COMMISSION

Condition of Natural and Cultural Resources at SVRAs
This section provides an overview of cultural and natural resources at SVRAs and areas
that receive OHV trust funds, followed by a description of major resource management
programs at each park.
Carnegie SVRA
Located in the coastal hills of western San Joaquin and eastern Alameda Counties, the
topography of Carnegie SVRA is steep, with several vegetation communities represented,
including California annual grassland, blue oak, California sagebrush-black sage, and mule
fat. The climate is Mediterranean with cool, wet
winters and hot, dry summers.
The park currently manages approximately 5,000
acres. Approximately half of the area on the north
side of the park is available for OHV recreation.
Typically, this area consists of grasslands with
more durable clay soils. Although these clay soils
have been ridden on for several decades, years
of observations and monitoring show few signs
of excessive erosion or degradation. In the areas where damage is observed, restoration
has been performed or planned for implementation. The south side of the SVRA contains
sensitive habitats of the park, such as coastal scrub and oak woodland. The soils in these
habitats are less stable and need vegetation to minimize erosion from storm water. The
vegetation, once disturbed, can take several years to reestablish.
The park is home to the federally listed threatened Alameda whipsnake, California redlegged
frog, and California tiger salamander. Because of the presence of these listed
species, along with the need to clean out sediment basins annually, several regulatory
permits are required by both state and federal agencies.
Monitoring Soil Erosion on Trails
Carnegie SVRA has several miles of trails that
accommodate motorcycles, ATVs, and emergency
vehicles. SVRA staff use and improve upon evaluations
from the Soil Standard to examine the degree of
compaction (static, dynamic, or kneading), water travel
(rilling, gullying, slope, berming, or whooping), soil
Using GPS equipment to collect soils data
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California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission