Meeting Minutes

Santa Margarita and San Luis Rey Watersheds Weed Management Area

August 7th, 2001 Meeting, 1:00pm, FPUD Board Room

Attending:

Summary of Exotic plant control projects:

Year 2000 Effort

San Luis Rey Watershed:  Approx. 4 acres of solid Arundo were treated along 5.8 miles of the San Luis Rey River from Wilderness Gardens to Hansen Aggregates using funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.

Santa Margarita Watershed: Scattered Arundo present from the confluence of Santa Margarita River downstream through the SDSU Field Station was treated using funds from a FWS grant. Farther downstream Arundo present from the Sandia Creek Bridge to the Base boundary was treated with funding from MCB Camp Pendleton (this was about 11 acres along 2 river miles).  Scattered Arundo within the town of Fallbrook was treated using funds from the ACOE In-lieu fee program.

Year 2001 Effort

San Luis Rey Watershed:  On the main stem of the river Arundo control efforts will begin from where we left-off in 2000 – i.e. from Hansen Aggregrates downstream to Interstate 15 (or however far we get with the second year funding available from the NFWF grant).  Live Oak Creek (one of the main tributaries to the San Luis Rey River) will be treated for the first time using funding from the Urban Stream Restoration Grant.

Santa Margarita Watershed: Using funds from a FWS grant Arundo in Rainbow Creek (tributary to the Santa Margarita River) will be treated.  Approx. 4 acres of Arundo will be treated within Murrieta Creek in Temecula using funds from the ACOE In-Lieu fee mitigation program.  Some other isolated Arundo infestations higher in the watershed will also be targeted.

Funding Sources:

Year 2001/02:

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 'Pulling Together Initiative' Grant: Awarded second year of funding

Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grant: The WMA submitted two separate grants for Ostrich Creek and for the San Luis Rey River (from Interstate 15 downstream to Bonsall). Although we made the final list, both projects were below the cut-off for funds available for southern California projects.  We will apply next year again.

Urban Stream Restoration Grants: We have been awarded a grant to restore Live Oak Creek through Arundo removal and native planting.  Final confirmation on the amount awarded will probably occur in September.

ACOE In-lieu-fee mitigation program: This is an ongoing program that is set up for the Santa Margarita Watershed and has been very important in controlling scattered infestations of Arundo on private property.

Year 2002/03:

Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grant: The WMA will submit two separate grants for Ostrich Creek and for the San Luis Rey River (from Interstate 15 downstream to Bonsall).

ACOE In-lieu-fee mitigation program: This is an ongoing program that is set up for the Santa Margarita Watershed.  The WMA is going to try and initiate a similar program for the San Luis Rey Watershed.

Mitigation Bank Development: The WMA will work with ACOE, Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish and Game and other entities to try and set up a mitigation bank to be used for Arundo control on the San Luis Rey watershed. We will also work on creating an endowment fund to maintain the WMA and to cover long-term monitoring and re-treatment costs.

Fuel Reduction Funding: Wildlifre Prevention Grant

CA Riparian Conservation Program (Wildland Conservation Board)

Web page updates:

Web page is at: http://smslrwma.org

Things that have been added/updated:  More details and photos on different Arundo control methods, more info on Arundo biology, info and photos on Asparagus vine, link to info on yellow star thistle, recent newspaper articles on weeds in SD county, and mapping protocol used for mapping Arundo on the San Luis Rey Watershed.