Workshop planned for Lower Deer Creek restoration, flood management

Deer Creek Watershed Conservancy is holding a public workshop concerning the Lower Deer Creek Restoration and Flood Management Project at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the Vina Women’s Center, Rowles Road at 5th Street.

The Lower Deer Creek Restoration and Flood Management project is an effort to respond to the flooding and habitat problems in lower Deer Creek and explore the concept of deliberately using the floodplain of Deer Creek to accommodate part of the flood flows in a controlled fashion.

“With careful planning and adequate protections for vulnerable property and infrastructure, this approach should reduce flood flows and allow the channel to reestablish some of its irregular, hydraulically rough, and ecologically complete pre-levee condition,” said Holly Savage, Watershed Coordinator – Deer Creek Watershed Conservancy Savage said a number of attributes of Deer Creek and its watershed make this an ideal project for demonstrating the opportunities and results of controlled floodplain inundation for stream channel restoration including the reasonably undisturbed upper watershed, the low-intensity of development in the lower watershed, the fact that Deer Creek still supports populations of both spring and fall-run Chinook and Steelhead and the willingness of landowners to work to find a feasible solution to flood management.

The project recognizes the critical role of landowners and draws on their knowledge, enthusiasm, and coordination experience, according to Savage.

The project is funded by CALFED in an effort to provide continued support to one of the only three streams in the Central Valley still supporting wild populations of the federally threatened spring-run Chinook salmon.

Featured topics of the workshop will include:

• Welcome and introductions by Holly Savage, Watershed Coordinator – Deer Creek Watershed Conservancy

• Update and discussion of the Status of the Lower Deer Creek Restoration and Flood Management Project, by the contracting team

• Review of Alternatives with Focus on Conceptual Designs, Flood Management Benefits, Geomorphic and Ecological Benefits and Costs by contracting team

• Questions and answers, by contracting team

For more information contact Holly Savage at (530) 839-2105 or Deer-CreekWatershed@gmail.com