Coyote Creek

Shasta Land Trust is proud to announce the protection of the Coyote Creek Mitigation Preserve, an ecologically rich property that supports a diversity of sensitive habitats and species. Located within a critical watershed, this preserve will now be permanently protected as part of the Coyote Creek Wetlands Restoration Project, under the Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program led by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

The Coyote Creek conservation easement safeguards vernal pools, swales, annual grasslands, and both intermittent and perennial streams—ecosystems that provide essential habitat for rare and threatened species such as the vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), California linderiella (Linderiella occidentalis), dwarf downingia (Downingia pusilla), and legenere (Legenere limosa).

The restoration project aims to establish over 11 acres of aquatic habitat, including approximately:

  • 1.89 acres of emergent marsh

  • 2.53 acres of intermittent stream

  • 0.45 acres of perennial stream

  • 3.27 acres of vernal pools

  • 2.62 acres of vernal swales

Additionally, 0.67 acres of vernal pools will be rehabilitated, and 0.22 acres enhanced. These improvements will restore natural hydrology and promote long-term ecological resilience across the property.

Ongoing land management will be supported by funding from NFWF. This support ensures the landowner can complete critical stewardship activities such as fence repairs, erosion control, and road maintenance, while meeting conservation objectives. Cattle grazing will be used as a natural management tool to reduce invasive grasses and maintain vernal pool health.

To ensure proper maintenance, Shasta Land Trust staff will monitor grazing levels using Residual Dry Matter (RDM) sampling and consultants will track wetland health through California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) surveys. These efforts will continue until in-house training allows for full program implementation.

Although the preserve lies just short of the Interstate 5 corridor, Coyote Creek flows beneath the highway, serving as a natural wildlife corridor and connecting vital habitats.