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One other monitoring objective was to document the vegetation growth on the spoils piles (cut material <br />from construction activities). Photos 5 and 6 recorded the vegetation growth on one spoils pile. Photo 4 <br />shows only a few plants 2 months after construction, while, photo 5 shows significant vegetation growth in <br />August 1997, 4 months after construction. This is typical of most of the restoration sites, local plants and <br />grasses tend to grow back quickly on the spoils piles (one runoff season). It has been recommended to <br />re-seed spoils piles with native grasses. This has been done on some of the Bonanza Bridge spoils piles, <br />not including the one in the photo. Native grasses have grown well, but other weeds and grasses tend to <br />dominate. To assure native vegetation dominates the spoils piles, active management would be <br />necessary over the course of several years. Previous projects have required the removal of the exotic <br />species to assure native grasses can compete. A weed management plan for sites acquired and restored <br />by the Recovery Program is currently under development. <br />The development of the sand bar adjacent to the Bonanza Bridge opening is documented in photos 7 and <br />8. Photo 7 shows that the large sand bar existed next to this site prior to any construction activities. <br />Photo 8 indicates that the sand bar does appear to have aggraded during the 1997 runoff season, and <br />river surveys also testify to that claim. However, as noted above, the sand bar actually degraded in some <br />locations after the 1998 runoff season. <br />• <br />• <br />3-6 <br />