Las Piletas Ranch Habitat and Resiliency Improvement Project - Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Las Piletas Ranch Habitat Improvement and Resiliency Project is built from two focused restoration efforts across the property. Phase 1 of this work was funded by CDFW through a Watershed Restoration Grant and completed in March of 2025. The San Juan Unit work consists of retrofitting one existing water well with a solar pump, installing a new water well with a solar pump, solar panels, 5000-gallon poly plastic water tanks, and 425-gallon water troughs. In total, the project will install up to nine 5000-gallon water storage tanks, 21 new 425-gallon water troughs and approximately 14 miles of distribution pipe. The 1.25” polypipe water lines that will connect wells to tanks and troughs will be trenched at a depth of 10-15” through grasslands and oak woodlands. These efforts will provide off-channel water sources for cattle that will greatly reduce the impacts to the San Juan riparian corridor. This water distribution will build on conservation grazing practices that utilize Virtual Fence cattle management, which allows for improved grassland diversity, enhancement of sensitive habitat area,s and targeted grazing for listed plant species like the listed Cammata Canyon Amole. The restoration efforts on the North Carrizo Unit will pilot several restoration actions at targeted areas and have a nucleated response across 1200 acres of heavily manipulated farmland. The restoration efforts will be across two units that were dry farmed up until a few years ago, resulting in significant soil compaction, water runoff issues and an overall decrease in vegetative response. Restoration actions include re-contouring and repairs to erosive features, mulching of targeted areas to improved organic matter, conservation grazing techniques and native seeding to improve grassland diversity and shrub establishment. The efforts on the northern unit will increase the availability of forage species for pronghorn by improving water holding capacity and adding diversity to heavily manipulated farm fields. The proposed project will involve minor contouring, grading, trenching and backfilling with impacts of project implementation affecting annual grasslands.