Basso/La Grange Spawning Habitat and Floodplain Restoration Project
Client
California Fish & Wildlife
Project Categories
Tags
Salmonid RestorationFloodplain RestorationFish Passage DesignwaterUrban Creek Restorationnote_altCEQA/NEPAA Floodplain Ripe for Restoration
The Basso and La Grange reaches of the Tuolumne River reach were identified by the Tuolumne River Trust as prime opportunities to enhance fish habitat. The project has 6 main goals: create floodplain rearing habitat for juvenile fish, create spawning habitat and stockpile appropriately sized coarse sediment for future spawning habitat maintenance, reduce non-native predatory fish habitat, restore geomorphic function and sediment transport, increase aquatic microhabitats, food sources, and add stability to the channel by planting native riparian vegetation, design and plan for future salmonid habitat improvements.
Designing for Habitat
The selected design includes 53 acres of floodplain rearing habitat, 8 new spawning riffles, filling in two former dredger pools which host predatory fish species, restoring geomorphic processes through construction of alternating riffles, bars, and pools, increased sinuosity, and reconnection of adjacent surfaces to contemporary flows, increasing food sources with riffle construction and riparian vegetation planting. The design also incorporates a public access boat ramp.
A Public Resource Transformation
Construction began in 2024. Scheduled for completion in 2028, the project will transform this reach into publicly accessible rejuvenated habitat.
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