Month: September 2016

Research Plan September 2016-June 2017

Author Jordan JobePosted on Categories News1 Comment on Research Plan September 2016-June 2017

During the last 9 months, we have heard from many agricultural landowners, farmers, and growers in the area through one-on-one discussions, Technical Advisory Group meetings, and informal conversations. This research resulted in the Existing Conditions Report, and informed the research and work plan for the next 12 months, ending in June 2017.

This work plan was the result of many discussions with farmers and growers in the Clear Creek area. Issues important to the agricultural community, including some expressed by the Clear Creek Farmer’s Collective, were critical in identifying and prioritizing how to proceed with research and on-the-ground work in the coming year. We are immensely grateful to farmers for their time spent in reviewing both the Existing Conditions Report and several previous versions of the work plan- this helps us ensure that work completed under this Floodplains by Design grant directly supports the long-term agricultural viability of the Clear Creek area.

The Farming in the Floodplain Project works hard to be flexible and responsive to the needs of the agricultural community, and respond to new challenges and opportunities as they arise. With that in mind the Research Plan and accompanying Timeline are subject to change. As always, contact us if you have any comments or questions.

Research Plan Phase 2

Timeline

WCC Crew Drainage Work Complete

Author Jordan JobePosted on Categories News

In late August, Washington Conservation Corps crew members and the community volunteers, led by Loren Paschich, completed work clearing out reed canarygrass from Canyon Creek (upstream of Clear Creek) from 52nd about 1600 feet northwest. Loren’s team spent most of the summer clearing blackberry and thick grass along the drainage easement, which allowed the WCC crews to efficiently work within the creek. While the crew worked on the creek, Loren and his team also performed maintenance on Nancy’s Ditch, parts of South Ditch, and on the northwest portion of the creek.

Before
Cleared out Clear Creek, after WCC work. Picture taken from the culvert above 52nd, looking northwest on August 29th, 2016.
Cleared out Canyon Creek, after WCC work. Picture taken from the culvert above 52nd, looking northwest on August 29th, 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleared out Clear Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.
Cleared out Canyon Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.
Cleared out Clear Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Visible water movement. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.
Cleared out Canyon Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Visible water movement. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The culvert underneath 52nd connecting to Canyon Creek, after WCC work. Picture taken August 29, 2016.
The culvert underneath 52nd connecting to Clear Creek, after WCC work. Picture taken August 29, 2016.
Cleared out Clear Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.
Cleared out Canyon Creek, after WCC work, looking towards 52nd. Picture taken August 29th, 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drainage District 10 is working on a maintenance plan for the coming year to build on these efforts. This month, the Farming in the Floodplain Project technical contractors, ESA, has a field crew performing a drainage inventory on Clear Creek, Canyon Creek, and the drainage ditches. Thank you to the many landowners who have assisted with access to the ditches!

ESA's team preparing for the drainage inventory. September 20th, 2016.
ESA’s team preparing for the drainage inventory. September 20th, 2016.

 

Drainage Inventory starts September 20th

Author Jordan JobePosted on Categories News1 Comment on Drainage Inventory starts September 20th

On September 20th, the technical contractor, ESA, will have a field team in the area working on a drainage inventory. Work will continue through September 28th. This work is expected to help the agricultural community and Drainage District 10 in a number of ways, including:

  • Providing a more comprehensive understanding of how the drainage system (not just the parts owned by the drainage district) works;
  • Providing information that can help with planning of future maintenance activities and that could help fill out permits (though we will not provide permit-level survey data);
  • Will make recommendations for needed maintenance activities; and
  • Will provide a baseline for existing conditions so that the County’s proposed project and other future planning and project efforts can be appropriately evaluated for their impacts or improvements to drainage.

We will be reaching out to landowners in advance of this work to discuss any questions you might have and in some cases, request your permission to access the drainage ditches adjacent to your property.

A preliminary report will be made available in late Fall.

For more information, see: Drainage Inventory Information Sheet

Some of the information collected includes:

  • Channel locations (tracked with GPS)
  • Locations of road crossings, culverts, junctions of ditches, etc (tracked with GPS)
  • Channel size (width, depth, depth of water, depth of sediment)
  • Channel condition
  • Channel substrate
  • Type and density of vegetation (both in the channel and adjacent to the channel)
  • Culvert size and condition
  • Photographs of channels at each measuring point