Justin Nartker, Director of Public Services

Rick Lawrence, Streets & Traffic Operations Manger

Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rocklin Approving the Streambed Alteration Agreement for Routine Maintenance Activities with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Agreement

On September 23, 2008, the City Council adopted Resolution 2008-251, the Agreement with California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) for Routine Maintenance of Stream Channels and Drainage Facilities. This agreement provided approved guidelines for routine maintenance activities in the City’s improved and unimproved drainage channels and associated CFDG jurisdictional areas.

The original agreement has expired and in preparation for a new agreement, now called the Streambed Alteration Agreement for Routine Maintenance Activities, also known as the Routine Maintenance Agreement (RMA), staff has worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to update and revise the agreement to reflect current guidelines and policies.  This agreement is for twelve (12) years with an optional five (5) year extension for a total of up to seventeen (17) years, for the ongoing implementation of routine maintenance activities within jurisdictional improved and unimproved drainage channels and associated CDFW jurisdictional areas.

Routine maintenance would primarily involve the use of various types of small equipment including pickup trucks, hand tools (e.g. chainsaws, string trimmers, loppers, shovels, rakes) and may occasionally require standard construction equipment, including, but not limited to: water trucks, concrete saws, backhoes, graders and compactors. Exact methods, locations, and extent of maintenance activities would be submitted to CDFW for final approval through the Verification Request Form (VRF) process. Depending on extent and location, any given VRF maintenance project may take between 1 day and 3 months to complete. Maintenance activities would include the following:

1. Debris and obstruction removal within creeks and channels. Debris and obstructions may include trash, rubbish, beaver dams, flood-deposited woody and herbaceous vegetation and downed trees. Dead trees in danger of falling across channels or branches that obstruct water flow may also be removed.
2. Silt, sand and sediment removal within 50 feet of manmade structures. Removal may include sand, gravel and sediment that obstruct water flow, reduce channel capacity, and accelerate erosion or damage structures.
3. Vegetation control in channels. Lower branches of large trees may be trimmed or removed to provide access to channels. Vegetation on levee slopes may be cut, mowed, burned or sprayed with herbicide to conduct safety inspections. The City will cut, mow, disc, bulldoze or spray herbicide to maintain channel capacity. Dead trees, dying trees or trees less than 4 inch DBH may be removed from channels. All non-native vegetation may be removed from channels.
4. Repair of previous erosion control work. Erosion control may include, but is not limited to, rock slope protection (RSP) and gabion sections. Repairs will not exceed 100 linear feet beyond their previous location.
5. Minor erosion control work. Work may include sloping, placement of earthen fill, or installation of RSP and gabions. Minor erosion control work will not exceed 100 linear feet in length.
6. Restoration plantings within the riparian corridor. Native trees and shrubs will be planted and competing invasive vegetation removed with the intent of improving riparian habitat within the Project area.

Routine maintenance may also include conducting minor geotechnical sampling; and other work necessary to maintain the functional and structural integrity of City of Rocklin facilities.

Routine maintenance work is performed every one to five years, and stream channel maintenance work will be scheduled to occur beginning August 15th and ending October 15th of any given year, unless otherwise authorized by CDFW. This RMA will be effective from 2021 to 2033, with the potential to extend to 2038.

Prior to any routine maintenance work the City will submit a Verification Request Form (VRF) to CDFW. CDFW will approve the request and either approved the request and may include any additional monitoring or mitigation measures as deemed necessary. The current fee for each VRF is $305.25 and is included in the FY 2021/22 Budget/CIP under multiple funds.

The current VRF fee is $305.25 per project. This cost is included as part of the cost estimate for each project, and funds for these services are included in the FY 2021/22 Budget/CIP under multiple funds. No additional budget appropriation is necessary.