Background | Hypotheses | Bibliography | Maps | Home

Notes on Effects of Vineyard Development in House Creek

Cumulative Watershed Effects Information in KRIS Gualala

Quote below is from:  Higgins, P.T. 1997. Gualala River Watershed Literature Search and Assimilation. Funded by the Coastal Conservancy under contract to Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. Gualala, CA. 59 pp.

"Vineyards: A hillside vineyard in the House Creek drainage has caused substantial erosion and has been the subject of several enforcement actions from the NCRWQCB since 1993 (Gergus, 1997).  The vineyard occupies 100 acres on a steep-sided ridge.  Inspections noted six foot deep gullies in un-compacted fill that were draining into headwater streams (NCRWQCB, 1994).  Gergus (1996)in a letter to the owner stated:  "Your vineyard appears to be steeply sloped in many areas and lacking any structures to control runoff and erosion. This area receives approximately 65 inches of rain per year.  I am very concerned that your vineyard will suffer significant erosion and cause sedimentation to surrounding creeks. Your vineyard drains to House Creek and could cause significant sedimentation to this stream.  Erosion from this vineyard also has caused failure of a road for which an easement exists to an adjacent property (Gergus, 1996)."

See Higgins (1997) for full list of citations.