Field Station at Boulder Creek

COVID has taken its toll!

Imagine turning the corner and seeing your plant nursery torn up and then continuing on to see fallen limbs and other damage. We put the call out and wow did people respond. Thank you! The funds were raised and work has started at the Field Station which is part of Boulder Creek Preserve (aka Fisherman's Camp).

VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY

Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021

Time: 9:00AM - Noon (Revised Time)

Location: Field Station: 14741 Boulder Creek Road at Boulder Creek

 

We invite you to join in for the next clean-up activity as we start to rebuild. You can also come by just to see the Field Station and learn about some of the research that is being done at the site.

Interested? Please contact our Senior Program Manager, Natalie at natalie@sandiegoriver.org

 

The site is located on Boulder Creek Road, a well travelled County maintained dirt road. Activities will include general cleanup, making repairs to the wood structure, chainsawing fallen limbs, and trenching to install some cables.

UPDATE: Spring 2022
Internet connection is working! We have 5 cameras working!

See images - Click Here

NOTE: after clicking the link, scroll down to select a time series video to watch.

Last = today

3 hour time lapse of image are shown 00-03 means Midnight to 3AM

 

• Volunteers and staff led by Robert Mazalewski and Martin Offenhauer developed and installed an automated electronic water quality monitoring station in Boulder Creek connected to the internet. Read about it: https://hpwren.ucsd.edu/news/20220315/
• This project was funded by a County of San Diego Fish and Wildlife Advisory Commission grant to upgrade research equipment at this remote field station.

About the Field Station
The Boulder Creek Field Station is strategically located along an important tributary to the San Diego River, Boulder Creek. Many know this waterway as the creek that forms the magnificent 3 Sisters Waterfall.

Boulder Creek is considered a "cold-water stream" and has historically supported wild rainbow trout. Sedimentation, climate change and other factors may impact the ability of the creek to support wild trout, newts and other wildlife. By studying the creek we can better understand the impact these concerns will have on this and other tributaries of the San Diego River. Data informs our restoration and stewardship actions, too.

 

Boulder Creek receives water from the highest point in the watershed, the 6512 foor tall Cuyamaca Peak, as well as a number of springs, smaller creeks and streams.

The vision of the Field Station is to support real-time monitoring to document the health of the creek. Monitoring Boulder Creek is used as an important baseline for the watershed and our region.

The Field Station supports research on Calfornia newts and other critters. Recently, we launched an effort to understand bats in the area. The Field Station vision includes installing real-time cameras to monitor wildlife movement and the level of the creek.

The Field Station provides a wonderful remote classroom where research, restoration and fun can all come together.

 

 

 

Site Background and History
In 2012, we were contacted by a local fish conservation group, the San Diego Fly Fishers, about the recent finding that a small population of wild rainbow trout were surviving on Boulder Creek within the San Diego River Watershed. We were asked to get involved with an effort to support the trout, restore the creek and develop a program to survey and monitor how the trout are doing. They also asked us to partner with them to conserve privately owned property that contained this portion of the Creek.

We learned about a key piece of property that was for sale, and when we did a tour we saw 11 rainbow trout. Wow! We knew this property had to be protected. It was a perfect place to launch this exciting conservation project and partnership. A deal was soon struck with the owner, and we were given 75 days to raise the funds needed to acquire the property. Thanks to the support of more than 100 donors, we raised sufficient funds to conserve this small but critical 2.35 acre property. We also received incredible support from Mesa Rim Climbing & Fitness Center, who helped us secure a 3 year loan for the $85,000 of the funding required. During the acquisition, we learned that the property immediately upstream was on the market. This 11 acre property has a drier section of the creek which has been disturbed by fire and subsequent erosion. It was a critical piece where the creek could be restored to support the fish and other wildlife. Thanks to more than 200 donors, we raised more than $20,000. We borrowed $35,000 from two of our supporters and completed the acquisition of this second property in February of 2013. We roll up our sleeves and got to work and soon were able to pay off those two loans!

If you are interested in volunteering or donating to Fishermans Camp, please let us know. Thanks.
.

Partners: San Diego Fly Fishers, HPWREN, SDSU, SDNHM, San Diego Water Board, CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

THANK YOU
DONORS!

$100 and Above

Donor's to Rob's Facebook Birthday Wish
Clint & Kim Williams Family
Theresa Acerro
Rob Hutsel
Gary Mitrovich
Jeannette & Thomas Poling
Charlene Price
Margaret McCann
Dana Smith
Brenda Tracy
Chip Owen
Gerardus Kroon &
Maatje Scherpenisse

$10 - $99

Sherry Ashbaugh
Cindy Burrascano
John Caffrey
Joseph Smith
Rae Newman
Anonymous
Richard Carrico
Phyllis Berger
Linda Skuce
Katherine Sheets
Margaret Green
Charles Koeleman
Sam Marsh
Sarah Grant
Jessie Carrie McBride
Ernest Smith
Mollie Martinek
Marion Brooks
Geneva Mdlbrk

 

Updated: 7/13/2021

Thank you so much to all who are helping rebuild and enhance the Field Station. Please let us know if we made an error on the list so we can correct it.