Prunuske Chatham, Inc.

06/30/2026

PCI recently applied a modified Hügelkultur (hoo-gul-culture) technique to a project in Napa County to reduce erosion and sediment runoff. The modified technique was implemented as part of a post-fire erosion control effort designed to stabilize disturbed slopes, reduce sediment delivery, and protect downstream water quality. Expected outcomes include groundwater recharge and carbon capture, removal of hazardous woody fuels, and reduction of mass wasting hazards.

PCI and California Land Stewardship Institute (CLSI) have been working under a grant from the California State Water Board to restore, re-vegetate, and protect water quality on properties impacted by the 2019 Glass Fire. Part of this work involves clearing woody debris and fuel, as well as implementing erosion control, revegetation, and stormwater protection measures. PCI saw the objectives of stabilizing slopes, protecting water quality, and reducing woody fuels at Smith Madrone Vineyard in the Mayacamas as an ideal candidate site to apply the modified Hügelkultur technique. Across hillslopes at Smith-Madrone, large amounts of dead woody material remained on steep slopes after the fires. This created ongoing management challenges, increased potential for sediment transport, and elevated future fire risk. We are grateful for the thoughtful collaboration from CLSI and Stu Smith at Smith Madrone Vineyards.

Hügelkultur is a horticultural technique meaning “mound culture.” It was first detailed by Herrman Andrä in the 1960s as a mound constructed from woody debris and compostable vegetation layered together to create a raised bed for growing crops. Its basic form is constructed by digging a shallow trench, piling large logs, and then smaller brush, twigs, compost or wood chips, and capping with soil in a berm form. Mounds vary in size, shape, and orientation depending on the application. The sides of the mound are typically constructed at slopes of 60-80 degrees with a flat top. The larger logs and branches in the core of the mound absorb water, release it over time, and are gradually decomposed by fungi and insects in the soil. Air gaps between vegetation below ground means the soil is naturally aerated, and decomposition in the mound provides nutrients to vegetation growing on top. Modern studies have shown that Hügelkultur mounds concentrate water and increase carbon stocks, soil quality, micro- and macronutrients, fertility, and biodiversity (Reiff et al., 2024).

Additional benefits can be achieved by combining modified Hügelkultur mounds with log-brush wattles.

One key benefit is the ability to slow surface flows and recharge groundwater for the area. The structures are designed to slow, spread, and sink water. Added filtration from the brushy material is designed to also improve water quality by filtering out sediment. The mounds help keep soil in place and reduce sediment delivery to nearby Ritchey and Mill Creeks and Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.

The decomposing wood will improve soil health and benefit microorganisms, and act as a mulch compost to facilitate plant establishment on barren slopes. This compost provides a nutrient-rich layer, especially necessary in barren burned areas. As new vegetation takes root, soil stability returns along slopes that once supported plant diversity and structure.

The mounds also store carbon in the form of woody biomass and anchor it to the land from which it originated. By repurposing burned debris and material generated from fuel reduction work in this way, this modified technique effectively reduces air pollution or emissions that would otherwise result from hauling material away with trucks, masticating it with equipment, or burning it in a pile.

PCI teams constructed several mounds of varying sizes on the slope. Crews strategically felled dead trees and used heavy equipment to position them parallel to slope contours before packing them with brush and soil. Each trench and mound outlet is set on contour and packed with brush to work as a level spreader for overflow conditions. Following completion of the mound and log work, crews spread weed-free rice straw and native seed across the landscape to help bolster understory plant communities and to stabilize loose soils.

Step 1. The footprint of mound is excavated. PCI crews used an excavator for efficiency, but smaller mounds could be excavated by hand.

Step 2. Crews piled and consolidated downed woody debris on-site. The crews packed excavated mound footprints with this woody debris, brush, limbs, and other materials harvested from the hillside. The excavator was used to drag and move material efficiently.

Step 3. Brush is continually packed into the footprint (as a gradient from larger diameter pieces to smaller diameter with organic debris) and then capped with soil and compacted. Logs and brush are left exposed both at the upslope and downslope edges for water to filter in and out of. This water will soak and filter into the bottom core of the mound as well and recharge groundwater.

Step 4. The crews applied weed-free rice straw and native seed to all work areas. Exposed brush on the downslope side of one of the constructed mounds is visible here.

https://www.pciecological.com/news/s2bax7z37xtsrc6eyrla7v8b8szq6q

06/19/2026

Throughout April and May, PCI crews completed a series of pile burning operations for a private client as part of an integrated habitat preservation and fuel management strategy. Crews removed hazard trees – including, in this sweep, a number of particularly challenging standing dead trees – limbed live trees up to 10’, and cleared out select ladder fuels, while maintaining habitat islands of healthy manzanita and honeysuckle. The burn crew followed the felling and pile building crew and implemented a number of best practices, including proper coverage and cure of wood, pre-planned timing to allow woody material to smolder down to fine ash, and all necessary safety and permitting precautions.

05/21/2026

PCI began working with City of Santa Rosa, California in 2000 to develop a conceptual restoration plan for a 1.3-mile reach of Colgan Creek, an urban creek channelized for flood control to protect southwest Santa Rosa residential and commercial areas. Implementation occurred in three phases and this past summer (2025) the third and final phase of the Colgan Creek Restoration Project was constructed. The entire project resulted in approximately 15 acres of riparian habitat enhancement along 1.3 miles of Colgan Creek. PCI supported this final phase of construction with engineering designs and on-site engineering support. This project is a wonderful example of how habitat restoration integrated with the need for 100- year flood control can be achieved, supporting healthy habitat for riparian and aquatic species while providing opportunities for the community to engage with the natural environment.
Building off the same conceptual plans developed in the early 2000s, PCI completed the final design and produced construction documents for the final phase of the design. Phase 3 connects the two previous phases by restoring a more natural condition to a 2,500-linear-foot reach of Colgan Creek. Habitat restoration elements included channel grading to create a meandering creek with inset floodplains, riffles and pools, complex log habitat structures, turtle basking rocks, a two-acre monarch butterfly habitat meadow, and riparian plantings throughout the project. The project also included a ten-foot-wide walking path with seating areas and overlooks, a Sonoma Water maintenance road, and a 160-foot-long pedestrian bridge to connect the trail network along the creek and provide access to proposed neighborhood park in the future. PCI was on site providing engineering inspections for instream habitat features throughout construction to ensure the project was built as designed.
Colgan Creek is another example of the City of Santa Rosa’s dedication to restoring important riparian habitat in its urban creeks. PCI worked closely with city staff to ensure that the design met all of the city’s goals for the project. In March 2026, the project was awarded Environmental Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter, highlighting exceptional construction management, environmental stewardship, safety performance, innovation, and community engagement. In partnership with the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, the project includes community planting days inviting volunteers to participate in revegetation of the project area.
Phase 3 was funded by the California State Department of Water Resources Urban Streams Restoration Program, Wildlife Conservation Board, and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space.

04/10/2026

PCI’s Crew completed their Arborist Chain Saw Safety Training Course! This two-day course with ACRT Services included time in the shop reviewing chainsaw safety, assembly and disassembly, useful knots, and tree inspection. After a half day of instruction, the team spent time in the field sharpening their new skills working through real world hazard tree situations. The crew received safety certificates for their completed training.

04/05/2026

It was our honor to support the City with their grand vision for SW Santa Rosa and Colgan Creek. We can’t wait to see all those native trees and plants mature along the creek/ park!

🎉 Award‑Winning Work in Santa Rosa!

The Lower Colgan Creek Restoration Phase 3 project has been named the APWA Northern California Chapter’s Environmental Project of the Year! 🌿💧

This major milestone reflects years of collaboration, innovation, and dedication to restoring natural habitat, improving flood protection, and expanding safe public access along the creek. Huge congratulations to the entire project team for delivering a standout example of sustainable urban restoration.

Big thank you to our Phase 3 project funders, which include the Department of Water Resources, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Additional Phase 3 partners include the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and Rainforest Rising. We could not do this work without them!👏

👉 Read the full story and learn what this win means for our community: https://www.srcity.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/3204

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04/02/2026

Our biology and construction teams planned, designed, and implemented revegetation along South Fork Battle Creek in Tehama County, where Pacific Gas and Electric Company removed the Inskip Dam last summer. The dam was installed in 1910 to provide hydroelectric power to the region. PG&E removed the dam and non-functioning fish ladder as part of a larger effort to improve salmonid habitat in this important watershed. The dam required numerous repairs and improvements in recent years due to damage from storms, and it was forecasted to require long-term structural improvements. PG&E removed the dam rather than implement continued repairs.
As a contractor to PG&E, PCI’s role in the project began with refining existing revegetation plans in 2022. In October-December 2025, once PG&E completed dam removal and adjacent grading, PCI installed over 600 native trees and shrubs, ranging from riparian species like western spicebush and willow to upland trees and shrubs such as valley oak, interior live oak, western redbud, ceanothus, and Oregon grape. The plantings are designed to restore diverse habitat along the banks of South Battle Creek, an important salmon-bearing stream, protect against excessive erosion, provide habitat for many bird and wildlife species, and eventually as the vegetation grows, providing beneficial habitat along the stream edge for fish and other aquatic species.
Our team also oversaw hydroseeding with native grasses and worked hard to install about 10,000 square feet of biodegradable coir blanket to protect the streambank until plant cover gets established. Our crew also installed drip irrigation to support upland plants through the challenging first years of establishment.
PCI will maintain and monitor the new plantings during their establishment period, watching for concerns like drought stress or herbivory and adapting our stewardship as needed to make sure this reach of stream is well on its way to supporting the native oak woodland and riparian forest of the region. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with PG&E and other partners to restore native habitat here and throughout northern California.

03/09/2026

PCI’s project on the Ten Mile River was highlighted in this Mendocino Voice article, shedding light on the recent successes in coho recovery and restoration in Mendocino County watersheds. Our partners at The Nature Conservatory shared their inspiring perspective and experiences in coho restoration, helping to explain the need for this type of work and the means by which it can be achieved. PCI has had the privilege of supporting The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, the Mendocino County RCD, NOAA, and CDFW on coho recovery projects. We take great pride in designing and building projects that will benefit fish, wildlife and local communities for generations to
come.

Conservationists say rebuilt floodplains, wetlands and river habitats are allowing endangered coho to survive — and thrive — once again.

03/05/2026

Congratulations to Cesar on Conservation Corps North Bay Corps Member of the Year! Cesar joined PCI last summer and has been an incredible addition to the team!

From student to professional! 🌿 Cesar V., the CCNorthBay Marin Corpsmember of the Year, turned a year of opportunity into a transformative career launchpad. While at CCNorthBay, Cesar didn't just earn his high school diploma; he built a critical foundation for his future by earning industry-recognized certifications like OSHA-10, HAZWOPER 40, and Forklift Operation. Today, he’s a Landscape Restoration Technician at Prunuske Chatham. This is the power of the Local Corps model: academic success combined with hands-on training builds a stronger California.

01/06/2026

The final stage of the Colgan Creek restoration project in southwest Santa Rosa was constructed this past summer. This one has been great to watch, PCI Ecological helped the city envision the concept plans for the entire reach in 2001/ 2002 with input from Elsie Allen High School students. PCI developed 100% construction plans with the city for the final Phase 3 design and provided construction oversight support to wrap up the project in 2025. We look forward to seeing the project mature overtime with Laguna Foundation riparian plantings being installed this winter.

The project, in the works for years and envisioned more than two decades ago, adds open space for an underserved part of the city and improves habitat on what was a degraded section of waterway.

01/01/2026

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!🥳 We hope you're enjoying the holidays as much as we are! Thank you to our team here at PCI who make it all possible 🐟🌲❤️