Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) has been awarded funding through California Department of Fish and Wildlife to acquire this 11 acre property. Located on Sugar Creek, this ecological gem will be preserved for future generations. SRWC will retire all future development rights and has received funding to restore 5 acres of a mildly degraded stream and riparian forest to a high-value, multi-threaded channel with a connected floodplain. Log jams and beaver dam analogs (BDAs) will be constructed to slow the water to allow it to sink and store in the adjacent floodplain.
SRWC plans to use this site for outreach and education. Community youth and other volunteers will be recruited to participate during the life of the project and an access trail will be constructed to allow for additional educational opportunities and information exchanges. In 2023 an access trail was constructed, 8 BDAs and one log jam were installed. An educational workshop with 30+ attendees used the site for field activities. Photos points were established and juvenile and adult coho surveys
were performed.
Until recently beaver and beaver dams have been documented on the property. There are extensive quantities of downed wood and remnant dams, however, for the past several years there has been no beaver activity and much of the wood is not providing ecological benefits. In 2022, seven coho salmon redds were identified, but limited slow water rearing habitat is available to support the emerging fry and juvenile coho. SRWC are excited at the opportunity to create a living restoration laboratory for the local and larger restoration community. A key focus will be “working with beavers for restoration”. Access for restoration will be created with low impact mechanical methods. Access throughout the project reach will also aid in the development of a trail system that will be used to bring in visitors to talk about beaver, coho salmon, and other outreach messaging about the importance of restoration and conservation efforts throughout the Scott River watershed.
| Funder | Contract # | Start Date | End Date | Funding Source | Land Ownership | Award Amount |
| California Department Fish & Wildlife | Q2396052 | 2/14/2024 | 8/1/2025 | State | Private | $146,649 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | 8006.22.076696 | 3/29/2023 | 6/30/2027 | Federal | Private | $110,073 |