Central Valley Program 

Improvement Act 

Section 3408 (h) 

Land Retirement Progra

U.S. Dept. of the Interio
CVPIA Land Retirement 

An Interagency Team

Robert H. May USBR Program Manager Robert H. May USBR Program Manage

Stephen Lee, USBR Hydrologist Stephen Lee, USBR Hydrologist

Bea Olsen, FWS Wildlife Biologist Bea Olsen, FWS Wildlife Biologist

Steve Laymon, BLM Site Coordinator Steve Laymon, BLM Site Coordinator
Land 

Retirement Retirement 

Program Program 

Goals

3⁄4Reduce agricultural drainage Reduce agricultural drainage

3⁄4Restore upland wildlife habitat Restore upland wildlife habitat3⁄4Acquire CVP water when feasible Acquire CVP water when feasible
Lands are retired from irrigated agric

Lands are retired from irrigated agric

production as one means to reduce dr

production as one means to reduce dr

problems. problems. 

Can these lands be restored to safe u

Can these lands be restored to safe u

wildlife habitats? wildlife habitats?

Retired lands are those taken ou

Retired lands are those taken ou

irrigated agricultural production as 

irrigated agricultural production a

means to reduce drainage proble

means to reduce drainage proble
Demonstration 

Project clearly shows that retiring land from irrigated agriculture results in numerous physical and biological benefits. 

Five Year Land Retirem

Demonstration Projec
Acquisitions 

Accomplished for 

the CVPIA Land 

Retirement 

Demonstration 

Project

Tranquillity Site =

2090 acres

Atwell Island Site =

6200 acres
The shallow water table for all wells monito

showed an average declining trend of 1.2 fee

Groundwater monitoring confirmed conceptual & 

models predicting a declining shallow water

in response to land retirement.
Land Retirement Demonstration Project

Tranquillity Site Hydrographs: Wells15M1, 16A1

-18-16-14-12-10

-8-6-4-2

0

Aug-99

Nov-99

Feb-00

May-00

Aug-00

Nov-00

Feb-01

May-01

Aug-01

Nov-01

Feb-02

May-02

Aug-02

Nov-02

Feb-03

May-03

Aug-03

Nov-03

Feb-04

May-04

Aug-04

Date

Depth to Groundwater from Land Surface (ft) Well 15M1 Well 16A1

Declining Shallow Groundwater T

Traquillity Site Hydrographs:

Wells 15A1, 16M1
Depth to Shallow Groundwa

Number of acres within 7 feet of land su

October 1999 October 1999

600 acres 600 acres

October 2001 October 2001

34 ac

34 a
3⁄4Dominant ions are S

Sulfate.3⁄4 Highly saline shallow groundwater ranges o76,000 uS/cm. 3⁄4 High Se Concentrati5 – 5300 ug/l, mean 21(EPA surface water criug/l). 

Groundwater Qu

Groundwater Qu

3⁄4High Salinity and trace element concentrations shallow groundwater results of evaporation from water-table.
Soil selenium moderately elevated, b

range of western clay & silty-clay 

3⁄4 Tranquillity Clay 

Predominant soil type 

3⁄4 Slow permeability3⁄4 High shrink-swell potential3⁄4 Selenium in top foot 

decreased over 5 yrs 

3⁄4 Soluble Se increase in 

substrata due to oxidation associated with declining water-table
Comparison of Mean Baseline Selenium 

Concentrations in Soil

1.05

0.5

0.12 0.14 0.34

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Tranquillity

Soil Series

Lillis/Lethent

Soil Series

Atwell Island

Site

San

Joaquin

Valley

 Western

Soils

Typical

Mean Se Conc. (mg/kg)
Fi gur e S- 1

West l ands Land Ret i r ement Demonst r at i on Ar ea

E C5 T r ends i n T op Foot of Soi l f r om 1999 t o 2004

0123456789

10B1 10D1 10K3 10L3 10M3 10N3 15F3 15C3 15D3 15E3 15J1 15K3 15L3 15M 3 15N3 15O1 16A3 16B3 16G3 

Sa mpl i ng Si t e Loc at i ons Soil Sampling Site

Salinity (EC5) Trends in Top Foot o

3⁄4No evidence of upward movement of water or sasurface soils. 3⁄4Over 50% of salts leached from the 0-1 ft zone (mleaching from 0-8 in.).
3⁄4 No surface water pond

extensive network of dcracks in clay soils

3⁄4 Soils cracked to depth 

Cracks not swell shut 

3⁄4 Depth to moisture did 

12” during 1999-2004

3⁄4 Depth to moisture ave

March 2005 

3⁄4 No groundwater recha

rainfall

3⁄4 Site vegetation mostly 

rooted annual grasses

Surface Po
Habitat Restoration Study 

Monitoring Results Show Biota Selenium 

3⁄4 Are within performance standards, 

3⁄4Slightly above those expected from area with non-selen

3⁄4An order of magnitude lower than those found at Keste

3⁄4Atwell Island levels are lower than those at Tranq

3⁄4Slight decline in levels on non-irrigated sites
Se Levels in Deer Mouse 

(Peromyscus maniculatus)

n= 10 10 11 16 17

p

Se concentration (mg/kg) A = range of geometric means of Se concentration

in deer mouse bodies collected at Kesterson NWR 1988 -1992. B = background Se level in small mammal bodies from non-seleniferous Soils in western US
3⁄4All Selenium levels measured are below levels 

All Selenium levels measured are below levels 

& USFWS concern for terrestrial biota. & USFWS concern for terrestrial biota.3⁄4Selenium concentrations in all biota did not ch

Selenium concentrations in all biota did not ch

significantly over the 5 significantly over the 5–year study period excep

year study period excep

slight decline on lands where irrigation was rem

slight decline on lands where irrigation was rem

Selenium Concentration Leve

Selenium Concentration Leve
Increased wildlife 

diversity & 

abundance on retired 

agricultural lands. 

Gopher Snake

Pygmy Bl

Short Ea
Restoration Results Restoration Results

Non

-native species dominate. native species dominate. 

Relatively few non Relatively few non

-imprinted imprinted 

natives become established. natives become established.Successful establishment Successful establishment of perennials but with low perennials but with low diversity. diversity.

At Tranquispecies wein the resto

Atwell Island

Tranquillit
Restoration Restoration 

Challenges to Challenges to Native Vegetation Native Vegetation Establishment Establishment

3⁄4Large amount of 

Large amount of 

in seed bank & adj

in seed bank & adj

3⁄4Low amounts of 

Low amounts of 

in seed bank in seed bank3⁄4Low rainfall year

Low rainfall year

changed hydrology changed hydrolog3⁄4Effects of soil typ

Effects of soil typ

recent agricultural 

recent agricultural 

In 2005 7’Black Mustard 

at Tranquillity

Typical 5-hoo

at Atwell I
3⁄4 Amplify seed 

3⁄4 Determine sprestoration stra3⁄4 Investigate efcultivation.3⁄4 Assess specfor mechanized production & ha3⁄498 species plaover 100 sites

Establish 9 acres of Native Plant Nursery because existing upland habitats are greatly limited. 
Seed Augmentation 

– NRCS Plant Materi

Lockeford, C
Why Restoration of Why Restoration of 

Native Vegetation? Native Vegetation?

3⁄4Self sustaini

Self sustaini

3⁄4Low water re

Low water re

3⁄4Low mainten

Low mainten

once establi

once establ

3⁄4Provides wild

Provides wil
Two year hedg

with nesting Loggerhead Sother resident migratory spe

Restoration of retired lands can ass

recovery of local species and enha

existing upland wildlife habitat b

providing structure & compositio
Knowing listed species life 

requirements helps in plann

restoration work

Existing native upland habitat.

Four-year old creates similadensity shrub
Some Restoration Lessons Lea

Drip irrigation is too labPerennial shrubs grow hedgerows on either sidfurrow created wide enoplant both sides with radrill. Furrow irrigated twof planting only.
Management

Benefits

Hedgerow 

trapping 

tumbleweeds

Habitat Dem

Units for 

Increased numbers of a

benefici
In Growth-form & 

Herbicide Trials 

like this Late 

Season Species 

Trial. 

For Testing P

Techniques o

of Natives in 

Alfalfa Fie

Utilize TSC Expertise
Seeding Rates 

Other Restoration Trials & Lessons

Best use of fire

Recreating 
Water Management on s

Water Management on s

and for other CVPIA purpo

and for other CVPIA purpo
USDA-NRCS Visalia NRCS Visalia

Roger Sanders, Organic Atwell Island farmers: JRon Nichols, & Don JacAmeriCorps NCCCCART and other schoolTulare Lake Basin WorkWestside RCDCalifornia Dept. of CorrClovis Botanical GardeTrails UnlimitedUS Forest Service

Partners/Cooperators

USBR, BLM, FWS USBR, BLM, FWSCSU Stanislaus CSU Stanislaus

Endangered Species Recovery Program

USGS, DWR, DFG USGS, DWR, DFGUC Davis UC Davis CSU Bakersfield CSU BakersfieldCSU Fresno CSU FresnoTrust for Public Lands Trust for Public LandsUSBR Technical Services CenterUSDA-NRCS-Plant Materials Center Plant Materials Center

• Planted 175 acres with 6000 # of 17 species of native shr

& grasses

• Planted 2 40-ac habitat demonstration units for wildlife us

intermixes with strips of safflower, wheat, milo & a legum

• Success of forbs phenomenal! 100% cover• 16 new 0.5 mi hedgerows. • Native seed collection continued• Cooperator for grow-out yields 120# seed for restoration p• 10 person AmeriCorp Team helped plant 1.5 mi trees, shr

grasses along canal banks, 300 trees & shrubs as well as with creeping wild rye.

• Constructing 0.5 mile nature observation trail• Land Acquisition

2005 BLM Tasks 

at Atwell Island

3⁄4Planted 6000 lbs. seed of 17 native Planted 6000 lbs. seed of 17 native 

species on 175 acres species on 175 acres 3⁄4Planted 2 40 Planted 2 40

-ac habitat demo units ac habitat demo units

3⁄4Created 16 new 0.5 mi hedgerows Created 16 new 0.5 mi hedgerows 

3⁄4Continued native seed collection Continued native seed collection3⁄4Received 120 lbs. alkali sacaton Received 120 lbs. alkali sacatonseed yield from organic cooperator seed yield from organic cooperator 3⁄4Utilized 10 Utilized 10

-person AmeriCorp NCCC person AmeriCorp NCCC 

Team to plant 1.5 mi of canal banks w/ Team to plant 1.5 mi of canal banks w/ > 300 trees, shrubs & grasses > 300 trees, shrubs & grasses 3⁄4Constructed 0.5 mile nature trail w. Constructed 0.5 mile nature trail w. 

AmeriCorps & Trails Unlimited AmeriCorps & Trails Unlimited3⁄4Conducted physical & biological Conducted physical & biological monitoring monitoring
FY 05 Budget Summary

TOTAL BUDGET = $1.0 millionUSBR Program Mgt (2 FTE’s) $3Staff FWS Biologist (1FTE) $1Demonstration Project Research $1Land Acquisition BLM $ 1USBR Denver Tech Service Center $ Groundwater & Soil Monitoring $ Groundwater Modeling $ GIS Mapping & analysis $ 
3⁄4 Assess retired lands for species recovery & 

restoration technology on retired lands in SJ

3⁄4 Complete land acquisitions at Atwell Island 3⁄4 Continue habitat restoration & monitoring at 

Island.

3⁄4 Perform long term monitoring at reduced fre

and scope.

3⁄4 Maintain & augment native nursery at Tranq3⁄4 Expand outreach.

Future CVPIA 

Land 

Retirement 

Priorities
For more information 

Robert May USBR at 

rmay@mp.usbr

rmay@mp.usbr

Bea Olsen FWS in Fre

SCCAO 

bolsen@mp.usb

bolsen@mp.usb