Skunk Hollow - Barry Jones Wetlands Mitigation Bank

Physical Description: The Skunk Hollow Preserve is located in the unincorporated area of French Valley, Riverside County, and consists of 138 acres of annual grassland, coastal sage scrub and vernal pool. The Johnson Ranch Preserve abuts the eastern boundary, while a 400 foot wide habitat corridor connects Skunk Hollow Preserve to the adjacent Rancho Bella Vista Preserve and ultimately on to the Silverhawk Preserve (both are future CNLM preserves). Most of the preserve consists of a closed watershed, although approximately 12 acres flow into a tributary of Santa Gertrudis Creek.

Conservation Purpose: The main purpose for conserving Skunk Hollow was as a wetlands mitigation bank, whereby impacts to wetlands outside the preserve can be mitigated by acquiring acreage credits within the preserve. The reason the establishment of the mitigation bank was desirable to conservationists is the presence of several rare and endangered species. These include two listed species of fairy shrimp - the Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus wootoni) and vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi) - and two listed plant species - California orcutt-grass (Orcuttia californica) and San Diego ambrosia (Ambrosia pumila). The preserve also acts as a dispersal corridor for the California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) and Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino).

Habitat Types: The main feature on the preserve is a large vernal pool (Skunk Hollow) that can reach a maximum surface area of 32 acres. The terrain slopes gradually outward from the pool. At the highest elevations, which are the driest areas, around the perimeter of the preserve is where Riversidian sage scrub grows. Between the pool and the sage scrub is annual grassland.

Management: Our primary goal within our management program is to protect the Skunk Hollow vernal pool from pollution and siltation that may arise from surrounding developed lands and street runoff. We do this by maintaining a buffer of vegetation around the pool to filter overland water flow. We are also working to educate our neighbors about West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that transmit the disease. The Skunk Hollow aquatic system is not the proper habitat for the mosquitoes that carry the virus, and the well-developed predator population within the pool suppresses any mosquito population that may begin to build. The mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus typically come from small, stagnant pools like unkempt bird baths and swimming pool covers, rather than from large, natural wetlands.

We are also studying the ecology of San Diego ambrosia. The results of our studies will be used to develop a propagation program so we can create other populations of this endangered plant around other vernal pools on the Johnson Ranch Preserve.

Outside of the vernal pool we are working to expand the amount of sage scrub in the uplands. We mow large areas of grassland in the upper elevations of the preserve, followed by sowing with shrub seeds. The objective is to create a continuous strip of sage scrub between the Johnson Ranch Preserve and the Rancho Bella Vista Preserve to enhance the effectiveness of the Skunk Hollow Preserve as a dispersal corridor for sage scrub-associated species.

Manager: The preserve is managed by Kim Klementowski.

For information and inquiries please contact:

Kim Klementowski
Preserve Manager
Phone: (951) 226-7228
e-mail: kklementowski@cnlm.org

The Barry Jones Wetland Mitigation Bank can provide environmental mitigation for projects on similar habitat types (vernal pools) or affecting the species (e.g. Riverside Fairy Shrimp) protected on this preserve. For price and pending sales information, contact Michael McCollum, McCollum Associates (http://www.mccollum.com/mitigation), at (916) 688-2040 or mccollum@mccollum.com