Doug Morgan, Operations Manager
The good news is that once again, CIR is working on eradicating tamarisk in the rugged and beautiful watersheds of the
Santa Ynez River and Sisquoc River.
Those familiar with the two rivers know how difficult they both are to access. Once off the “more easily” traveled roads and trails, we enter a world that only a small number of people have ever visited. It is a wild and largely untouched world back there, and yet just a few miles away as the condor soars.
The bad news is that the tamarisk populations in these river watersheds are extensive and well established. In the Santa Ynez watershed, the fires and floods have created a fertile nursery for emerging Tamarisk that is capitalizing on the lack of competition and all the available nutrients and water.
These valuable ecosystems might be just a few seasons from becoming a Tamarisk-dominated system like many of the riparian systems in the southwestern United States and Baja California, Mexico. The battles to eliminate the tamarisk in the Santa Barbara backcountry are exceedingly difficult; but if we wait, it may be nearly impossible.
Both grants require large amounts of matching money contributed from our end. The matches can be actual dollars or in-kind services from us or our friends. We accepted this challenge when we wrote the grant proposal; but now the world is a bit more challenging. The highly contagious Covid-19 requires us to be physically distant, which is not hard in the wilderness, but is hard when it comes to transporting staff and volunteers in vehicles, and when it comes to feeding everyone.
Removing tamarisk is essential to preserving this beautiful backcountry.
Widespread fires in the National Forests have necessitated forest closures, and East Camino Cielo will be closed for repairs soon. When something is impossible, it only means that it takes a while longer, right?
Our original plan was to maximize the potential for volunteer participation. We planned volunteer-friendly trips with needed and valuable tasks being done by all levels of skills and physical abilities.
We planned greater flexibility in trip duration, potentially allowing volunteers to enter a trip for 3-5 days, and we included weekends in all the trips to make it easier for people to get time off. All of these plans are severely compromised by Covid and the lack of mobility.
With the added challenges the simplest thing would be to walk away from this project. But the work is important, and our staff and volunteers are best suited to do the work. So, what can we do? We have completely redesigned the trips to accommodate the challenges.
We are working on turning the projects from one year to two years in duration. We are investigating other potential matching funds, and we are working out the details to provide volunteer opportunities on these trips that are just a few days long to fit them in on long weekends.
We are also working on transportation and camp kitchen details that would keep everyone socially distant and healthy. And most importantly we are offering what might be a once in a lifetime chance to access some of this amazing territory in a safe and valuable way.
What can you do? Volunteer to go on one of the trips, or volunteer to provide critical support from home.
Things you can do from home include monitoring the weather reports and communicating daily with the team in the wilderness.
CIR is working on eradicating tamarisk in the rugged and beautiful watersheds of the Santa Ynez River and Sisquoc River.
There are also other ways you can help without joining us in the wilderness. Please sign up here to volunteer. Remember, we have valuable work for all levels of interest and ability. Donate so others may go and do this valuable work. Inform as many of your friends and family to do the same. The rivers need us, and we need you to help save them.
Can we count on you?
CIR crew overlooks Jameson Lake in the Santa Ynez River watershed.
Donate to CIR today to help fund our habitat restoration and environmental education.
