Copeland Creek

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Copeland Creek is  a perennial stream that rises on Sonoma Mountain in Sonoma County, California.^[1] The headwaters area is  slightly above the Fairfield Osborn Preserve, while the middle reaches drain grazing land and  vineyards on the lower western slopes of the Sonoma Mountains. Upon reaching the valley floor Copeland Creek bisects the campus of Sonoma State University on its journey to discharge into the Laguna de Santa Rosa. The Copeland Creek watershed is  part of the Russian River basin, which drains to the Pacific Ocean.

Contents 1 History 2 Ecology 3 Management 4 References 5 External links 6 See also

[edit] History

The prehistory of this watershed and  creek environment includes settlement by Coast Miwok, Wappo and  Pomo peoples. These hunter gatherers dominated human usage until arrival of Europeans in the early 1800s. Rather swiftly an  overgrazing situation arose not only in the lower reaches, but as high as the present Fairfield Osborn Preserve, which extends to elevation 1700 feet. The upper reaches of the creek were effectively restored, following the purchase of the present lands of the Fairfield Osborn Preserve by William Matson Roth.

The lower reaches were heavily disturbed as late as the 1990s, when a restoration of the reach between Roberts Road and  Petaluma Hill Road was started. These lower reaches would have  been historically heavily vegetated by native alder and  arroyo willow.^[2] However, cattle grazing and  associated trampling of vegetation severely reduced spawning of anadromous fish: by altering stream cover that cooled water temperatures and  by elevating turbidity, with resulting covering of spawning gravels. Some lower reaches between Roberts Road and  the Fairfield Osborn Preserve are  still subject to overgrazing as of 2006. Overgrazing has also exacerbated stream bank erosion, and  led to invasive forbs and  grasses supplanting the native riparian vegetation. This alteration of native riparian growth has further reduced populations of avafauna, amphibians and  macro invertebrates.

[edit] Ecology

Principal plant communities within the upper reaches include the dominant California oak woodland, and  also consist of douglas-fir woodland and  riparian woodland. Within the oak woodland the main tree species are  Coast live oak, Oregon oak, California black oak, Canyon live oak and  California bay laurel. The woodland understory exhibits toyon, coffeeberry, poison oak and  numerous other flowering plants such as snowberry and  the uncommon American Ginseng.

Upper reach wildlife includes the federally-listed endangered Red-legged Frog. Upper reaches of Copeland Creek have  a very high percentage population of California bay laurel, and  also provide habitat for a rich variety of amphibians, newts and  other fauna. The Pacific Giant Salamander, one of the largest known species of salamander is  observed hunting for prey in upper Copeland Creek. Other amphibians seen in upper riparian habitats include the Pacific treefrog, Hyla regilla, Rough skinned newt, Taricha granulosa, and  California slender salamander, Batrachoseps attenuatus.

[edit] Management

Oversight of Copeland Creek is  by the Sonoma County Water Agency; in the year 2006 the Agency cleared cattails and  arroyo willow from certain lower reach portions of the creek in order to improve flow characteristics.^[3] As with any flood control management strategy, unintended environmental impacts can arise from stream channel modification. The Sonoma County General Plan Open Space Element calls for a Copeland Creek Trail along Copeland Creek to connect Rohnert Park near Sonoma State University to Crane Creek Regional Park.^[4] In addition the 2003 County Outdoor Recreation Plan calls for a Copeland Creek Regional Park of about 500 acres to be situated near Fairfield Osborn Preserve at elevation 1500 feet.^[5]

The Sonoma County Water Agency in partnership with the California Department of Fish and  Game have  developed a strategy for enhancing spawning capability to the Russian River and  a number of its tributaries; this activity was directed at the benefit of three threatened anadromous species: Coho salmon, Chinook salmon and  steelhead. A Copeland Creek Restoration Project addressed the creek channel along approximately 6000 lineal feet of Copeland Creek, which had been overgrazed by cattle for over 100 years.^[6] Commencing in 1999, the project was implemented in four phases, the fourth and  final phase of construction having been completed in the autumn of 2003. The project was designed to stabilize banks, decrease creek turbidity, exclude cattle from the creek by fencing, and  improve habitat for steelhead and  other native fish and  wildlife. The outcome yielded a creek with less  sediment load and  a more  natural undulation of channel, where an  almost linear creek geometry had existed for the previously modified reach.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Master Plan for a portion of lower Copeland Creek
• Fairfield Osborn Preserve official site

[edit] See also

• Coho salmon
• Basalt