Intensively logged lands in the Redwood Creek Basin were added to Redwood National Park in 1978 to help protect the resources of the original park lands. These areas are now being managed to promote and speed the natural healing of the watershed. The watershed rehabilitation program, established in 1978 as part of the park expansion legislation, has the primary goal of minimizing man-induced erosion within Redwood National Park and the Redwood Creek watershed. Additionally, within the Park, the goals are to encourage the return of a natural pattern of vegetation and, ultimately, to preserve and/or restore the natural ecosystem and landscape to a condition similar to what would have existed without disturbance by man.

Research has shown that the majority of the accelerated erosion problems in the Park stem from the essentially abandoned road network. The watershed rehabilitation work focuses on these road-related erosion problems as the first step in the physical restoration of the park lands. This sets the stage for recovery of the natural vegetation and re-establishment of native fish and wildlife populations.

This seminar will concentrate on the critical first step of erosion control and provide an introduction to watershed rehabilitation techniques. Mornings will be spent at the South Operations Center in Orick, discussing the watershed rehabilitation program, its evolution over the last 13 years, and current methods of planning and implementing a rehabilitation project. We will look at the erosional processes typical of the North Coast, and the effects of road building and maintenance (or lack thereof) on a watershed. We will include practical advice and technical instructions for inventorying and prioritizing problem areas and will consider a wide range of treatment options. Methods of planning and maintaining permanent roads with minimal impact, as well as removing roads that are no longer needed, will be addressed. Afternoon field trips will visit completed projects and areas where work is actively being planned and implemented. Be prepared for several hours of walking on steep, brushy, rough ground with no trails: please wear STURDY HIKING BOOTS. Bring your lunch and water each day.

Instructor Terry Spreiter, is the supervising geologist with Redwood National Park and has responsibility for the physical restoration of the Redwood Creek watershed. She has been with Redwood National Park since 1980 and received her M.S. in Applied Earth Sciences from Stanford University.

Two 3-day sessions will be offered: Tentative Dates: July 22-24 and July 31-August 2.

To get on the field seminar mailing list, contact:
Robin Galea, Redwood National Park, 1111 2nd Street, Crescent City, CA 95531, Telephone (707)464-6101
For further information on class specifics, contact: Terry Spreiter, Redwood National, P.O. Box 7, Orick, CA 95555, Telephone (707) 488-2911