Ongoing and Potential Wetland Habitat Projects Ongoing And
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
6 OngoingOngoing andand PotentialPotential WetlandWetland HabitatHabitat ProjectsProjects JOHN STEERE he San Francisco Bay Joint Venture partners Ongoing and Pending T have been undertaking a wide array of wetland Habitat Projects projects throughout the region. The following listing of their habitat projects comprises 43,000 acres of ongoing and potential initiatives. It demonstrates The projects below are well distributed among both the great level of activity and the promise for acquisition, enhancement, or restoration. They can wetland and riparian restoration and enhancement be regarded as in process or partially completed, but throughout the geographic scope of the Joint generally in need of additional funding for comple- Venture. To underscore the reality and the potential tion. Together, these habitat projects constitute of the SFBJV’s efforts, this listing is divided between roughly 31,400 acres. “Ongoing and Pending Habitat Projects” and “Potential Projects for 2001 and Beyond.” These cat- egories serve to distinguish near-term initiatives North Bay Subregion (N) from long-term opportunities. The projects listed below are keyed to Figure N2. Triangle Marsh, Marin County. The 31-acre 6-1, “San Francisco Bay Joint Venture Habitat Triangle Marsh property, near Corte Madera, is a Projects: 2000.” These are partnership-based and remnant tidal area (with a tidal panne) along the are grouped by subregion, beginning with the North Marin Baylands. Marin Audubon initiated the proj- Bay, moving clockwise around the Bay. The project ect and it was recently purchased with grants from codes refer to these subregions, where “N” means the Coastal Conservancy and Marin Open Space North Bay, “CB” equals Central Bay, etc. Project District. The marsh provides habitat for the endan- descriptions are also keyed to this figure; they are a gered California clapper rail and shorebirds and reasonable representation of the projects that are waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway. It will being undertaken or contemplated around the Bay become a part of the expanded San Pablo Bay Area. While this listing is intended to be compre- National Wildlife Refuge (Project N9). hensive, it is not exhaustive. In addition, not all proj- ects shown in Figure 6-1 are described here. For N7. Hamilton Wetlands Restoration, Novato, Marin identification purposes, “High Activity” wetlands County. The Coastal Conservancy and Bay Conser- and creek projects shown on the map have been vation and Development Commission are taking the denoted in the project title. The term “High Activity lead on securing the transfer of 700 acres from the Project” represents habitat projects where the Joint former Hamilton Army Airfield to a public resource Venture is active. agency. The commission is completing a plan for the 64 Restoring the Estuary restoration of tidal and sea- sonal wetlands. With the pur- chase of the adjoining 1,600- acre Bel Marin Keys parcel in process, the project can be expected to restore 2,300 acres of habitat. N9. San Pablo Bay Nation- al Wildlife Refuge Expan- sion, Marin County. (High Activity) The San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge expanded its boundaries in 1996 by approximately 7,000 acres. The Marin Audubon Society and the Joint Venture are working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the refuge to the Corte Madera Marsh in Mill Valley prior to restoration (May 1992) BARBARA SALZMAN Marin Baylands where numer- ous restorable properties are proposed for development. Once added to the raised funds through the Marin Conservation Refuge, these properties can be restored to tidal and Foundation, the Coastal Conservancy, and the FWS seasonal wetlands. to enhance wetlands through improved tidal inflow to adjoining properties totaling 300 acres. The land N10. San Antonio Creek—George Googins Project, is owned by the California Department of Fish and Sonoma County. The Southern Sonoma County Game and Marin Open Space District. Resource Conservation District is overseeing the enhancement of 50 acres of stream bank along San N14. Scottsdale Marsh, Novato, Marin County. The Antonio Creek. The project will apply various tech- City of Novato has been restoring a 41-acre marsh niques including revegetation to control sediment consisting of emergent, seasonal, riparian, open in order to improve salmon rearing and spawning water, upland transitional habitat, and a 14-acre habitat. pond. N11.1 Petaluma River, Marin and Sonoma County. N15. Parcels at Olive and Atherton Avenues, Marin (High Activity) The City of Petaluma has been active County. This project comprises 144 acres of critical in the acquisition and restoration of riparian habitat wetland acquisition that will help preclude urban and diked baylands along the portions of the expansion into upland transitional marshes that sur- Petaluma River within its limits. The SFBJV is work- round San Pablo Bay. Restoration activities include ing with the Southern Sonoma Resource Conser- constructing levees, designing and constructing vation District (RCD), which completed a Watershed wetlands, and installing water-control structures. Plan in 1999, in convening a broad public-private partnership to foster riparian and land stewardship, N16 North Parcel, Sonoma County. This is a 470- and tidal restoration projects all along the river. acre former agricultural parcel located in Sonoma County. The project will restore and enhance sea- N12. Petaluma Marsh Expansion, Marin County. sonal wetlands, with modifications to activities Marin Audubon Society and the Coastal Conser- including installing water control systems and vancy are coordinating the acquisition and restora- recontouring wetland pond bottoms. The restored tion of 180 acres of diked land on the Marin side of parcel will provide alternative roosting and foraging the Petaluma River. habitat for wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. N13. Rush Creek/Cemetery Marsh Enhancement, N17.1 Schellville Restoration and Flood Control Novato, Marin County. Marin Audubon Society has Project, Sonoma County. The Southern Sonoma Chapter 6—Ongoing and Potential Wetland Habitat Projects 65 Service is the lead agency, but many partners have con- tributed to the completion of this project. N20. Lower Tubbs Island Restoration, Sonoma County. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is restoring 72 acres of diked agricultural bay- lands to wetlands, high salt marsh, and transitional uplands with assistance from Ducks Unlimited. The parcel is immediately adjacent to San Pablo Bay and when restored will provide critical roosting and foraging habitat for wintering shorebirds. Corte Madera Marsh in Mill Valley after restoration (Sept. 1992) BARBARA SALZMAN Restoration activities include engineering and design, build- ing a new levee inland from County Resource Conservation District is working to the Bay, then breaching the bayside levee. acquire and restore 700 acres of tidal wetlands along lower Sonoma Creek. The multi-objective restora- N23. San Pablo Bay North American Wetland tion and flood protection project would provide pro- Conservation Act Grant Sites, North Bay Counties. tection for light and commercial industry, and resi- (High Activity) Under this grant, 13,874 acres of varied dential and local infrastructure. wetland habitat types critically important for migrat- ing and wintering waterfowl will be enhanced and N17.2 Carriger Creek, Sonoma County. The restored. Newly constructed lagoon areas will pro- Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation vide protected open water habitat for waterfowl until District is working with property owners to restore those areas revert to tidal marsh. Managed and sea- 500 acres of riparian habitat along Carriger Creek. sonal wetlands will increase the available habitat for The Creek, which has historically provided good foraging and roosting waterfowl. Among the restora- spawning habitat for steelhead, has experienced tion and enhancement sites included in the grant are severe erosion and is down-cutting rapidly. the following: North Parcel/Leonard Ranch (Project N16); the Lower Tubbs Island Setback Levee project N17.3 Sonoma Creek (Various Sites), Sonoma (Part of Project N20), and Ringstrom Bay, Camp 2, County. The Sonoma Ecology Center, The Southern Pond 8, and Huichica Creek Units of the Napa-Sonoma Sonoma County Resource Conservation District, and Marshes Wildlife Area. These last four habitat various public and private agencies are working on enhancement projects are being undertaken by the the restoration and enhancement of numerous sites California Department of Fish and Game and Ducks along Sonoma Creek. A restoration and enhance- Unlimited in order to enhance 4,691 acres of a mosa- ment plan will focus on creek restoration, vineyard ic of wetlands via improved water control. demonstration projects, and habitat monitoring. N25. Cullinan Ranch, Vallejo, Solano County. This N18. Camp Two, Sonoma County. The Wildlife 1,500-acre ranch was purchased by the U.S. Fish and Conservation Board recently acquired two Camp Two Wildlife Service for the San Pablo Bay National properties totaling 608 acres. These properties are Wildlife Refuge several years ago. The Service is being restored for floodplain and wetlands habitat. working with Ducks Unlimited to complete the first phase of tidal restoration. N19. Tolay Creek, Sonoma County. This project returned tidal flows to Tolay Creek, restoring 435 N27. Mare Island and North Bay Discovery Center, acres to tidal marsh. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Vallejo, Solano County. The U.S. Fish