February 2022 Update on Fire Management by the San Lorenzo Valley Water District

Larry Ford

Soon we will find our San Lorenzo Valley in another fire season. Our last significant rains arrived in late December and early January, bringing the rainy season total so far to 38 inches (Ben Lomond), which is 80% of the annual recorded average (47 inches). Without significant additional rain in the next couple months with enough rainfall to soak the soil, the herbaceous and woody fire fuels might dry enough to further heighten the risk of wildfires during the dry months of the year. Luckily, we’ve had no recent wildfires in the valley, no repeat of the winter 2021 wildfires, and no further damage to people, property, or infrastructure of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD).

Since our report last December, the SLVWD has accomplished much related to fire resistance and fire fuel reduction. Carly Blanchard, the Water District’s Environmental Programs Manager reports that the district has received two fuel reduction grants, has submitted numerous additional grant proposals that have good prospects for funding, and is continuing to cooperate with other SLV agencies and large landowners in addressing critical fire management priorities.

The California Coastal Conservancy grant of $200,000 last June for fuel reduction was used by the District to clear fuel in defensible space around critical infrastructure, and then either haul away or chip and broadcast the resulting woody debris. The grant of $480,000 from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) through the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County last August was used for additional fuel reduction, redwood plantings, removal of hazardous eucalyptus trees and other invasive plants on Water District lands, and a fuel break along an access road from downtown Boulder Creek to Braemoor Drive.

The Water District has also completed removal of French and Portuguese Broom on approximately 6 acres of the Olympia Watershed with funding from Pacific Gas and Electric Company as part of a riparian mitigation project. This included permitting and planning as well as implementation, and resulted in major fire fuel reduction as well as the ancillary benefits of enhanced habitat for endangered species. The Water District has recently applied for the following additional grants: 1) CALFIRE’s Fire Prevention program for additional fire fuel reduction and fire resistance of structures. 2) Cooperation with the Santa Cruz County FireSafe Council and the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County for structure hardening and education in the San Lorenzo Valley. 3) California Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program for additional fire fuel reduction. 4) Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for capital improvements to harden structures and pipelines. The Friends of San Lorenzo Valley Water will strive to publicize future progress reports about SLVWD’s fire management efforts.