Hand-pull invasive water-primrose from the Colusa Basin Drain bank, site 3 -- Colusa Basin Drain, west of Maxwell, CA 95955 (2026-07-24)

Invasive water-primrose and perennial pepperweed are choking this Colusa Basin Drain bank, crowding out the native vegetation and slowing the drain's carrying capacity for winter tailwater releases. Standard: Urban-creek riparian restoration INSTALL (USDA NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice) -- native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal along a river/estuary reach. SDG 6.6 & 15.1. Proof: before/after photos + area/volume-removed log + dry-bank-only confirm + GPS Method (Urban-creek riparian restoration INSTALL (USDA NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice) -- native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal along a river/estuary reach. SDG 6.6 & 15.1.): 1. 1. Walk the dry bank/road-shoulder edge of the drain under normal, non-storm conditions and photograph the invasive water-primrose/arundo/perennial-pepperweed stand as found. 2. 2. Hand-pull or cut the invasive plants at the base from the dry bank/shoulder only, using a pole hook to reach fringe growth if needed -- never wade or enter the water. 3. 3. Bag and haul off the removed plant material so it cannot re-root along the bank. 4. 4. Photograph the cleared bank from the matching before vantage and log the area/volume of invasive material removed. Done when: before/after photos + area/volume-removed log + dry-bank-only confirm + GPS

Where

Colusa Basin Drain, west of Maxwell, CA 95955

Pay

$95 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before/after photos + area/volume-removed log + dry-bank-only confirm + GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

entry

Open until

2026-10-23

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 90–180 minutes. Method of record: Urban-creek riparian restoration install (native buffer planting, bank stabilization, invasive/litter removal) per NRCS CPS 391 riparian forest buffer + EPA nonpoint-source BMP practice -- hands-on restoration, not a bioassessment survey; assess->clear->plant/stabilize->verify

Bring

• shovel / dibble bar
• native bare-root or plug plantings (locally sourced)
• erosion-control matting or willow stakes (bank-stabilization sites)
• loppers / hand saw (invasive removal)
• gloves + trash bags (litter pass)
• camera
• GPS-enabled phone

Steps

1. 1. Walk the reach with the site plan (or the standing bioassessment/watershed-health finding, if one exists) and photograph the bank/buffer segment as found: bare soil, invasive cover, litter, erosion.
2. 2. Clear invasive growth and litter from the planting zone by hand, bagging trash separately from green waste; leave native volunteers in place.
3. 3. Plant native riparian species (or set willow stakes / erosion-control matting) at the spacing and depth the site plan calls for, working from the top of bank downward; water each planting in.
4. 4. Stake or anchor any erosion-control matting so it will not lift in the next high-flow event, and mulch around new plantings kept clear of stems.
5. 5. Photograph the finished segment from the matching vantage, record species/count or matting area installed, and note any follow-up watering the planting needs.

If it does not match the plan

• Steep, actively eroding or undercut bank -> stabilize with matting/stakes before planting; never plant into a bank that is still actively failing.
• Standing or fast-moving water in the work zone -> stay on the bank, never enter the channel; document from the bank and reschedule if the reach is unsafe.
• Suspected illicit discharge, sheen, or odor in the reach -> stop, photograph from a safe distance, do not touch, and report to the MS4/311 line rather than working through it.

What counts as done

• Before photo of the reach segment (bare soil, invasive cover, litter, or erosion as found)
• Invasive/litter removal photo-documented, green waste separated from trash
• Planting or matting installed to spec (species/count or matting area recorded) with after photo from matching vantage
• Erosion-control matting/stakes secured against the next high-flow event, and follow-up watering need noted

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.