Routine Agricultural Activities. Routine Agricultural Activities considered under the Template SHA for which incidental take will be authorized on the Enrolled Properties are standard practices for production of livestock, pasture and hay, and other routine associated activities. For the purposes of the Agreement, standard practices for production of livestock, pasture and hay means: any lawful practices performed by a Permittee, and persons associated with the Permittee, that are incident to or in conjunction with livestock, pasture and haying operations including crop production, cultivation, growing, replanting, diversion of water, irrigation, irrigation runoff management (tailwater), harvesting, preparation for market, vehicle operation, moving of livestock and watering of livestock. Other Routine Agricultural Activities include riparian area cultivation and maintenance, monitoring infrastructure activities, erosion control, flood and emergency protection, invasive plant removal and control, and installation, repair, maintenance and operation of: diversions, fish screens, instream habitat structures, fences, roads, and stream crossings. These activities will be described, as appropriate, by each Permittee within their Site Plan Agreement. The potential effects of Routine Agricultural Activities on the Covered Species shall be minimized and avoided through the implementation of AMMs. The Template SHA and Site Plan Agreements will grant NMFS and CDFW, after reasonable prior notice to the Permittees, access (in any form, including aerial) to the Enrolled Properties for purposes of technical assistance related to monitoring and implementation, and to ascertain compliance with the Template SHA and Site Plan Agreements. Implementation monitoring of Routine Agricultural Activities and AMMs as specified in Individual Site Plan Agreements will be accomplished by the Permittees or their consultants, with the assistance of the Parties, when appropriate, on a schedule specified in each Individual Site Plan Agreement, and using specific protocols set forth below. Permittees will document implementation of AMMs on their Enrolled Property using the monitoring protocols set forth below and submit documentation to the Parties in the Annual Report (see Agreement Section 6.6).
Routine Agricultural Activities. The Enrolled Property consists of 5900± acres. The Enrolled Property is managed as a cow‐calf operation running about 400-500 pairs. Together with replacement heifers and bulls, the Enrolled Property carries about 650 to 800 head. Calving typically begins in early October and lasts through December. Calves are weaned, beginning at the end of July and shipped in August and September before the next round of calving, with some heifers kept each year for replacements. Cattle graze irrigated (actively and sub-) pastures and dry land range (See Table B4) supplemented by hay. Supplemental feeding begins about the end of November and lasts through the end of March, by which time pasture and range conditions are sufficient to sustain the herd. The irrigated acres are grass pasture. Three-quarters of the 2100 acres are flood irrigated while approximately 500 acres are sub irrigated. Diverted water (including a small amount of stock water) is conveyed principally in open, unlined ditches. As discussed above under Description of Water Rights, there are also two ponds with a combined total of ±106 acre-feet, with a licensed use for irrigation, stock water, and recreation. They are used, as well, to create head to deliver water to fields on the east side of Parks Creek and/or catch tailwater for re-use. Wildlife, especially waterfowl, also use the reservoirs. Two smaller impoundments (Bridge Field and Kettle Springs) are not for storage but for management of spring flows. In the fall and winter, approximately 73 acres are flooded and kept inundated to create wetland habitat for overwintering waterfowl. There are four rocked ford vehicle crossings on the Enrolled Property, for crossing Parks Creek. These are also used as stock crossings. Three additional rocked fords across Parks Creek are used for stock and ATVs only. All wet crossings serve as stock watering access as well. There are five crossings over culverts -- one across Bridge Field Springs Creek, one across Kettle Springs Creek, one across Parks Creek, and two across the North Slough. All five are used for livestock, ATVs, and vehicles, including heavy equipment over Parks Creek and Kettle Springs Creek, by which all the property west of the river may be accessed. One additional piped crossing (at Kettle Springs POD) is for livestock and ATV use, only. There is one stock watering access lane that is not a crossing. Management and maintenance of crossings and watering lanes are further addressed in the section r...
Routine Agricultural Activities
