ranunculus

Eleven years ago a coalition of agencies worked together to put fences around (exclusion fence) about half a mile of one of our creeks. They made me promise not to turn the cows back into the creek for 5 to 8 years "when the creek will be re-vegetated". That was a great, dewey eyed idea for a creek that hasn't had a sprig of vegetation on its banks for more than 50 years. The upper portions of the creek, with a little more water and a little less exposure were able to begin regrowing after several years. The fencing helped the stream begin to meander and slow instead of running straight. All good -- except for the area down by the county road. Down there the stream hasn't had much growth of anything and is not just meandering but caving the banks in at an alarming rate. To make matters worse the stream is clearly beginning to leave it's old course and is heading straight for the county road, unfortunately in a line that goes nowhere near the bridge/culvert. It would take one good big storm for the creek begin eroding away the heavily used county road. Being civic minded, sensible people, interested both in getting more vegetation growing on the banks and NOT destroying the county road, we would like to shove some gravel around in the creek bed, plant a willow wall, and back it up with some big logs that will help direct the creek back into a gentle sweep in the direction of the bridge. To do so we need a permit from the Department of Fish and Game.

F&G Guy, looking at creek: You can't possibly do this project!

Marvin and I: Look, the creek is coming down here and washing this way, we would like to STABILIZE this bank.

F&G Guy: No what you want to do is CHANELIZE the stream bed. Impossible!

M & R: Look, if we just moved a -little- of this gravel we could put willows along here and tuck in some nice logs to help guide the stream and provide fish habitat.

Repeat above conversations several times while pointing at various features of the stream, which is bone dry already.

F&G Guy: Can't possibly let you touch the gravel. Maybe you could plant some willows WAY BACK there along the current bank.

Marvin: Won't work back there.

F&G Guy: Well I can't let you touch anything else.

M & E: It won't work back there, we are wasting our time let's go.

F&G Guy: Well where do you want to put the willow?

M & E: Right along here we want to STABILIZE THE BANK and PROVIDE FISH HABITAT!!!!!

F&G Guy: Well if you did that you would have to move some of this gravel. That makes sense.

M & E: Well, yes, we would want to move some of that gravel, not a lot, certainly less than the 10 yards you are talking about....

AARRRGGGGHHHHHH

To do anything in a stream it practically takes an act of congress. Our little bitty project very nearly triggers a full blown Environmental Impact Report costing tens of thousands of dollars and several years. By that time the stream WILL be through the road. What the powers that be are afraid of is causing more dirt to wash down the river. The horribly ironic thing is that --not-- doing this project will absolutely 100% result in more dirt washing down the river.

I have a second project that should be done this fall as well, if it isn't the stream will wash further into a cliff and cause a slide, right into the creek. Sigh.

In other news Cody got the old hay hauled out of the barn by young Taylor (a high school student). I cleaned up the mess of loose hay left behind, filled in more squirrel holes, and left for the above discussions. M finished levelling the floor and got pallets down for the new hay. Friday Taylor brought a load of new hay down to the Iris Barn. My last act was to clean up the Red Barn. It isn't ready for new hay quite yet, but almost.