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Bishop Field Office
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Virginia Creek Restoration Project
Photo Taken in 2002
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Virginia Creek drains from the Virginia Lakes Basin which is located north of Lee Vining. The area is used for camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and other ourdoor recreation. There have been campgrounds established by the Forest Service along the creek and in the lakes basin. BLM has a parcel of land along the creek which has been receiving heavy use by campers who use the area. There has been camping within 100 feet of the creek with fire rings in closer proximity and human trash being left behind for others to see. The problem had been heavy use along the bank of the creek and impacts to the meadow understory from foot travel and vehicles which had denuded vegetation in areas. With vegetation lacking along the banks of the creek and meadow plants missing from the flood plain, a catastrophic flood could alter the area permanently. In September of 2002 with the help from the BLM Conway Fire Crew, we went in to try and restore the area to create a healthy riparian corridor. We ripped the road and camping spots with hand tools. We cleaned up the trash, destroyed the fire rings, and distributed the ash from the fire pit. We transplanted willow suckers and grass plugs into the denuded areas. Finally, we closed the entrance by using fallen logs and rocks. Camping farther then 100' (30 meters) from the water should be standard practice for campers and is a rule of thumb under the Leave No Trace ethic. Removal or compaction of vegetation and soil near the stream could cause bank deterioration or sloughing during storm events. By ripping the road, soil is aerated and loosened which facilitates plant establishment. Road ripping also provides a medium that allows for easier digging and transplanting of plants. The appearance of the road after ripping looks rough which can detour people from camping and walking on the site. |  Back to Restoration in Progress
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