Current Projects

Dry Creek Riparian Restoration and Monitoring, Beale Air Force Base

Sierra Streams Institute is undertaking a restoration project to supplement, improve and maintain salmonid habitat along a portion of Dry Creek within Beale Air Force Base, Yuba County, CA. This is an exciting project for SSI because all programs have an opportunity to work together on one project to monitor water quality, provide trail-side educational resources, develop a volunteer / stewardship relationship with the community on base, and provide research-level data about new approaches to restoration.

The History

In the early 1940’s a 15 foot dam was constructed on Dry Creek causing a small lake to form and restricting the migration of Chinook Salmon and Central Valley Steelhead. The dam stood for nearly 80 years until it was removed in 2020 via a collaboration between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the United States Air Force. Following the dam removal, restoration of the old lake bed was carried out by reinforcing the streambed and banks with imported rock, placing root-wads to prevent erosion and shade the creek, and carving out a low-flow channel to allow fish to travel even during minimal summer flows.

More information about the dam removal

Current Happenings

• Since 2021, Sierra Streams Institute has been performing regular monitoring and maintenance of the Beale Lake dam removal restoration area including water quality monitoring, benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) research, spring bird surveys, yearly physical habitat surveys, year-round wildlife monitoring, stream flow and height monitoring, and more. 
• In addition to monitoring, we’re focusing our efforts on native plant propagation from locally collected seed grown in our own greenhouse alongside routine invasive plant species removal with the hopes of establishing a diverse array of native species for wildlife habitat, forage, and pollinators. 
• Starting in the spring 2024, we will break ground on a nature trail, connecting the Beale Air Force Base community with Dry Creek and the natural spaces around them. The trail will include educational signage that delves into topics such as the importance of beavers, the salmon lifecycle, and oak woodland ecology.

Dry Creek Gravel Augmentation for Salmon Spawning Habitat

In Fall 2023, with funding from the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust, Sierra Streams Institute has begun implementing a gravel augmentation project on Dry Creek. These gravels are the specific sizes that native Chinook Salmon will use for laying eggs. 

In November 2023 250 tons of varying sized gravel were laid out along the creek banks. During high winter flows, these rocks are carried downstream and spread out naturally. 

In order to understand how these rocks move down Dry Creek, a small subset of rocks have been painted with non-toxic, waterproof paint and will be monitored and mapped at regular intervals. This data will help provide insight into how we can implement gravel augmentation projects more effectively in systems like Dry Creek going forward.

Hart Fen

Sierra Streams Institute’s Restoration Program staff is assisting Bear Yuba Land Trust \ with restoration and monitoring on a ten acre conservation easement known as Hart Preserve. This unique property is home to the southernmost population of California Pitcher Plant (Darlingtonia californica) thanks to the nearby spring, feeding the area with cold water all year round. This type of habitat, known as a fen, is rare in California and quite sensitive to disturbance. With the ongoing stewardship of the Bear Yuba Land Trust, we aim to keep Hart Preserve healthy and resilient for decades to come.