The Rillito River ecosystem restoration project aims to enhance wildlife habitat by modifying existing soil cement and channel stabilization along the Rillito River, with a total estimated cost of approximately $4 million, funded 75% by USACE and 25% by the local sponsor. The project includes the installation of native plant palettes across several areas, successful invasive species management, and provisions for ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure habitat diversity and sustainability. Key outcomes include the relocation of amphibians and the development of water harvesting systems to support newly established vegetation.

1. Rillito River Ecosystem Restoration Carianne Funicelli and Lori Woods, RECON Environmental Mike Fink, USACE, Los Angeles District John Taylor, USACE, Los Angeles District Andrew Wigg, Pima County Regional Flood Control District

2. Project Sponsors: Project Contractors and Subcontractors:

3. PROJECT AUTHORIZATION & PURPOSE Continuing Authorities Program project, Section 1135 Environmental Protection and Restoration, Project Modifications for Improvement of the Environment Modifies existing soil cement / channel stabilization project on Rillito River to enrich wildlife habitat Cost Share: 75% USACE, 25% Local Sponsor (PCRFCD) Total cost approximately $4 million

5. AREA 1 8 acres Complete Dec 2006 1,060 plants

6. AREA 2: 4 acres, Installation complete April 2008

7. 35 acres Re-design of drainage channels Installation Complete January 2008 7000+ plants AREA 3

8. Concept plan developed by USACE and Pima County Regional Flood Control District. Detailed project design developed by RECON (Landscape Architect and Vegetation Ecologist). Design team had continuous involvement throughout the project and positive collaboration with sponsors and contractors. PROJECT PROCESS

9. Rillito River Park

10. Keep the Good Stuff

11. Get Rid of the Bad Stuff… buffelgrass, tamarisk, Sahara mustard, Russian thistle, African sumac, Mexican paloverde, giant reed, yellow starthistle, yellow bird of paradise, cocklebur, filaree, malva, Bermuda grass, London rocket, cheeseweed, horehound, tree tobacco…

12. Creating an Appropriate Native Plant Palette Characterization of Existing Vegetation Onsite At desirable reference sites Review Floristic Information Value to wildlife species Historical data Container Plants and Seed Mix What is available commercially? Pima County Native Plant Nursery Incorporate flexibility in lists to avoid delays Water usage

13. Trees Velvet Mesquite Screwbean mesquite Blue paloverde Foothills paloverde Desert willow Canyon hackberry Mexican elderberry

14. Large Shrubs Saltbush Catclaw acacia White-thorn acacia Graythorn Wolfberry Desert hackberry Desert honeysuckle Hopbush Desert cotton

15. Grasses, Vines, other Small Perennials Ambrosia deltoidea Abutilon incanum Acourtia wrightii Bothriochloa barbinodis Bouteloua curtipendula Chloris crinita Curcubita digitata Datura wrightii Dicliptera resupinata Digitaria californica Gossypium thurberi Hymenoclea salsola Maurandya antirrhiniflora Pappophorum mucronulatum Proboscidea althefolia Ruellia nudiflora Sphaeralcea ambigua Sporobolus airoides Sporobolus cyptandrus Sporobolus wrightii Trixis californica Vitis arizonica

17. Irrigation & Stormwater Harvesting Temporary System plant palette designed to be self-sustaining once established Reclaimed water Stormwater harvesting basins to capture onsite flow and direct water to plantings

19. Irrigation versus water harvesting (7 months)

20. Habitat Considerations

21. Stump treatment to preserve habitat for reptiles and small mammals

22. STRUCTURE = SHELTER Variety in types of plants (vines, grasses, trees, shrubs) Mosaic of habitat types to meet needs of as many different species as possible

26. FOOD RESOURCES = seeds, berries, nectar, insects...

27. Important breeding area for 3 species of amphibians: Couch’s spadefoot Mexican spadefoot Great Plains toad AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION

28. AVOID IMPACTS Preserve islands of habitat and use construction fencing to avoid compaction

29. Amphibian Salvage and Translocation Summer 2006 Over 600 adults moved Eggs collected and tadpoles raised for later release 4 species

30. Kino Ecological Restoration Project

31. Identification and Inventory Prior to Release

32. Baseline Mosquito Monitoring

33. Channel Design

34. Terraces

36. Plant Installation & Layout Natural-looking patterns Individual basins at each plant Protection from critters

38. SEED MIX

39. HYDROSEEDING

40. Protection

41. 5-Year Monitoring Plan Qualitative AND Quantitative Monitoring Schedule Repeat Photos Transects Success Parameters

42. Ongoing Maintenance and Monitoring

43. Invasive Species Management

44. A Couple of Surprises

45. Irrigation Function & Plant Replacement TOO MUCH NOT ENOUGH

46. Thirsty Critters

47. From straight concrete channels… Photos this slide courtesy of Andrew Wigg, Pima County Regional Flood Control District

48. To a Moonscape…

49. To Moonscape with Dormant Plants…

50. To Mustard Fields…..

51. On the Way to Valuable Wildlife Habitat...

52. 4 February 2008 16 December 2008 On the Ground...

53. From the air… 2006 2008

54. QUESTIONS?