Newsletters from the Lompico Watershed Conservancy

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Summer Newsletter 2008

What is next for the Lompico Watershed Conservancy?

After 11 years the Lompico Creek Headwaters effort is reaching the final stages.  The Sempervirens Fund still holds title to Islandia and arranges docent led hikes.  These hikes will continue after the property transfers.  Call 650-968-4509 if you would like to join a Sempervirens hike.  Sempervirens has started discussions on a possible transfer of ownership to the Lompico County Water District.  Regardless of the final disposition of the land, Sempervirens will set conditions for the future uses of the property in accordance with their conservation principles.  It was our role to stop the Redwood Empire logging proposals filed with the California Department of Forestry (now called Cal Fire).  This long complex struggle is recorded on our website www.lompicocreek.org.  Fortunately this is now history thanks to the purchase of the land, the only solution in this case.  The broad community support we received from the people of Lompico and the entire County was critical to our efforts to prevent the logging of this water supply critical refuge that is both beautiful and wildlife rich.

Now we have new projects to move forward with.  One is a land trust function we must remain confidential about until it reaches a stage when we can discuss it publicly.  Any land that the Conservancy may acquire will never be logged, developed, or used for resource extraction.  This is basic to our mission and not subject to change. 

Public advocacy at State and local government is another basic task of the Conservancy.  We do not comment on every proposal but when we do enter a discussion about land and water conservation we do not cut deals that undermine our mission.  We have spent years at the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board trying to persuade this agency to do its job.  We have also formally commented on the role of the State Water Resources Control Board, the Board of Forestry, and the Department of Fish and Game at State Fish and Game Commission. 

It is common for public regulatory agencies to be more interested in the appearance that they are performing their job than in actually doing that job.  Sometimes this is the result of reluctance to confront powerful financial interests.  Sometimes it is simple bureaucratic inertia.  And sometimes the Governor removes the funding that the agency needs to do the job the law requires of them.  At the present time these State agencies are scandalously under funded.  Assuming them to be effective is a mistake.

Here are some examples.  The Department of Water Resources has five staff people to process water rights applications and to assure compliance with these permits.  This is ridiculous in a state as large and complex as California.  As for the Department of Fish and Game, this agency has fewer wardens per capita than virtually any state in the nation.  Agency biologists and other staffing are in no better shape.  When the resource diversity of California is factored in, we are in a crisis.  If you have ever wondered why you so rarely see a warden this is your answer.  Fish and Game is critical to water pollution response.  They are our first line of defense and they are spread so thin that their job becomes your job as a concerned citizen.  I bet you did not know that you were supposed to be the eyes and ears of the Department of Fish and Game.  This is how it works now because California does not assign enough tax money to fund this agency.  Also our Governors often do not want Fish and Game to do its job.  For example, agriculture, developers, logging companies, water agencies and powerful individuals get annoyed when they are told by Fish and Game not to pump rivers dry or not to destroy rare habitats.  Their solution is often to send a messenger to speak to the Governor.  This problem applies to both Republican and Democratic Governors.  The great majority of conservation minded citizens in this state do not know what Fish and Game is doing.  Only organizations like the Lompico Watershed Conservancy follow these details and can get the word out to the public about what really happens in Sacramento and in agency headquarters.  Occasionally a dedicated print journalist will tell the story but that story must be retold over and over again before enough people can understand the changes underway.

Fisheries habitat restoration is a major interest of the Lompico Watershed Conservancy. The steelhead passage project we completed at the Old Lompico Pool in 2004 was the first restoration project by a private organization in modern County history.  These projects are extremely difficult to carry out because so many agencies ask for duplicative permits and insurance is now almost impossible to acquire for instream projects.  Due to these problems, we will not undertake any new projects until a reformed process is established.

The condition of salmon populations in California is a crisis.  This past winter of 2007-2008 Coho or silver salmon did not return to Santa Cruz County streams.  You will not hear an official notice about this situation for some time.  A few juvenile fish may exist in a National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory in Santa Cruz but the Coho population is functionally demolished here and it is on the edge of extinction across all of California.  This is not alarmist gossip; it is a simple fact that many responsible parties are reluctant to discuss.  Chinook (King) salmon populations crashed and all commercial and recreational fishing were closed across the entire state.  The problems facing these iconic fish are 100 years in the making.  The trends were obvious for a long time but too little was done about it.  Now some scientists actually discuss saving "boutique" populations in specific locations.  This is an acknowledgement of the fact that as wildlife species, these once vast population of animals will probably soon be gone forever unless we make immediate major investments in correcting the damage done to our streams and rivers.  

The reproductive strategy of salmonids is based upon large numbers of young with individually very low chances of survival.  About 3 out of 100 wild salmon young that hatched and grew in a stream will ever return as adults from the Pacific Ocean to that river to spawn and reproduce.  For hatcherie-raised fish this number is lower because these animals have not been "trained" in wild streams to avoid predators.  Hatcherie managers have traditionally spoiled the genetic health of fish by cross breeding and inbreeding fish to the point that they lost their connection to the life cycle of a particular river system.  Without a genetic link to the hydrologic cycle of specific rivers, salmon die out.  This is a fundamental reason why traditional hatcheries have failed.  In Santa Cruz intense genetic testing is usually done before fish are bred in the hatcherie.  Nonetheless our Coho are vanishing.  Reliance on hatcheries instead of protecting streams, coupled with the damage done by dams, logging, development, and water diversion have driven Coho and Chinook salmon to the point of extinction.  Most of the fish you see in the market are grown in net pens in British Columbia (aquaculture) or come from Alaska.

This extinction crisis is reversible, but much more determined efforts must be made to save these animals. Salmon are giving us a last warning about the health of all wildlife in California.  Their problems are especially severe because they rely on healthy rivers, but healthy landscapes where wildlife can survive are diminishing rapidly.  This fact is the result of political decisions made every day at the City, County, State, and Federal level.  This is not as complex as it might seem.  Every time we decide to expand, intensify, or convert land use we destroy wildlife habitat.  The State's human population is now at 38 million and has been increasing by at least 500,000 per year.  Much of this population growth is occurring in areas that rely on imported water. We are in a squeeze that people are reluctant to talk about.  If we do not make informed decisions and instead let random acts dictate our future, that future will not be the one we like to imagine.  Global Warming is a problem that has been ignored and dismissed by politicians and industry lobbyists for decades.  Today if we took decisive and immediate action to reduce CO2 emissions in a major way it might already be too late to stem major rises in sea levels.  It will take years for ocean temperatures to come into equilibrium with the current atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and we are still pumping millions of tons a day into the air.  By 1970, environmental protection had finally become a national political issue.  Thirty-eight years later we have still not come to terms with our destructive uses of this little blue planet.

The Next Decade in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County is lucky to have several state parks and other conservation areas but this has not stopped the wildlife crisis that is sweeping the State and the Central Coast.  Everything we can do to protect land for wildlife and water supply conservation is critical to any hope of saving the wild heritage of California.  Human population growth will continue to push wildlife and native plants to extinction.  Most species of animals cannot live among subdivisions.  They need open expanses of wild country and water filled creeks and rivers to survive.  This is a fact that no amount of public relations jargon and political posturing can change.  "Growth management" is a new term for supposedly accommodating growth without destroying landscapes and wildlife.  It is a political term that conveniently has no specific meaning.  Growth was managed in the Santa Clara Valley.  The wildlife and open space are gone, replaced with shopping centers and subdivisions.  Coyote Valley to the south is likely to be next.  In this decade Santa Cruz County will have to decide if its future will be based upon natural resource conservation or on continually expanding real estate development.  These two paths are mutually exclusive.  We cannot have both.

Water Conservation

We have drought conditions on the Central Coast.  The winter of 2006-07 left us with only 50% of average rainfall.  This past winter we received roughly 68% of average.  This is a compounding rainfall deficit.  Stream flows in the Santa Cruz Mountains are already very low and will continue to fall over the course of this summer.  Ground water levels are linked to stream flows and will also fall.  Water conservation is essential.  The San Lorenzo Valley Water District has remained in a phase 2 water alert to try to limit water demand.

We tend to use water more heavily in the summer when we have less water available.  This increase in demand is primarily due to household garden and lawn irrigation.  This type of water use is not especially heavy in Lompico but it is still an issue.  In some parts of the San Lorenzo Valley, outside water use (generally irrigation) is half of summer household water use.  This is a lot of water that can be re-used if done carefully.  Grey water is a term for water from sinks, showers and laundries.  Santa Cruz County allows this type of water use but has guidelines for how it is done.  Grey water is a pathogen and algae nutrient pollution source if it is released during the winter rainy season above ground, or released near streams or ponds at any time of year.  There are ways to use grey water to irrigate gardens without causing water pollution but it takes planning and changes to drain systems.  Once created these grey water irrigation systems can last for many years with only simple maintenance.  The grey water from an average household is enough water for substantial garden irrigation and replaces any need to use clean drinking water for this purpose.  This is an important and effective way to stop using pure water for simple irrigation.  Anyone who wants to develop a grey water system can find experts with advice and contactors with the capacity to change household drain systems to use grey water for irrigation.

Water conservation is now a way of life in California and everyone needs to cooperate.  The first "modern drought" occurred in the two winters of 1976 and '77.  Santa Barbara County had one of the most difficult emergencies during this drought.  The 1986 to 1992 drought was the most recent official drought in California.  That six-year drought severely damaged salmon populations and caused disputes to erupt between major water users.  Little was resolved but it tended to change the attitude of water managers to water conservation.  Agriculture has made improvements in irrigations systems and public agencies have developed water conservation plans that have resulted in the replacement of millions of water wasting devices in homes like old water wasting toilets.  If this drought continues next winter we could begin to enter emergency water rationing.  Lets pray for rain this winter.

The Lompico Watershed Conservancy is a volunteer organization.  We have accomplished some remarkable things without paid staff.  Your involvement is essential.  Without public support we cease to exist.   All donations to the Conservancy are tax deductible.  We are in need of technical support with computer graphics and other tasks.  If you have some time to help, please contact us.  There are many ways to get involved.  Give us a call.

The great news that you are all probably aware of is the Sempervirens Fund’s purchase of the Lompico Creek Headwaters, Islandia, from Redwood Empire.  I hope you can all be generous with you donations to the Sempervirens.  Many people have already made substantial donations.  Sempervirens has taken on the task of purchasing this land on our behalf.  Land trusts often use loans and other financial tools to complete the huge transactions that are necessary to their work.  The Lompico purchase cost Sempervirens about $3.5 million.  There is no magic bank where this money comes from.  It must be raised by all of us working together.  People who do not have the personal resources to make a large donation may have friends and neighbors who do.  You may work for a business that has a charitable giving program.  Donations to the Sempervirens Fund are fully tax deductible.

650-968-4509 or www.sempervirens.org

What Happens With Islandia Next?

After they have paid off their loans and other costs, Sempervirens will begin the process of transferring the land to a permanent conservation owner.  Sempervirens does not hold land for long periods of time.  They are planning to convey the property to a public agency.  Discussions about this possible transfer have not yet begun.  Essentially Islandia will belong to all of us in common.  Some arrangement for public access will be worked out.  It will be possible to hike and enjoy the Lompico Headwaters.

It is important to understand that the Lompico Watershed Conservancy is not empowered to speak for the Sempervirens Fund.  We are simply trying to explain what we understand about plans for the future of Islandia.  Eventually, the maps of this area will show a watershed preserve at the headwaters of Lompico Creek.  This is a major change in land use designation from the current Timber Production Zone.  The value of everyone’s home in this area will likely increase as a result.  A protected watershed and wildlife preserve for Lompico is a great thing.  Many people have worked to make this happen and we would like to offer our thanks to everyone who has helped us reach this point, and to those who are helping to pay for the land.

You Can Help

The fund raising for the Islandia purchase will continue for some time yet.  There are many ways to help.  We need assistance from volunteers for a variety of tasks that include web design, graphic design, event planning and media outreach.  Please call the Conservancy at 831-335-8136.  We are particularly interested in setting up a benefit concert with well-known performers.  We have some help with promotion but we need musicians who can draw a large crowd.  These people are often busy and hard to pin down for dates.  If you can help, please contact us.  Public events like benefit concerts are very useful because they give us media exposure.  The Lompico Watershed Conservancy wants the Sempervirens fund raising to be successful so that they can move on to the conservation of other important lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  When they stepped in to purchase the Lompico Headwaters (Islandia) this was a new type of project for them because this land is not going to be added to State Parks.  The fund raising is also difficult because there has been no government funding as is usually the case with lands that become part of a California State Park.

New Leaf Markets Community Day

New Leaf Markets in Felton and Boulder Creek offered the Conservancy a “Community Day” at both stores on Thursday, May 25^th to benefit the Sempervirens Fund.  New Leaf donated 5% of the day’s receipts to the Conservancy and Sempervirens Fund for the purchase of the Lompico Headwaters.  We are grateful to New Leaf for their help.  It is important to have a business community that works with charitable organization to accomplish the wide range of work that needs to be done to protect the public interest.

Landslides and Erosion

The unusually continuous rains in spring 2006 activated serious landslides in Lompico and the rest of the Santa Cruz Mountains that have damaged homes and roads.  This is one of the risks we face living in these young, geologically weak and unstable mountains.  We offer our condolences to those personally affected by this misfortune.  This article is not intended to specifically address problems on Lower Lake Blvd.  It is general information.

This stranded culvert was left behind after thousands of tons of soil washed out of this Mill Creek ravine during the early 1970s in the "Happyland" subdivision  area.  This catestrophic erosion was caused by stupid, careless tractor grading.  Hire an engineer and get a county permit!  Don't "bootleg" road construction.

If you have concerns about soil stability that may affect your home or private road, it is often best to consult a licensed engineering geologist. They are required by the State to have a level of training and experience that goes well beyond the general information in this newsletter.  There are tests that can be conducted to determine the underlying condition and stability of the slope you live on.  Remember, because a hill looks stable to you does not mean that it is not going to move some day.  Geologic analysis is a very complex matter.  This article is not intended to frighten anyone.  Large dangerous landslides are uncommon.  However they do happen, and if you live in the Santa Cruz Mountains long enough you are going to see these hills move.  There were an extraordinary number of cut-slope failures along Lompico Road last winter.  Most were shallow but they give you a front row seat on the erosion processes as affected by roads.

Erosion control and site drainage are important factors in many landslides.  Big deep landslide systems are more complex than shallow debris slides but both types can be related.  Modification of the terrain from cutting roads and the many effects of home sites can cause some dangerous alterations to hill slopes, and change surface and even subsurface water flow. These landscape modifications can (but certainly not always) affect the activation of landslides.

Cut Slope Failure on Lompico Road

The geology of this area was poorly understood when the homes and roads were originally build.  Most of the area’s landslides are quite old but that does not mean that they will never move again.  These slides can remain dormant for long periods of time (100 years or more) but then advance unpredictably, especially when the soils reach the point of super-saturation or when there is earthquake activity.  Conditions of excessive water content in soils and rock from prolonged and continuous rainfall are a cause of many slides.  Rain intensities and durations like those seen last winter and spring are more likely in the future as our planet’s weather systems become more unstable from global warming.  We may just as well suffer from prolonged droughts as well.

Things You Can Do to Reduce Erosion and Increase Safety

Always direct water away from your home’s foundation and locations of road or driveway failure.  Allow the water to disperse onto natural terrain where concentrations of water flow are less likely to develop and cause problems.  Road systems and driveways interrupt natural water flows and concentrate water by combining several small rivulets into larger more powerful flows of water.  In already developed areas it can be hard to change this situation but improvements like water bars, better surfacing and improved drainage are usually possible.

The big trees that make up our forests are very important for slope stability. Their root systems act like cables helping to hold soils in place on steep slopes.  The soil in this area is very often cohesionless sand and loam which is extremely mobile when it is disturbed and subjected to surface water flow.  Soil that is firm when dry can become weak and mobile when saturated with water.

You can increase soil stability and reduce erosion by planting deep rooted native plants around your home and driveways.  These plants help hold soil in place and they need little to no irrigation once established.  They may grow more slowly than exotics but they are more permanent, which is very important.  The French broom that is invasive on disturbed sites like landslides has small shallow roots and is not very useful for erosion control.  The broom dominates a site and keeps native plants from reestablishing after a land disturbance.  Broom is also very flammable.  Vinca and ivy are also problem invasive plants that drive out natives and are poor substitutes for good erosion control.

 There are many beautiful local native plants that are becoming increasingly available in local nurseries as people learn how well they work.  It is important to know the soil moisture and sunlight needs of plants before you place them.  Many plants have very specific requirements necessary to thrive.  A way to learn about our native plants is simply to walk on undisturbed parts of the forest around us.  You can learn which plants live only on continuously damp soil or in dry chaparral and oak woodland. Landscaping that takes care of itself without watering and also holds soil in place is a benefit to everyone.  It helps our wildlife too.

The San Lorenzo Valley Women’s Club, the California Native Plant Society, and the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District are all good sources of information on these subjects.

What About Water Pollution?

Soil erosion is a big problem for water quality in Lompico Creek and the San Lorenzo Basin.  It prevents water agencies from using the river for days on end, and it kills our wildlife including steelhead trout and coho salmon.  The estimated annual average sediment load from the San Lorenzo River is 144,000 tons.  Lompico Creek sends about 15,000 tons of sand and silt into the River every winter as part of that total.  This is a truly astonishing rate of erosion.  Soil erosion and landslides are related.

Household chemicals, fertilizers, paint, motor oil and human and animal wastes are obvious kinds of pollution that we are all responsible for.  Household chemicals can be disposed of free of charge at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station.  Toxics can be dropped off Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday till 2:30 p.m.

Lompico Creek is good steelhead trout habitat.  The small fish in the stream are juvenile (baby) steelhead that will migrate down to the Pacific to mature.  A few will return as big adults to spawn during a winter storm when the creek is high.  They are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act.  No fishing is allowed in any tributary to the San Lorenzo River including all of Zayante and Lompico Creeks. 

What is Next for the Lompico Watershed Conservancy?

The protection of the Lompico Headwaters “Islandia” was the founding goal of the Conservancy.  Since the beginning of this organization in 1997, it was clear that several environmental issues came together in the struggle to protect the Headwaters.  Water quality, endangered species, land use policy and environmental law and science were all part of the story.

The Conservancy succeeded with the help of the community, the County, the Sempervirens Fund and the Lompico County Water District.  Several other organizations played important parts as well.  The first includes the San Lorenzo Valley Women’s Club, the Sierra Club, and Citizens for Responsible Forest Management.  Things could have gone very differently but we were relentless, and we were fortunate to have powerful assistance when it really mattered.  The Sempervirens Fund’s intervention was critical.

Lompico became an issue because we were not willing to stand idly while this special headwaters area was logged.  Without community opposition, this would have occurred in 2001.  We made Lompico an issue and we were lucky to receive assistance when it really mattered.  The logging plan denial before the Board of Forestry was a stunning achievement.  The “system” can work if citizens are involved.

There is much more to be done.  Harmful impacts to water resources and wildlife are never ending.

The Conservancy was the first private organization to complete a fish habitat project in the County’s modern history when we completed the Old Lompico Pool Fish Passage Project in 2004.  We would like to do more of these projects.  The steelhead population in the San Lorenzo River has not increased in size in the last several years and may be just hanging on, as pollution, water diversion, and other impacts mount at the same time that work is being done to try to improve habitat.

Coho salmon are on the knife-edge of extinction.  Santa Cruz County is a testing ground where it will become clear whether wildlife are going to continue to spiral down to extinction, or whether together, we will save a place for our wildlife to live among us.  People all around California and the San Francisco Bay region are saying goodbye to wildlife.  Decisions are being made every day that close the door to wild places, animals and native plants.  The conservancy will continue to work for a future that is different; a future where wild nature is something that we are fortunate to live with and not just something that once existed but now is only seen on television.

Kevin Collins

Board President

831-335-8136

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Lompico Headwaters “Islandia” THP is Denied on Appeal Before the CA Board of Forestry

June 2004 Newsletter of the Lompico Watershed Conservancy

The long dispute over Redwood Empire’s Lompico headwaters logging plan (THP) finally reached the stage of a County appeal of plan approval to the California Board of Forestry. The THP was approved on October 30th, 2003 by the California Department of Forestry (CDF). This happened after 25 months of stalling and 43 extensions of a “directors decision”. Santa Cruz County appealed that approval to the California Board of Forestry. The public testimony portion of the appeal was heard at the February meeting of the Board of Forestry. At the April 7th meeting, the Board rendered a decision on the appeal. The action the Board of Forestry took was ground-breaking. So much so, that as of the date of the printing of this newsletter, the staff of the Board of Forestry has still not released a written version of the Board’s decision. They were stunned.

This win is the result of coordinated community action and County support. The Lompico Water Board, many, many community members and the Conservancy working together made this happen. This is the power of grass roots activism. Thanks to you all!

The THP was “disapproved” on the grounds that the department (CDF) did not justify its conclusion of “insignificant impacts” from the logging plan relative to the total of cumulative impacts on the entire watershed. CDF has never dealt realistically with the issue of cumulative watershed impacts as required in State law. They have tended to look at each THP independent of all the other negative effects that watersheds are subject to, such as previous or current logging plans, existing road networks, gravel mining, pollution from residential areas and so on. This violates a basic principle that underlies much of the California Environmental Quality Act and the intent of Environmental Impact Reports. The principle is that a “project” such as logging or development must take into account the combined effect of various negative impacts on a resource, such as forest dependent wildlife or water resources, to which the “project” will contribute additional negative impacts. That is the meaning of cumulative impacts.

CDF and the forester simply claimed that the effects on water quality from the logging plan would be minimal. Their justification for this claim was that helicopters would “yard” most of the logs, that the plan would observe the Forest Practice Rules, and in some small ways, presume to exceed the rules.

We always disputed these conclusions in the first place. For instance, helicopters were going to be used simply because the land is so steep and erosive, and the terrain is so complex that helicopters were the only way to get at the trees. The construction of a road network in this terrain was illegal by the terms of the Forest Practice Rules. This does not in itself make helicopter yarding a “mitigating” factor. Roads and skid trials are not the only sources of erosion from logging. Removing trees from steep slopes and inner gorge stream corridors also causes erosion as does a general reduction in tree canopy on land with sandy soils and this type of terrain. Helicopters are also very disruptive to the people and wildlife living near the THP area because they produce intense noise for weeks on end.

Recent changes to State law have made the Regional Water Quality Control Boards responsible for regulating soil pollution from logging operations. CDF is no longer able to claim that it has primary authority for regulating soil erosion pollution. CDF did this for decades while California streams were damaged and salmon have gone extinct or declined to remnant runs of fish. Coho salmon are on the verge of extinction. Public advocacy is curcial now.

The transition from CDF “regulation” of water pollution to Regional Water Quality Control Board regulation will be a slow process. Regulating pollution from logging plans is a new task for them. The Regional Water Quality Control Boards do not have the staff to do their job. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is attempting to work out a practical means of monitoring for soil pollution from logging and the Lompico Watershed Conservancy is participating in the development of this process. Monitoring, or judging the extent of “non-point-source” pollution, is much more difficult than monitoring pollution from manufacturing etc. It is one thing to measure the concentrations of pollutants coming out of a pipe and quite another to gage the rate of soil erosion off of a logged landscape. This process is also under way for agricultural water pollution, and for urban and suburban street runoff (stormwater). These are huge problems that are not likely to be solved any time soon. It is unknown whether our salmon and the general health of our watersheds can survive until these pollution problems are effectively dealt with. Advocacy for solutions to these problems is one of the reasons that organizations like the Lompico Watershed Conservancy exist.

The denial of the Islandia logging plan is a big victory. Santa Cruz County has not won a THP appeal hearing before the Board of Forestry for many years. The Board decision for the Islandia appeal was ground-breaking in the way it addressed the Forest Practice Rules. However it must be remembered that Redwood Empire still owns Islandia. They may again try to log the Lompico Creek headwaters. We must continue to look for a solution to this dilemma. Purchase of this land is likely to be the only permanent solution. This was the original reason for the formation of the Conservancy and we hope you will continue to support us. This task is not over! It is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Our legal and science expenses for this campaign were high and have put a strain on our resources. We hope that you will again make a donation to the Lompico Watershed Conservancy so that we can continue our work.

Stream Restoration this Summer

This Summer, the Conservancy will carry out a stream restoration project at the old Lompico Pool site to improve adult steelhead migration passage. We will be asking for volunteer help during this project. The primary funding for this project will come from the California Department of Fish and Game. This concreted section of streambed has needed correction for many years.

People are surprised to learn that large migratory fish spawn in Lompico Creek. There are few adult fish and they come up Lompico Creek during and after winter storms when the Creek’s flow is higher than normal. You are very unlikely to see an adult and they prefer to move at night. The wild Steelhead Rainbow Trout that return to our creek come in from the ocean after 2 or 3 years at sea. They lay eggs in Lompico Creek and then try to return to the ocean. These fish are in the salmonid family but do not die after spawning. The condition of the creek, especially during the Summer and Fall is critical to the survival of their young. Please be conservative with water use and do not disturb the creek or flush pollutants into the water. These remarkable fish are listed under both the State and Federal Endangered Species Acts and it is illegal to molest them in our creek. We all are the protectors of these splendid animals.

The Conservancy is all volunteer and donations from community members are very important to us. We are a non-profit charatible organization. All donations are tax deductable. You can contact us at 831-335-8136. Send emails to . We have a web site at www.lompicocreek.org

The Raptors of Islandia

Before the Lompico THP was filed a “raptor survey” was conducted on the property. This survey reported the presence of every hawk and owl species that is found in Santa Cruz Mountains forest habitats. The birds discovered were Coopers and Sharp Shinned Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Saw Whet Owls, Northern Pygmy Owl, Great Horned Owls, and Western Screech Owls. These surveys are not often required for THPs by CDF or Fish and Game. CDF rules require “buffer zones” around raptor nests but this rule is poorly enforced and it is generally entirely up to the landowner and the forester. The proven presence of wildlife on their lands is usually not of interest to logging companies but it is of interest to scientists and to the public.

These birds are usually very shy and sensitive to disturbance. If you see a large stick nest in a tree near your house please try not to disturb it or make noise in the vicinity. The nesting period for these birds generally runs from March to early July but is variable. Owls often roost (sleep) in large old trees during the day. The smaller owls use holes in trees where branches have sheered of and left a void that they can use or where a woodpecker has already chipped out a cavity. This is one of the reasons that snags (dead trees) are so important to birds. If a dead tree is not likely to fall onto your house or on an area where it might injure people, please leave these dead trees in place and let them fall naturally when they finally weaken from normal deterioration. On the ground, fallen trees are also important for wildlife, soil building and erosion control. Raptors are splendid birds, beautiful and inspiring to watch. We are lucky to have so many species of these birds that live in our area.

Coopers Hawks are in the sub-family Accipiridae with the species name accipiter cooperii. Accipiters are very fast smaller hawks. Coopers Hawks hunt robin sized birds within the forest. They only occasionally take rodents or other prey. They can careen through the forest with amazing agility as they race after prey. They appear and vanish in a heartbeat. Coopers hawks will sometimes be seen soaring high in the air but are much harder to see than Buteos like Redtailed Hawks which often hunt over open country by soaring all afternoon. Male Coopers Hawks are from 14” to 16” inches long with a wingspread of 27” to 30”. Females are larger with wingspreads of up to 36”. The backs, top of the wings and the top of the heads of these birds is gray to blue-gray. Their under side and chest have a brown barred pattern. Coopers hawks, like all Accipiter hawks, have short broad wings and long tails. Coopers have a rounded end to their tail which is an easy way to distinguish them from Sharp Shinned Hawks. These hawks have a wide array of calls, especially those sounds used between breeding pairs. Some researchers have noted between 20 and 30 distinct sounds. These birds are popular with falconers. Hawks have tremendous eyesight and can see much farther and with higher resolution than humans. Imagine a Coopers hawk veering through trees and brush at high speed. They have to re-focus and image their surrounding at high rates of speed to avoid crashing into trees and being injured. They also have very acute hearing which they also use for locating prey, finding mates and defending their home ranges.

Sharp-Shinned Hawks are also in the Accipiter sub-family. These smallest of the hawks are very fast. The males are 10 to 12 inches long and have a wing span of from 20” to 23” inches. The females are 2” or 3” inches larger. This characteristic of larger size in females is true of most hawks and owls. It is called sexual-size dimorphism. Why this is the case is a matter of conjecture. Sharpies are grey on their backs and have undersides that are white with finely detailed bands and streaks. The end of their tail usually looks straight in flight rather than curved as in the Coopers Hawk. They are very lightweight, slender birds and they prey almost exclusively on small birds in forests. They zip through the forest with a speed that must be terrifying for the small birds that they hunt. Sharp Shinned Hawks fly in a fast and direct manner and are not often seen soaring overhead.

The third accipiter in California is the Northern Goshawk. This bird is rarely seen south of San Francisco Bay and is very rare and endangered. However, one was spotted attempting to take a pet cockateel in the window of a house along upper Lompico Road last year. Goshawks are the largest accipiter with females ranging from 22” to 26” in length and males being about 4” inches shorter. Their wingspan is from 44” to 47”. Goshawks are dark grey on their backs and the top of the head. Their undersides are pale with grey streak marks. They have a white bar above the eye. Goshawks are fierce powerful birds that will vigorously attack people who disturb their nests. They are more likely to eat small mammals than the other accipiters. When hunting other birds they have been known to crash into brush and branches knocking out their prey which is hiding inside. These birds are very rare and dependent on mature conifer forests for suitable habitat. Old growth forests in the North Coast, Sierras, Cascades, and Klamath and Trinity mountains are their last best refuges in California

Red-tailed Hawks are in the sub-family Buteonina or Buteos. These are robust birds with broad tails and round ended wings. They usually hunt by perching in open areas or by soaring on thermals using their acute eyesight to spot prey. They hunt small mammals like rodents, other vertebrates such as snakes and lizzards, and even insects. The sight of a big Red-tail holding a heavy writhing snake in its talons is impressive .Red-tailed hawks are commonly seen but have many color variations in their plumage and are difficult to differentiate from other large hawks. Often people mistake other large hawks for Red-tails. Generally speaking their backs are dark brown with a pattern of bars. Their underside varies from nearly white to brown and has a pattern of brown streaks on the chest. Their tail is reddish brown with a narrow white tip. The underside of their wings is often lightly colored with dark wingtips. The females are larger than males with a length of 21” to 25” and a wingspan of from 48” to 58” inches. These are big birds. The call of the Red-tail is in the soundtrack of virtually every movie with a wilderness scene. Red-tails form tight pair bonds and display together by acrobatic flying high overhead. They sometimes spar with Golden Eagles in impressive territorial disputes. The Red-tail is no match for the more powerful eagle but two hawks can drive off an eagle very effectively. Smaller birds that feel threatened by a Red-tail can harass the hawk by diving on it from above. However many a crow or grackel has been killed by a Red-tail which flipped over in flight and grabbed the crow with its powerful talons.
end to their tail which is an easy way to distinguish them from Sharp Shinned Hawks. These hawks have a wide array of calls, especially those sounds used between breeding pairs. Some researchers have noted between 20 and 30 distinct sounds. These birds are popular with falconers. Hawks have tremendous eyesight and can see much farther and with higher resolution than humans. Imagine a Coopers hawk veering through trees and brush at high speed. They have to re-focus and image their surrounding at high rates of speed to avoid crashing into trees and being injured. They also have very acute hearing which they also use for locating prey, finding mates and defending their home ranges.

Red-sholdered Hawks are a little smaller than Red-tails and are more common in forest areas where they nest along creeks and river bottoms. However they are Buteos and hunt in much the same way as Red-tails and for similar prey. The males are from 17” to 23” long and have a wingspan of from 33” to 44”. The females are several inches larger. These hawks are often confused for Red-tails but there are distinct differences. They are reddish brown on their backs with a ruffus (reddish) patch at the bend of the wing (sholders). Their tails are black with several narrow white bars.

Northern Harriers and other hawks, eagles, vultures, Osprey and falcons are native to our area and may be seen occasionally, but these birds require habitats different from deep forests and are not “generalists” as are Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks.

The Canyon’s Owls

Owls are in the order Stringiforms. There are several fascinating and beautiful owls living in our area. They are principally nocturnal and have very acute hearing and eyesight. Their heads are large with facial disks and large eyes facing forward. The facial disks have complex patterns of feathers which act to focus sound into their ears. In fact the entire face of an owl is designed around their hearing and the face acts like a parabolic dish amplifying sound. Their ears have adaptations which allow the bird to locate prey in three dimentional space with astonstonishing accruacy. Like all raptors, their eyesight is very acute and they have huge eyes for their size to capture the faint light after nightfall. They can hunt in almost complete darkness! The ear tufts which some owls have are not associated with hearing but are species markers.

Except for the Pigmy Owl which hunts during the day, all owls have tiny frilled edges on their wing feathers which create micro-turbulence and make the flight of owls silent so that their prey can not hear them comming. They are silent steath hunters.

The Western Screech Owl is a small bird with a length of only 6.5” to 10” and a wingspan of 20” to 24”. Their head has conspicuous ears or horns and they have two color phases, a brown color and a grey color. Their feather patterns are very complex with a lighter breast. Their eyes are an intense yellow. The eat small rodents, birds, and insects. Their call is distinctive but is very hard to describe. It is more like a quavering whistle which may be repeated several times. Generally speaking owls are relatively quiet and do not call often. It takes time to hear them. They usually nest in the hollows of trees which is why older forests are so important to them. When owls feed their young they do not usually tear up the food like hawks and other raptors do. Owls swallow animals whole and regurgitate a pellet of feathers and bones.

The Northern Pigmy Owl is the smallest owl species in North America. It is a beautiful little bird. They are from 6.5” to 7.5” long and have a wingspan of between 14” and 15” inches. They have no “horns” or ears, are slate gray to brown on their backs and have whitish undersides which are striped and spotted. They nest in abandoned woodpecker holes or natural cavities. This owl often hunts by daylight and preys on small birds, rodents, insects and other small prey. Unlike other owls, the Pigmy Owl’s flight is not silent and the bird does not have frilled feather linings intended to quite wing beats which other owls use for stealth. Like all owls the Pigmy’s flight is direct and without any soaring or display. Their call is soft and musical. One common call is several notes at an even pitch, a pause and then last note.

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is also very small with a length of 7 to 8.5” and a wingspread of 18” to 22” inches. It has no ear tufts, is dark brown on its back and has a complex and beautiful pattern of stripes against a white background on its underside. This owl prefers conifer forests and nests in cavities. It has several calls, one of which sounds like the filing of a saw with a few similar notes in sequence. It also makes a whistle and other sounds. The Saw-whet’s flight is silent. It generally hunts at night and prefers mice and other small rodents, bats, and ocassionally small birds.

The Great Horned Owl is a large widespread bird that makes the characteristic call that people associate with owls, the hoo-ho-hoo sound. This owl makes many sounds including barks, screams, and other quieter sounds. Great Horned Owls are from 18” to 25” inches long with a wingspread of between 48” and 58”. It has large ear tufts which give it its name but these “horns” have nothing to do with hearing. They are feathers for display. This powerful bird eats a variety of prey and sometimes takes on surprizingly large animals. This owl is fearless and powerful. If you ever encounter one that has been injured by a collision with a car, or other accident and is on the ground, be very carefull. Handling this bird is like picking up an eagle. Cover it with a cloth before trying to lift it with its wings folded up against its body. Sadly owls are often injured in collisions with cars because they take their prey from the ground and when flying away may not be able to get high enough to avoid being struck by a fast moving vehicle.