting the local riparian ecosystem and maintaining a healthy stream for coho and steelhead survival. Through the efforts of dedicated students, Professor Surfleet, and the RCD, Cal Poly is one step closer to restoring Swanton Pacific Ranch.

 

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Read more stories in the Summer 2024 Newsletter