Implementation of an agreement to restore habitat for the endangered San Bernardino rat has begun with a series of technical meetings.

Last year, following years-long settlement talks with EHL and the Center for Biological Diversity, the flood control districts that operate Seven Oaks Dam agreed to a program to restore the upper Santa Ana River for the benefit of the San Bernardino kangaroo rat (SBKR) and other endangered species. Absent rejuvenation by such flows, the habitat will senesce and no longer support the rat, which is adapted to the early-stage habitat that follows flood events.

A multi-agency Technical Committee, including EHL and its biologist, has now met three times to review information and to design and recommend specific projects. These will direct water – either from dam releases or from the tributary of Mill Creek – into portions of the floodplain that are currently dewatered. Vegetation management is also being considered to remove non-native grasses that render habitat unsuitable for the SBKR.

Projects will be ranked using evaluation factors like biological benefit, cost, acreage, hydrologic feasibility, and public safety. We look forward to continuing this collaborative effort with the flood control districts and with the water supply districts which joined the original litigation to secure compatible groundwater recharge. While the restoration will occur over decades, the settlement agreement provides benchmarks for progress.