DIRECTORS

Robert Bliss

El Nido

Karen Barstow

Ballico

Director

President

Cindy Lashbrook

Cathy Weber

Snelling

Director

Associate Director

Director

The East Merced Resource Conservation District (EMRCD) encompasses approximately 190,840 acres, with a total sphere of influence (which includes all of Merced County east of the San Joaquin River) encompassing more than 659,000 acres. Topography varies from rolling foothills in the east to gently sloping alluvial fans and terraces on the valley floor. Land use within EMRCD includes rangeland, dry farmed land, irrigated agriculture, wildlife habitat, rural, and urban.

EMRCD was formed on March 7, 1997, through the consolidation of five smaller districts; La Paloma RCD, Ballico RCD, El Nido RCD, Stevinson, RCD and Lone Tree RCD. As a legally constituted unit under the State of California, it was created to develop and further ongoing programs to conserve natural resources in eastern Merced County.

Crop and Dairy Lands

Most of the lands between Highway 59 and the San Joaquin River support crop and dairy-lands. These industries provide the backbone of the County’s economy. In the past few years, many new dairies have located in the region.

Rangelands and vernal pools

Most of eastern Merced County consists of large, privately-owned cattle ranches supporting annual grassland habitat. Large tracts within these grasslands support dense vernal pools.

Lower Merced River Corridor

The lower Merced River and its adjacent floodplains have been heavily altered through channel narrowing, diking, placement of revetments (rip-rap), removal of riparian vegetation, and gravel mining. Gold dredging in the early to mid 1900s left thousands of acres of the floodplain covered with rows of gravel tailings in the Snelling—Merced Falls region.

In spite of these disturbances the River continues to support riparian vegetation and several rare and threatened aquatic species including Central Valley Steelhead (designated critical habitat), Sacramento Splittail, Kern Brook Lamprey, and fall/late fall run Chinook Salmon.

Currently facilitates the Merced River Stakeholders, which provides a forum for all interested parties to exchange information on the Merced River corridor. The Lower Merced and Upper Merced Watershed are partnered on the Merced River Alliance.  EMRCD, CDFG’s Anadromous Fisheries Restoration Program (AFRP), Stillwater Sciences (a Berkeley-based environmental consulting firm), Merced County, landowners, the public, US Fish & Wildlife Service and other federal, state, and local agencies are working together to develop and implement floodplain restoration plans and a comprehensive restoration plan focused on improving in-stream geomorphology and spawning beds.