The natural resources of : their status and future

Item Type monograph

Authors Giguere, Paul E.; Sturgeon, Merl A.; Inlay, M.W.; Aplin, John A.; Markel, Gerald W.; Speth, John; Arnett, G. Ray

Publisher Department of Fish and Game

Download date 10/10/2021 07:39:19

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/18462

St ate of California

DEPARm OF FfSH &?D Gm

THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF

BOLINAS LAGOON

TE3[EIR STATUS AND FUTURE

Paul E. Giguere, Associate Fishery Biologist

Assisted by

Merl A. St urgeon, Assist ant Wildlife Manager-Bi ologist M. W. Inlay, Associate Wildlife Manager-Biologist John A. Aplin, Associate Marine Biologist Gerald W. Markel, Fish and Wildlife Assistant I1 John Speth, Associate Wildlife Manager-Biologist

G. Ray &?nett, Director, lkpartment of Fish and Game

December, 1970 Bolinas Peninsula and Lagoon (Dwcbury Reef in left foreground) Courtesy Aero F'hotographers, Sausalito The Department of Fish and Game thanks tie many persons who con- tributed assistance, advice and data during the preparation of this report. The authors are particularly grateful for the help received from the College of Marin Marine Station at Bolinas. Professor Al

Malina and Mr. Craig Hansen provided reference materials, maps, and constructive criticism.

Members of the were equally helpful. Mr.

Clerin Zurnwalt, Ranch Naturalist, consented to the use of two of his fine photographs and reviewed the draft co~yof this report. Aero

Photographers of Sausdito authorized the use of that firm's aerial photo of Bolinas Lagooa.

Personnel of the Conservation Department, the Department of Navi- gation and Ocean Development, and the Marin County Planning Department

Staff assisted in document research. The Conservation Foundation graciously made several of its reports available for reference. The

Foundation and Professor Robert H. Burgy of the University of California at Davis authorized the use of two photomaps. Professor Burgy also reviewed the section on sedimentation and suggested important revisions.

Review of the report by the above-mentioned persons and organizations does not, however, constitute their endorsement of its contents.

Within the Department, Mr. Frank Hubbard of the

Office contributed several of the photographs appearing in the report.

Miss Cliffa Corson utilized her familiarity with the Bolinas-Stinson

Beach area to provide more than ordinary delineation skill in the prep- aration of maps and other plates. TABLE OF COW=

Page No. Clam Reserve------36

Wildlife preserve------37

Ocean Front adAccess------37

Highways------39 ECOLOGY OF mE LAWON------41

FISH W&J)J,ImRESOURCES A;WD USE------50 Upl& Wildlife------51 Wildlife of the Lagoon------52

Shellfish------55

Crustaceans and Other Invertebrates------57 Finfish of the Lag;oon------58

Ocean Fishing------59

Tide pool Animals------60 EDUCATIO~~fim------61

PRO= Am 'COmICm------6 3

Sedimentation------6 3

pollution and Contamination------70

Sources of pollution------73

pe~ti~ides------73

Sewage ~is~osd------7 5

Channel Stabilization and Boating Facility Plans------79 Initial Harbor of Refuge Study------83

Department of Parks and Recreation Study------83

U. S. Corps of Engineers' Studies------86 The Johnson Concept for Channel St& ilization------88 The Harbor District's Master Plan------91 Position of the Department on Development of Boating Facilities------9 3

APPENDIX A, INDEX TO PLANTS AND ANIMALS MENTIONED IN THE TEXT-- A-1

APPENDIX B, LIST OF FISKES OF BOLINAS LAGOON------B-1

APPENDIX C, MOUUSKS COLLECTED AT BOLINAS LAGOON------C-1 aPPENDM D, MISCEUIANWUS INVEXTEBRATES COLLECTED AT BOLINAS LAGOON BY C0LLM;E OF MARIN SWF AND STUDENTS------D-1

APPENDIX E, BIRDLIFE OF BOLINAS LAGOON------E-1

APPENDIX F, MONTHLY BIRD CE3SUS BOLINAS LAGOON WIHTER OF 1967-68 BY MElBERS OF AUMTBON CANYON RANCH------F-1

APPENDIX G, AERIAL SURVEY OF SHOREBIFDS, - BOLINAS LAGOON, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AM3 GAME------G-1

Table 1, Number of Shorebirds Counted During 1969-70 Census- G-l

Table 2, Number of Shorebirds Counted During Census years 1968-70------G-2

Table 3, Number of Waterfowl Counted During Census Year 1968-69, Bolins L%oon only------G-3

Table 4, Number of Other Water-Associated Birds ( Btcluding Shoreb ids) Counted During Census Year 1968-69 Bolinas Lwoon Only------(3-4

Table 5, Number of Waterfowl Counted During Census Year 1969-70, Boxinas Lagoon Only------G- 5

Table 6, Niamber of Other Water-Associated Birds (Excluding Shorebirds ) Counted During Census Year 1969-70 Bolinas moon Only------G-6

PLATE NO.

1 Location Map------20 Ownership of Shoreline Lands, North End of Lag5oon--- 25 Generalized Configuration of Channels, !Pributary Deltas, ad!Mde Flats in Relation to Stage of Tides------( appended) Prime Shellfish Areas of Bolinas Lagoon------48

Initial Plan for a Harbor of Refuge at Bolinas Lagoon, 1962------84

Plan for a Harbor of Ref'uge at Bolinss Lagoon, 1963- 85

Generalized Plan of Features Reviewed by U. S. Army corps of Engineers, lg&------87

Bolinas Lagoon Channel Stabilization Features------89 Plan for Developent of Bolinas Lagoon, Bolinas Harbor District, lg&------90

Proposed Plan for Harbor Development of Bolinas Lagoon, 1970------92

Wde Flats of Bolinas Lsgoon------Cover (Lower > Aerial Photo, Bolinas Peninsula and Lagoon------Frontispiece

Great Blue Herons and Common Egrets, Bolinas Lagoon- 44

Mallards in Freshwater Marsh Area Near Town of Stinson Beach------46

Audub6n Canyon Ranch with EQ;rets on Madflats and on Nests in Redwoods------53 PHOTOMAPS

1 Bolim Lagoon & watershed------( appended)

2 Bolinas Lagoon Watershed Vegetation Types------( appended ) INTRODUCTION

You passed a restaurant no longer open for business, and you noticed the hulk of an old dredge, discarded auto tires, and some apparently contented green-headed ducks splashing around in the mud.

Your eyes caught the contrast of black and white-splotched Holsteins on golden hillsides and the surprising remnants of redwood forests on the slopes above. Around the bend there was an expanse of ruffled water that appeared lonely without sail, or boat, or skier. You dis- covered that those white stakes out on the mudflats were birds - not channel markers, and you zipped by an old home with a sign that said

Audubon Canyon Ranch. You were on your way to , and you had seen Bolinas Lagoon.

Yes, you saw Bolinas Lagoon and you didn't perceive the signs on utility poles that proclaimed 'Polluted"! You missed the little warn- ings that said "No Shooting", and you saw the farm but didn't look at the tops of the redwoods beyond. You saw Bolinas Lagoon, but you didn't see all that Man has abandoned, saved or may soon destroy. This report invites you to return, to stay a while and to ponder!

Bolinas Lagoon has, indeed, suffered from human progress, but despite watershed abuse and pollution of its waters, it is still one of the most important of the State's surviving coastal lagoons. Its impor- tance becomes of even greater significance when it is considered that about 67 percent of California's originaJ saltmarshes and tideflats have already been filled or otherwise destroyed. Bolinas Lagoon thus repre- sents a challenge to the people of the State and the residents of Marin

County to demonstrate their concern for dwindling coastal resources and to exercise the wisest possible use of such prime fish and wildlife areas.

This publication is an integral part of the Department Is high - priority inventory and assessment of coastal marshland and tideflat resources. It is intended as a guide for citizens, planners, adminis- trators, and all others interested in the use and development of coastal lands and waters. Although the resources and problems of Bolinas Lagoon have prob- ably been the subject of more biological and physical investigations than any small estuarine area of the California coast, many of the pertinent reports and information are not readily available to the pub- lic. Consequently, it is one purpose of this report to summarize the lagoon's history, ecological attractions, educational values and the problems facing its continued existence. At the same time, it should provide concerned citizens with a knowledge of the sources of additional and more specific information.

Publication of this report is consistent with the obligation of the Department of Fish and Game to do everything in its power to pro- tect and maintain the State's fish and wildlife resources. Therefore, its purpose transcends local issues on pollution and development, and the Department is, in fact, submitting a report to the people on the status and future of part of its inheritance and the dowry of coming generations.

me report is the third of a scheduled series. It follows similar releases on Upper Newport Bay (orange county) and Golets Slough (~anta

Barbara county) in March and June of 1970. Documentation of the resources of other critical areas is in progress. mere will be future reports of this nature on , Morro Bay, Tomales Bay,

Humboldt Bay, and highly threatened marshlands in southern California. SUMMARY

Bolinas Lagoon is a relatively undeveloped estuarine area in

Marin County. It consists of about 1,400 acres of salt water, tidal mudflats, marshlands, and sandbars. The lagoon once served as a harbor for shallow-draft vessels, but boating is now confined to skiffs and other small craft.

The change in navigability is the result of sedimentation and alteration of tidal circulation. Sediments of land origin are appar- ently the chief cause of a gradual filling of the lagoon and an evolu- tion from mazine to terrestrial environment. There have been appreci- able accretions of new land within the lagoon within the last century.

Much of the lands in, and adjacent to, the lagoon's watershed are in public ownership or reserved for wildlife use. In addition, the

County of Win, with the assistance of State and Federal funds and land grants from the Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Canyon Rmch, has acquired title to much of the lands on the east and west shores of the lagoon as well as near the town of Bolinas. lPlese lands will eventually become part of a shoreline park and have been dedicated to recreation and wildlife preservation purposes.

!there are two small towns at the vertices of the west and east sides of the lagoon and ocean front. Stinson Beach, on the east, is a beach-oriented community confronted with problems of congestion, heavy recreation use, and lack of easily-developed land. Bolinas, on the opposite side, enjoys a greater opportunity for expansion,but it has a very small beach front. me Bolinas Lagoon area has escaped metropolitan-type development because of geographical seclusion, local desires, and the lack of mod- ern highways. Although it is close to the Bay Area, the connecting roads are narrow and winding and not conducive to commuter use. An improved highway system is under consideration, but it is the subject of considerable controversy.

mere is an important State Clam Reserve within the lagoon, and most of the remaining tidelands have been leased to the Audubon Canyon Ranch as a wildlife preservation area. The lands under the lease (now of uncertain status) are an important feeding site for herons and egrets and essential to the protection of the heron rookery at the Ranch.

Bolinas Lagoon could be classified as a wintertime and a summertime lagoon, because of the varying input of fresh water. On either basis it supports a productive shellfish resource and is a valuable resting, feeding, and wintering area for shorebirds and migra- tory waterfowl; a nursery and nutrient source for inshore fisheries; and a food source for the egrets and herons which annually nest at the

Audubon facility. The rookery is the largest along the central Califor- nia coast. The entire area - uplands, grasslands, lwoon, tributary gulches, and ocean tide pools - has a varied and rich array of plant and animal cammunities. As such, it serves as an admirable outdoor laboratory for students of all educational levels. The College of Marin maintains a marine station at Bolinas. In addition to its normal program, the station '8 staff conducts students and teachers (about 4,000 in 1969) on ecological study tours of the lagoon and nearby Duxbury Reef. In 1970, the Audubon Canyon Ranch was host to over 30,000 visitors. With financial assistance from various individuals and private Bay Area organizations, the Ranch has established nature education programs for school children and a three-year program to train volunteer teachers in the fields of conservation and ecology. In addition, countless persons visit the general area for individual study, birdwatching, hiking and casual wildlife observation, nature photography, beachcombing, tide-pool exploration, or mere enjoyment of its open space. Hunting for deer and upland game is generally confined to the larger private ranches, and waterfowl shooting is now prohibited because the lagoon has been declared a county park,

Each year a few silver salmon and steelhead trout visit Pine Gulch

Creek Delta during the spawning season. !there is a seasonal striped bass fishery at the mouth of the lagoon, The bass sometimes venture into the lagoon when in pursuit of schools of topsmelt. Otherwise, bottomfish and perch comprise the chief catch of the lagoon fishermen.

Bayside fishing attractions include surf fishing from the beach, rock- fish angling, and salmon trolling. From a fishery standpoint, the chief value of the lsgoon probably lies in its role of providing a home and food for numerous species of juvenile inshore fishes that remain in the lagoon until they attain sea-going size.

In former years, the legoon was a popular clamming area. Its num- erous mollusks include gaper, Washington, littleneck, and bent-nose clams, but a recent quarantine prohibits the taking of all shellfish.

Oyster-growing too was once a productive activity in the lagoon, but public health considerations forced its discontinuance many years ago.

All areas of the lagoon are of ecological significance, but pollu- tion, sedimentation, poor water circulation, and other factors have had an adverse effect upon same of its fish and wildlife resources and their use by humans. These effects include the abandonment of oyster farming, unexplained disappearance of edible crabs, the quarmtine currently on the taking of shellfish and water contact sports, the die-off of eel grass (a staple food of the black brant) for unknown reasons, and the possible loss of some generations of clams. With the anticipated abate- ment of pollution by 1972, there is good cause to believe that these resources can be reestablished by natural or artificial methods.

The pollution and contamination problem is primarily associated with the discharge of untreated sewage into the mouth of the lagoon near the town of Bolinas. Stinson Beach and Bolinas have now entered into a joint agreement to construct a sewage disposal system with an eventual ocean outfall northwest of Duxbury Reef. The location and timing of outfall construction is still being considered, and problems related to marine ecology asd beneficial uses of the Duxbury Reef-Agate Beach area can be anticipated. There have been several proposals for stabilization of the lagoon's outlet to , development of a harbor refuge in the southern end of the lagoon, engineering solutions of the sediment problems, and other developents. The proposals have encountered serious consider- ations involving funding, potential beach erosion, and concern for the welfare of the lagoon's fish and wildlife resources.

In 1969, the State transferred title to the lagoon's tidelands from the Bolfnas Harbor District to the County of Marin. The Legislature has required the County to submit a plan of development in 1972. Ihe plan must take many potential uses into consideration. These include the development of boating facilities and fish and wildlife preservation. 'ke Department of Fish and Game recognizes the demand for develop- ment of a harbor of refuge within the lagoon as a life-saving and emergency facility, but the Department also believes that any associated dredging, filling, or structural work should be undertaken only after careful evaluation of the impact upon the lagoon's ecological welfare.

Stabilization of the outlet in connection with such developments may possibly have a beneficial effect upon sediment removal and tidal circu- lation. At the same time, promiscuous dredging and development for recreational or commercial boats could result in irretrievable losses of valuable fish and wildlife resources. The Department believes that boating facilities should not exceed the minimal needs of a harbor of refuge and should be confined to the provision of a launching and retrieval area for trailered boats to be operated in conjunction with an upland dry storage area for stay-over craft.

If the various planning bodies decide that a large harbor or boat basin is necessary in the Bolinas Bay area, the Department recommends that they consider alternatives to Bolinas Lagoon because:

1. No all-weather harbor can be created in the lagoon without permanent removal of the sandbar at the mouth md/or the con-

struction of a jetty system, the effects of which, on the adjoining ocean front, Dwrbury Reef, and adjacent bluffs are unknown.

2. Substantial boating facilities and construction within the lagoon will produce deterioration - probably irreversable - of

the ecological and physical equilibrium of the lagoon.

3. Physical facilities within the lagoon could be either destroyed or severely damaged by seismic activity and fault movement - a possibility not treated in this report but frequently mentioned

in planning and engineering studies.

The Department is in agreement with several authorities cited in this report who believe that the best solution to a slowing in the rate of sedimentation lies in sound soil conservation practices in the water- shed, protective zoning, and eradication of erosion hazards. Despite pollution, sedimentation, and other problems, the lagoon is still one of the finest, least disturbed, and richest tideland areas of the California coast. Hopef'ully, the means will be found to perpetuate the lagoon's natural attractions and minimize the effects of future developnent upon the area's aesthetic attractiveness and rich fish and wildlife resources. Because of the high value of the varied fish and wildlife resources of Bolinas Lagoon, the potential enhancement of these already rich re- sources through abatement of pollution, the fact that the lagoon is one of the State's few relatively undisturbed estuarine areas still in pub- lic ownership, and the growing concern in the planning of future tide- land developents, the Department of Fish and Game recommends that:

1. State, County, and local authorities consider a joint plan of

watershed protection and management to reduce the input of stream-borne sediments into the lagoon. Ihe plan should incorporate recommendations advanced by investigators cited

in this report. Their recommendations relate to logging,

zoning provisions, reduction of erosion hazards, and control of f'uture land-clearing operations. 2. Although installation of tide gates and/or "corrective

dredging" may promote the temporary removal of sediments or

improvements in tidal circulation in critical areas of the

lagoon, such work should not be undertaken until its 10%- -term effects can be fully evaLuated. 3. Any engineering plan to utilize dredging, tide gates, or other physical means to promote the removal of sediments from the

upper basin of the lagoon not be considered, if they cannot improve upon the existing natural "tidehead" created by the

Sdicornia (pickleweed) marsh north of Kent Island, or, if

they will impair the ecology of the same marshlands. 4. No part of the lagoon be utilized for the deposition of

dredging spoils unless it can be clearly demonstrated that

such disposal will benefit, and not detract from, the lagoon's fish and wildlife resources. 5. Particular efforts be made to preserve the small, but ecologi- cally important, marsh areas of Delta and the southeastern end of the lagoon. 6. Any planned shoreline development or highway construction pro-

gram in the northern half of the lagoon not be implemented if

it will interfere with the success of the rookery at the

Audubon facility, the seclusion of feeding birds on the mud-

flats, and their flights between feeding and nesting areas or along the periphery of the lagoon.

7. A site within Bolinas Lagoon be provided for the safe launch-

ing of hand-carried skiffs and other light craft to be used by clam diggers and others desiring to reach mollusk grounds in

the lagoon 's interior.

8. Any development for stabilization of the lagoon's outlet

and/or development of a small craft harbor of refuge be con- fined to areas of least ecological importance - primarily in the main channels between Kent Island and Seadrift Peninsula

in the western half of the lower end of the lagoon.

9. If, in the opinion of responsible State and County agencies, there is a need for boating facilities at Bolinas Lagoon

beyond the requirements of a harbor of ref'uge, the facilities

be limited to a launching and recovery area for trailered boats along with a reasonably close onshore dry-storage and

service facility. A recent concept which would provide for

installation of a launching ramp outside of the lagoon proper,

but within the protection of channel-mouth jetties, appears to offer one means of minimizing damage to the lagoon's resources.

Another, but less suitable, alternative would involve a ramp location in the western channel north of Bolinas and on or

adjacent to County property. 10, Locations other than the interior of Bolinas Lagoon be consid-

ered, if it is determined that there is a need for extensive

development of small-craft marinas, berthing spaces, and

supplemental facilities in the Bolinas Bay area.

11. Sidecasting of slide materials, grading residues, and other

highway maintenance spoils into the edge of the lagoon be discontinued.

12. Public parking be available at selected viewpoints around the

lagoon to ena;ble optimum opportunities for the public to

observe its wildlife,

13. Future uses of Bolinas Lagoon not related to the above recom- mendations be guided by criteria that require the use to be dependent upon, but not antagonistic to, the lagoon's inherent resources and environmental attributes. Such uses should be

of a nature that they could not occur at any location other than the lagoon.

It is noted that the Department of Fish and Game has not, in this report, included any recommendations related to municipal water pollu- tion and its effect upon fish and wildlife or other beneficial uses of the lagoon's waters. Under the provision of the Porter-Cologne Act, the State Water Resources Control Bod and the Regional Boards have the responsibility for coordination of recommendations of this nature. The Department has, consequently, already made recommendations necessary for the protection of the lagoon's shellfish and their use for human consumption. We have also made recommendations relative to the protec- tion of fish and wildlife resources of neighboring waters of Bolinas

Bay. These have been reflected in the Board's waste discharge require- ments discussed in this report. BOLINAS LAGOON AND ENVIRONS

Description of Area

Bolinas Lagoon is located about 15 miles northwest of San

Francisco (Plate 11. It is roughly triangular in shape and is about 3 miles long and I-1/2 miles wide in its greatest dimensions, Ocean waters enter and leave the lagoon through a shallow channel between the mainland and the western end of the barricading sand peninsula

(Plate 2 and Photomap 19 aPPehded)

The lagoon has an area of about 1,400 acres including the Stinson

Beach sand spit, islands and sand bars. Approximately 1,000 acres are subdect to tidal flooding at higher high water and about two-thirds of this area becomes exposed during low tides (mean lower low water),

Historically, the lagoon was part of the Rancho Las Baulines (whence its name). Geologically, it is a drowned estuary on the segment of the

San Andreas rift zone between Bolinas and Tomales Bays, Seismic activity, subsidence,and sedimentation have been major factors in formation of the present shallow basin (California Division of Mines, 1951). Until the early 1900's the lagoon and entrance channel were deep enough to accomodate shallow-draft vessels engaged in coastwide trans- portation of lumber and other local products - principally for San Francisco markets. Today only light recreational craft are able to use its waters. During and following the gold rush, the surrounding uplands were subjected to heavy logging, cordwood cutting, and subsequent erosion. The potato grower, cattleman and dairy farmer followed the lumberman and wood- chopper to further modify the landscape. PLATE 1

Scale in Miles MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF BOLINAS LAGOON Marin County California 20 During the last few decades, however, there has been a comparative hiatus in watershed deterioration, Natural ref orestation, decreased grazing, and improved watershed management'practices have been partially responsible, In addition, public and private acquisition of lands for conservation or recreational purposes have served to arrest degradation or loss of important ecological areas within the watershed, These areas include Stinson Beach State Park; a portion of Point Reyes National Sea- shore; land6 purchased by the Marin, , and Sequoia Audubon

Societies; and acquisitions of the Nature Conservancy and Marin County.

Apart from the above-mentioned acquisitions, a portion of Bolinas

Peninsula has been set aside as a State Quail Refuge; there is a State

Clam Reserve within the lagoon; and a considerable part of the eastern uplands is within the Mount Tamalpais Game Refuge or in areas managed for domestic water supply purposes. The Bolinas-Stinson Beach area has been relatively free from urban malaise - partly because of geographical seclusion and partly because of a community desire to maintain a pleasant and natural environment. Many of the residents are strongly oriented toward preservation of the semi- rustic charm and natural resources of the area. Toward this end, they have repeatedly demonstrated their interest by participation at open hearings on public works projects, assistance in biological investigations, and support of local conservation programs,

The present population is about 1,000 and doubles during the summer season, However, as many as 12,000 visitors may frequent the area on a busy summer day and, in recent years, use of the Stinson Beach State Park has been in excess of 500,000 visitor days per year. Although this report is primarily concerned with the ecological importance of the lagoon, it is necessary to consider the impact of watershed contributions on the complex interplay of biological and physical forces at work in the lagoon, For this reason, the study area

(Plate 2) includes the coastline from Stinson Beach State Park to Duxbury

Reef. The inland area is roughly bounded by a line from Panoramic High- way at Stinson Beach to the highway's intersection with Ridgecrest

Boulevard, thence northwesterly along the boulevard to McCurdy Trail, thence southwesterly along the trail to its junction with Highway 1, thence westerly to Sobrante Ridge Road, thence southerly to Mesa Road, thence easterly and southerly along Mesa Road to the town of Bolinas, and thence southerly along Wharf Road to the channel mouth.

Climate

The climate of the area is Mediterranean in type, rn it is char- acterized by warm, dry summers and cool rainy winters; but it is mod- ified by fog and inflows of cool wine air in the summer. These mod- ifications result in near isothermal conditions, but there are seasonal anomalies such as June and August days often being warmer than those of July, The average annual range in seasonal temperature is about 20'~. (Howell, 19491, and the average annual rainfall ranges from about 3 to 35 inches in the lowlands to about 50 inches in the highlands, Host of the rainfall occurs from November through April, Prevailing winds are from the northwest, but strong on-shore breezes are common, Southeast storms occasioaally produce winds of gale force (55-75 miles per hour). Drainage

Bolinas Lagoon is the receiving basin of a watershed of about 17

square miles. The watercourses on the west slopes of are

short (less than 1-1/2 miles long) and steeply plunging. Each gulch drains a comparatively small ma, but the sehinent loads can be high because of stream velocities, unstable soils, and the effects of grazing and other disturbances on the open slopes.

Pine Gulch Creek, a permanent stream, is the principal tributary.

Its flow probably constitutes about one-half of the lagoonts freshwater

input. During periods of heavy rainfall, the creek transports sufficient suspended material to result in a progressively increasing delta area. Host of the sediments originate in the easily moved soils of agricultural lands below the timber line and areas still. recovering from logging.

-Soils The soils within the drainage system are extremely varied in character

and origin. About 16,000 acres in the Bolinas Lagoon area have been class-

ified into soil series and land capabilities by the U. S. Soil Conservation

Service (1968). The Federal agency's report was intended as a guide to better farm management, runoff and erosion studies, and future construction plans. Although it contains no specific recomuiendations for particular sites within the watershed, the report is an important source of information to those interested in local sedimentation problems, agricultural and

logging practices, septic tank leaching, hillside construction, and road improvements. In general, the studies have indicated that, with the exception of the loamy soils on alluvial fans and other gentle slopes,

erosion should be considered a primary or secondary hazard in the manage- ment and use of most of the uplands. Shoreline

A ma jar portion of the 8 miles of the lagoon's shoreline ie confined to a narrow shelf of land wedged between the tidelands and the peripheral

road syertem. The shoreline band is widest along the western side from the delta accretions of Pine Gulch Creek southward to the bluffs opposite Kent Island. In 1967, the Audubon Canyon Ranch acquired the Galloway tidelands

contiguous to its own holdings and then gift-deeded these lands, as well

as its own tidelands (Plate 3) to the County for inclusion in a planned shoreline park. These lands, alone, account for more than a mile of

lagoon frontage. Later, the County condemned, and, with Federal and State assistance , purchased the 11-acre ''Huskrat" parcel. Subsequent acquisitions included the ?-acre Ferguson parcel, the ?%acre Wilkins parcel, the triangle between Shoreline Highway and the Olema-Bolinas Road and the LO-acre Francisco parcel. More recently, the County has obtained fee title to three more parcels (the Albright and two Letter tracts) of about 46 acres and another

parcel (Francisco NO. 2) of a50ut 8 acres. In late 1969, the County also assumed control of a 15-acre tract formerly controlled by the

Bolinas Harbor District. !&is tract is located below Francisco Bluff near the tom of Bolinae and includes a narrow access strip to the gain road.

The small (.69 acre) tract of the Bolinas Community Utility

District may eventually be acquired by the County to complete the con- tinuity of public ownership along the west shore. The site has been used intermittently for disposal of tree cuttings, tmmh and trash; but its use is now increasing a6 a result of an air pollution control burning ban.

Although mch of the shoreline between Audubon Canyon Ranch and

Stinson Beach is privately owned, there are several points where public access is permitted. Furthermore, the master plan for the area (Win

County Planning Commission, 1961) recommends that, if the Shoreline

Highway is to be improved to parkway or other standards, the plans should include extension of the right-of-way to the edge of the lagoon, but with access controlled in a manner consistent with public safety. As shown in Plate 2, the Division of Highways already controls two small frontage tracts. In addition, the County owns about 20 acres of fresh- water marshlands at the southeastern end of the lagoon in the sfV1t between the highway and Calle del Arroyo (Plate 21.

There are no public boat-launching facilities on the lagoon's perimeter, but light craft can be put into the water at several, loca- tions. In most respects, it appears that clam diggers, fishermen, birdwatchers, beachcombers, and other recreationists will soon have reasonable foot access toke lagoon from most of the eastern and western sides.

Associated Uplands

The lagoon is closely flanked on the east by slopes of Bolinas

Ridge which has peak elevations of approximately 1,600 feet. The west

(lagoon-facing) side of the ridge is divided into a series of transverse ridges and steep-sided gulches. The upper slopes are covered with a forest of second-growth redwood and Douglas fir.-1/ The conifer-

-I./ The scientific names of all plants and animals mentioned in this text are listed in the Index of Appendix A.

-26- intergrade with stands of madrone, oaks, California laurel, and chaparral at the foot of the gulches. Moat of the lover faces of the lateral ridges consist of grasslands with scattered patches of brush, The general pattern of tongues of woodland with intervening grasslands on the lower slopes ie easily discernible in Photomap 1, %'here are approximately 5,000 acres of Douglas fir-redwood forest within the study area, and most of the growths are on Bolinas Ridge, Small alluvial fans at the canyon mouths merge with the tidelands and comprise much of the roadbed of Shoreline Highway on the east side of the lagoon. The remaining portions of the east-side road have been constructed on colluvium or cut-and-fill sections at the toes of the ridges. The few homesitee between the highway and ridge are located on the alluvial fans. In 1965, the Audubon Society obtained full title to one of these, the fmer Bourne honestead and dairy farm property (Hacres), which it had been maintaining as a wildlife sanctuary (the previously named Audubon Canyon Ranch). Since 1967, the Society has acquired an additional 67 acres north of the initial purchase a.6 well as the original

Thompson Ranch (234 acres) in the next canyon to the south, The approx- imate boundaries of the acquisitions are shown on Plate 2 and Photomap 1.

About 400 acres in the southeast section of the ridge are in the Mount Tamalpais State Park and also within the limits of the Mount Tamalpais Game Refuge (the boundaries of the refuge are described in

Section 10833 of the Fish and Game ~ade), About 1,900 acres of refuge lie within that portion of the study area between McKinnan Gulch and Panoramic Highway. The western side of the lagoon is bordered by the town of Bolinas

at themouth of the lagoon, the bluffs north of the main village, the

lowlands of Paradise Valley, Pine Gulch Creek delta, and the low knolls

at the foot of Sobrante Ridge on the west side of the rift zone.

The western highlands include Bolinas Mesa and Pablo Point. A

part of the mesa is within the Bolinas Quail Refuge (Section 10881 of

the Fish and Game Code). About 400 acres of the western portion of the

study area is part of the eventual Point Reyes National Seaerhore which

is now well on the way to public ownership. The ridges are topped with coniferous growths - primarily Douglas fir - while the coastal slopes are brush-covered (coastal chaparral). Bolinas Mesa has been

partially developed for residential purposes, but most of the grasslands

of the contiguous flats are now used for dairy and beefstock grazing.

Land Use

The towns of Bolinas and Stinson Beach are now primarily oriented

toward residential and recreation use supported by small commercial establishments. There are no industrial areas, and most of the private

lands north of the main villages are forested or devoted to agriculture,

principally dairy farming. The forested areas, chaparral, and grasslands

are delineated in Photonap 2.

Resident ial-Commercial The permanent and summer homes of the Stinson Beach area are con-

centrated in the new "Seadrift" subdivision, the adjacent llCalles" and

"Patiosw tracts (Plate 2), the lower uplands north of Shoreline Highway,

and the triangular area between the highway and the Stinson Beach State

Park. There is a scattering of markets, small shops, offices, and service establishments along the main road westward to Calle del Arroyo,

Bolinas has a small seaport atmosphere with a cluster of restau- rants, housing, and curio shops squeezed between the 'headlands and channel mouth. The College of Marin Marine Station an Wharf Road is an important part of the compnurity. Host of the homes are located in the subdivided portion of Bolinas Mesa or along the winding roads below.

There is also a dlsettlement along the Bolinas-Olema Road near

Pins Gulch Creek.

Aside from Bolinas Mesa, few private lands around the lagoon lend themselves to easy development. Lands generally having slopes of less than 10 percent are delineated in Photomap 2, Conseq,uentlg, future housing development plans will inevitably be focused upon the uplands.

In its master plan for the area, Marin County (ibid.) has foreseen the need of zoning objectives which will ensure the least; impact on aesthetics and drainage, The planners have recommended low-density sonine for the uplands. Because of the steep terrain of Bolinas Ridge between Stinson Beach and the &Curdy Trail, they have proposed 3 gross acres per unit in the northern section, 5 gross acres per unit in the centr-a1 section, and

10 gross acres per unit in the southern section (~1af;e2). The wooded gulches would remain as intervening greenbelts and open space. The planners have made other recommendations to enable multiple- family dwellings and adequate parking in the Calles area to relieve space problem and conflicts in residential and tranrsient use of the beach area. Density standards have also been set for Bolinas and the highlands on the west aide of the lagoon. The County of Marin is, however, currently considering revision of portions of the plan. On the basis of the presently recommended density factors, the projected ultimate population of the area is about 24,000 permanent citizens and

4,600 seasonal residents. About 12,000 people would be living in the now uninhabited uplands of Bolinas Ridge.

Agriculture

About 350 dairy cow6 and 100 beef cattle are now grazing on lands within the study area. Most of this is in the northwestern portion and

on the open slopes of Bolinas Ridge. In recent years, there has been a slight decline in dairy farming. The decrease may continue because of the trend to utilize permanent feed lots and less pasturage. The utilization of agricultural lands for residential developments will probably be an important factor in future growth of the area. In the interim, there may be a slight increase in the use of rangelands by yearling beefstock.

Commsrcial Marin County planners expect that the present commercial centers will continue to serve community needis for some time, but, as the area develops, they will tend to concentrate on recreation and tourist demands. Future residential are- would be served by sew and more con- venient shopping centers. The best location for a future shoppiag

center at Stinson Beach will be highly dependent upon the selected route of improved Highway 1.

Forests The California Division of Forestry estimates that there are about

28,000,000 board-f eet of merchant able timber in the Bolinas Lagoon watershed (personal commmicat ions). This estimate excludes the stander on property of the Audubon Canyon Ranch (about 4 million board-feet) and 12 million board-feet involved in a recent logging operation located about 5l/2 miles north of the lagoon.

Division personnel apparently feel that, despite tsteep terrain and unstable soilrs, proper forest practices could enable :future harvesting without undue eroeion (verbal cemutunicat ions 1. It seems evident, however, that the local community, the Audubon Society, the Conservation

Foundation, and other interests Kill be sensitive to aesthetic effects and erosion potential of any future timber removal. In 1969, bincounty halted a local logging operation through court injunction (Audubon Canyon

Ranch, 1970). Testimony that the logging had resulted in fire hazards and undesirable siltation in the lagoon played an important part in the action.

Open Space

As indicated earlier (Page 21) much of the open space land is already committed to public use for recreation, wildlife preservation, or watershed management, but there is a possibility of some expansion of Audubon Canyon Ranch. The topography east of Stinson Beach Sate

Park andthe presence of the adjacent residential-business area severely limit any potential expansion of the State facility.

The Changing Lagoon

Until recent tiares, there has been little man-made modification of

Bolinas Lagoon. Since 1960, however, most of the west end of the sandy peninsula (Weadrift") which lies across the base of the lagoon haa been developed for residential use. The initial construction was confined to the dunelands above the beach. Since then, the developer, by dredge and fill methods, has created an inland strand and emall central lagoon

(Plate 2).

9110 wcausewayw(between Shoreline Highway and Seadrift Peninsula) which appear8 on maay maps and is mentioned in various reports on the lagoon, is no longer a means of access to the peninsula. A portion of the causeway was recently removed and vehicular access to the peninsula is now confined to f3alle del Arroyo.

Natural Filling

The natural changes within Bolinas Lagoon have been more subtle, but perhaps of greater significance. A comparison of maps isaued in

1&8, 1897, 1941 and 1950 (Ritter, 1969) indicates that sediments have been gradually filling the basin. The delta of Pine Gulch Creek and

Kent Ishd have apparently developed, ar emerged, during the 20th

Century.

It is also known that accelerated or man-eaused erosion following the early logging, woodchopping, and farming days resulted in consid- erable depwition of sediment8 within the lagoon. As an example, a recent publication of the Auduban Canyon Ranch (ibid.) refers to the sluicing of soils and dairy manure intothe lagoon at the foot of the

Audubon Canyon. The ranch attributes most of the soil depositions to post-logging erosion (1850 to 1870) and subsequent heavy paling and tillage without regard to coat ours. Channel on West Side of Lagoon (structures on left front on Flharf ~oad)

PHOTO: Department of Fish and Game Water Depths

The general depths of the lagoon vary from about -10 to -12 feet

(U.S.G.S. datum, 1929) in the main channels south and east of the Kent

Island to slightly less than mean sea level at the most northern end, There are, however, limited areas in the southern basin with bottom elevations of about -18, The major portions of the upper basin lands

are slightly below mean erea level. In Photomap 2, the large gray patch

at the northern end of the lagoon represents the extensive shallows of the upper basin,

Under normal hi* tide conditions, about 30 acres of Kent I~sland

and a mall island offrshore from HcKinnan Gulch remain above waker,

Hore than 600 acres of the lagoon's bottom lands become exposed during mean lower low water.

mdal Channels

The tidal channels are constantly migrating and changing in char-

acter as a result of erosion and deposition, At one time, for instance, there was a channel through the middle of Kent Island. The currents, at flood tide, move in a general catvlterclockwise direction on the east

side of Kent Island and in a clockwiee direction around the west side.

At ebb tide, the direction of flow is reversed, The principal water

movement into the upper basin is via channels on the east side of the

lagoon, 'Fhe complexity of the channel system may Be easily discerned by

reference to Photamp 1 and comparison with Plate 4 (appended) ,

Kent Island

In 1967, the Nature Coneervancy purchased 109 acres of Kent Island

(Plate 3) and deeded it to the Marin County Park System with provisions for perpetual maintenance as a wildlife sanctuary. An adjoining g-acre tract has been deeded to the Audubon Canyon Ranch for the same purpose. The area of the island above high tide level consists of vegetated sand dunes, The seaward side is a sandy shoal, while the north and west sides are of a salt marsh nature- The configuration of the island, how- ever, is in a constant &ate of flux because of tidal scouring and deposi- tion, According to biolina and Bathbun (19671, there is a zonation of plant growth arormd the island which is related to the degree of tidal sub- mergence. Areas most subject to tidal flooding and minimal scouring - as on the north side of the island - havesubstantial growths of cord grass. Pickleweed is the dominant species of the sometimes flooded, sometimes exposed, are=. Saltgrass is the dominant wcies in the zone between the pickleweed and elevated dunes. The principal plants above the zone of tidal flooding are dune grass, red fescue, Vancouver ryegrass, beach salt bush, coyote bush, Monterey pine, and Monterey cypreas.

Lagoon Vegetation

Hannix (1967) and Chan (1967) have lided some of the aquatic plants found in the lagoen, The species range from a variety of single-celled diatoms and blue-green and green algae to anchored algal forms. Dense growths of sea lettuce are found in the upper binand southeastern end, and various species of red and filamentous green algae are scattered throughout the lagoon,

Eel grass, a submerged, narrow-leaved plant important in the welfare of migratory black brant, is now confined to a small area in the mdn channel near the town of Bolinas, Older residents of the area state that it was once nore widely distributed. Be Department of Fish and Game has made several unsuccessful efforts to reestablish this plant in other areas of the lagoon. Although the exact cause of the disappearance of the eel grass in unknown, it appears to be directly or indirectly attributable to pollution. The Department does not plan to devote further efforts toward further reestablishnent until the preeent pollution

ha^ been abated.

Clam Reserve

An important State Clam Reserve has been established within the lagoon. The reserve is known ae "State Clamming Area No. 8" and was so designated in August of 1955 under authority of Section 6497 of the Fish and Game Code, vie: wAny weas of state land in any of the bays of the

State in which clams are growing and which are used by the public far digging clams, ahallnot be allotted, and shall remain open to the public for the purpose of such digging, The Department shall designate such areas." Thus, the declaration of the clam reserve is to ensure its continued use for clam digging - not, as some assume, to limit such use. The clamming area, as roughly defined in Plate 3, includes those tidelands lying south of the cross-hatched line, !he area north of the line comprises lands once designated in an oyster culture allotment assigned to the Charles Johnson Oyster Ccarpany. The firm once leezsed these lands, but because of pollution, the lease and permit were allowed to expire, and the Company no longer utilizes the lagoon for oyster raising or fattening. The venture employed only a small portion of the tidelands actually allocated for such use, however. According to officials of the Mine Station (verbal), a mall number of extremely large oysters - remnants of the Johnson operation - mw still be sur- viving in the lagoon. A few of these were collected in 1966.

Wildlife Preserve The Audubon Canyon Ranch, in 1961, leased 365 acres sf the tidelands within the upper basin (that area generally north of Kent bland) from the Bolinas Harbor District for the purpose of wildlife, preservation. The boundaries of the lease were arbitrary but generally conformed to

the area within the abandoned oyster allocation. By agreement, clamming and fishing were pernitted within lease boundaries.

In 1969, by act of legislature (bsembly Bill 2295, amending

Section 1 of Chapter 800 of Statutesof 19571, kinCc~unty took

possession of approximately 1,000 acres of tidelands within the lagoon.

Thier act followed di~solutionof the Bolinas Harbor District by voters

of the District. It appears that the Audubon lease may have been can- celled prior to the change in jurisdiction, but its exact status has

not been clearly defined(verbal cormmvrication with Audubon Ranch pers- onnel).

The Ocean Front adAccess

The ocean front under consideration extends from Dwbur~lPoint

eastward to the end of Stinson Beach State Park (Plate 2). There is also a small beach at the foot of the Bolinas Mesa and west of the

channel mouth. It is accessible frola Wharf Road in the, village and

a mall gulch to the we&, but there are no provi8ions for parking other

than on village streets. There are about 3 niles of crescent-shaped beach between the eastern end of the State Park and the tip of Seadrift Peninsula. The 38 acre park has a shoreline frontage of about 3,000 feet and is the only portion having public recreation facilities. The entire beach is broad, sandy and gently sloping. A jumble of emall driftwood, large logs and jetsam piled in the upper portions of the back beach testifies to the fierce waves and tides of winter storms. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (1965) states that direct on-shore waves up to 20 feet in height occur periodically and last for periods of 6 to 18 hours. The wind-built dunes behind the back beach are now fairly stabilized by housing developments. The importation of dune grass and establishment of other salt-t olerant vegetation has helped to tie down unoccupied port ions.

PGtblic access is allowed at various spots in the older develop- ments of the eastern end of the beach but parking facilities are limited. The blind-end streets perpendicular to Calle del Arroyo are not County maintained, and access to the adjacent beach is at the pleasure of residents or from the beach at the State Park. !be new Seadrift subdivision extends from the Patios (the western- most partion of the Stinson Beach tract) to within about 100 yards of the channel mouth, Foot access to the beach in front of the Seadrift development is still possible from the Patios area arid points eastward.

There is, however, no public access beyond the intersection of the former causeway and Calle del Arroyo. The development maintains privacy by use of security guards at its gateway. Most of the beach paralleling the new home6 is still open to the public (the line separating State and private lands has not been legally defined). None-

theless, public use of the west end of the spit now requiree a walk of about 1-l/2 miles along the beach or a boat crossing from Bolinas.

There is, at present, no acknowledged public access (f out or vehicular) to shores of the lagoon adjacent to the Seadrift development. The State Lands Commission has, for about 10 years,% been

engaged in legal actions relative to the development's alleged infringe- sent on State lands, the location of an iron rail fence, and efforts to

prevent public use of a portion of the beach (People of the State of

California ve. William Kent Estate Cmpan~~,,File No. 32824, Harin

County Superior Court ). The court had not rendered its decision on

the latest (July 1970) non- jury trial at the time this report was writ ten. The Stinson Beach State Park accmodates moet of the transient

day use at the beach. Parking areas outside of the State facility are

limited, and atreetside parking by visitors often conflicts with needs

of local residents and merchants.

Highways

From the Bay area, Stinson Beach and Bolinas may be reached via

Route 1 (Shoreline Highway) from ite intersection with Highway 101

near Mill Valley with optional use of Panoramic Highmiy through Mount

Tamdpais State Park. An alternate route consists of Sir &ancis

Drake Boulevard from San Rafael to Olema and transfer to Route 1

(south). The roads are roundabout, riarrow, and tortucms and are doubtless one of the principal reasons for the absence of metropolitan spillover into the Bolinara Lagoon area. The location and detsign of an improved primary road syatem has long been debated. The public concensus seems to favor parkway or ercenic highway etandards for Route 1, although it is presently included in the State Freeway and Expressway System. In 1962 and 1966, there were pro- longed hearings on plans for freeway eomtruction along the west shore of the lagoon. In both cases, there was strong public opposition to the proposals. As an alternative, Harin County in 1969, proposed a limited-speed (45 mph), 4-lane parkwag from the to

Olema. The route would bypass Stinson Beach and the lagoon by utilizing an alignment along the top of Bolinas Ridge.

Prononents of a ridgeline alignment for Route Iface the opposition of those intereeted in the aesthetic8 and natural resources of Mount

Tamalpaid State Park, Advocates of an improved Shoreline Highway are confronted with problem of disfigurement and instability of slopeer of

Bolinsls Ridge and possible filling of substantial portions of the lagoon,

A report prepared for the Conservation Foundation (Stom 1970) contains a review of potential problem associated with both routes, ECOLOGY OF TKE: LAWN

Bolinas Lagoon, as its name implies, is a shallow body of water;

yet in many respects it has the characteristics of an estuary. By some

definitions, a coastal lagoon is a shallow, ovsl-shaped body of water

at the end of a land drainage. Its longest axis is generally parallel

to the coast, and it is periodically separated from the sea by a natural barrier across its mouth. Bolinas Lagoon, however, is triangular in

shape, has its longest axis perpendicular to the sea, is open to the

ocean throughout the year, and has a yearlong supply of fresh water.

According to same authorities, the "true " are those in which there is a measurable dilution of sea water by fresh water from land drainage (~richard,1967). If the word "measurable" is taken in its

figurative rather than literal sense, Bolinas Lagoon could be classified

as a rainy-season estuary and a summertime lagoon.

Estuary or not, Bolinas Lagoon is now visibly yielding to the fate of all estuaries and coastal 1agoons - their deaths begin at birth. The evolutionary process of gradual filling by sediments, a transitional conversion from water and mudflats to marshlands, and the final develop- ment of uplands is already apparent in the formation of Kent Island, the adjacent salt marsh, and the delta of Pine Gulch Creek.

Large estuaries like Chesapeake and San Francisco Bays die slowly and almost imperceptibly. Small ones, like Bolinas Lagoon, can display death symptoms within a century. In the case of the latter, man's mis- use of the watershed and pollution of the basin have accelerated its decline. Bolinas Lagoon might be regarded as a giant bowl of fresh and salt

water, mineral earths, plant and animal life, nutrients, and energy.

The water in the bowl becomes heated by direct absorption of solar

energy and indirectly by contact with mudflats warmedl by the sun and

heat of biological activity. In reverse fashion, its contents are

cooled by radiation and the influx of cold ocean waters. Regularly, as

if the bowl were tipped alternately seaward and landward, it discharges

and refills. However, it retains a bottom sludge and mixture that con-

stitutes the "mother ferment" of enzymes, activators, seed, and spawn

that enables it to continually maintain its biologic1.11 activity.

Tiny, single-celled diatoms and algae that float in its waters, sea lettuce, and higher plants that root in its muds manufacture vital

organic fuels. In the presence of sunlight, they produce the carbohy-

drates and much of the oxygen that nourish and sustain the lagoon's

animal population. In the midst or end of their photosynthetic work,

they are either consumed by many forms of small "grazing" animals, or

they die and sink to the bottom. The dead plants become green mats and

olive slimes that coat the tide flats and abound with amphipods (tiny

shrimp-like animals), isopods (animals resembling the lowly sowbug), and

other small organisms that depend upon this source o~fvegetable material

and small entrapped animals for food.

Organic matter in the silts and muds is broken down by bacteria

into gasses and liquid by-products. Clams and other mollusks filter

nutrients and small organisms from the liquids of th~esandy muds, and marine worms (Annelids) and worm-like creatures (~oronids)actually

ingest the mud and extract left-over nutrients. The constant cycle of producer being consumed and consumer becoming prey continues. The flesh of lower animal forms becomes incor- porated in the tissues of scavenging crabs, bottom-feeding stingrays, and the small fish that swim above. Finally, the top predators, large fish and sharks, marine mamals - as the harbor seal - and even man him- self assimilate the now-concentrated oils, sugars, and proteins derived from the complex biological activity of the lagoon.

Fish, both large and small, enter with the flood tide. 'key stay in channels and low-tide pools to grow to larger size, or they depart on a later ebb tide. The incoming tides also bring free-swimming or floating larvae of jellyfish, worms, mollusks, crabs, shrimps, and scores of other marine invertebrates. They also re-infuse the lagoon with diatoms and minute motile plants called dinoflagellates - a group which includes the species responsible for the so-called "red-tides".

Currents erode the bottom surfaces and wind action stirs the shal- lows to dislodge decamposing organic material and living animals. lhey are, as fate disposes, swept out to sea, ground up in the turbulent mixture of gravel, sand and shell fragments of the main channels, con- sumed by other animals, or redeposited in different areas of the lagoon.

Just as the sea contributes to the lagoon, the lagoon contributes to the sea. Organic matter, modified nutrients, fish and other organ- isms pour out of the lagoon and into Bolinas Bay to be utilized or *her modified by the sea's aquatic life,

The lagoon is a nursery for many species of fish that help populate the inshore areas of the bay. Its tidal outpourings can eventually become part of an &alone steak, fillet of sole, or slice of salmon,

Striped bass are lured by the faucet of richness at the channel's mouth.

In turn, they attract man and result in a popular local fishery.

mere are important seasonal visitors. Each year a few steelhead

trout penetrate the lagoon to spawn in Pine Gulch Creek, and small

striped bass utilize its pools to reach sea-going size.

Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, herons, and egrets find food,

resting areas, and seclusion within the confines of the lagoon. Winter- ing shorebirds - curlews, marbled godwits, plover, sandpipers, and American avocets - are particularly fortunate. Long-legged or short- legged, long-billed or short-billed, the lagoon's menu has something for all - worms, clams, snails, sand crabs, and a host of other organisms. Black brant, bay ducks, pintails, and other puddle ducks visit the lagoon during their annual migration. A few mallards reside and rear their young in freshwater areas. Harbor seals use the sandy shore of

Kent Island as a resting spot, and black-tailed deer can be seen in the grass and riparian vegetation of Pine Gulch Creek's delta. Alert visitors may discern the day-roosting black-crowned night heron in cypress trees on the west side of the channel between Kent Island and Bolinas . Egrets and great blue herons wade in the shallow pools of the mud- flats to seize fish stranded by the ebbing tide, or they spear frogs and garter snakes in the marshy areas of the delta. In the breeding season, they utilize the second-growth redwoods of Audubon Canyon Ranch as ele- vated nesting platforms, and the site is now the last major heronry on the central California coast. The fact that the canyon rookery is so successful (as many as 160 nests and 176 young in one year) may be Wlards in Freshwater Marsh Area Near Town of Stinson Beach

PHOTO: Department of Fish and Game attributed to the maintenance of the lag;oonts natural state, the

Society's foresight in acquiring the ranch, and protection of feeding areas in the adjacent mudflats. All areas of the lagoon are of ecological importance, but the dis- tribution of fauna is varied- The best mollusk grounds are the sandy mudflats of the central portion and the narrow bend paralleling shore- line Highway (plate 5). Here one finds Washington, gaper, littleneck, white sand, and bent-nose clams as well as an occasional geoduck, The delta of Pine Gulch Creek harbors the greatest number of invertebrate species because it is a zone of transition between fresh and salt water environments. Smaller areas of freshwater infiltration are located at several spots along the shore of the lagoon. This habitat attracts songbirds, raccoons, deer and other land animals, These few areas of permanent fresh water are extremely important to wildlife because the salinities of the lagoon's waters normally approximate those of the ocean. In periods of heavy rainfall there is an appreciable dilution or layering of lighter freshwater over sea water, It is less significant, but still present, in summer months, however.

Unfortunately, all is not attractive. Where oxygen demands and nutrient loads are greatest - as in the upper basin and southeast corner of the lagoon - there is a high degree of anaerobfc decomposition (a biological process attributable to bacteria which do not require free oxygen in their life processes), Some of the causative bacteria utilize sulfates in their work. When the mudflats are flooded, the result of their activity is not too noticeable, but low tide exposure results in the release of the disagreeable by-product, hydrogen sulfide, and the smell of rotten eggs. PLATE 5

Fr-4 H 1 Scale in Miles xnbury Point PRIME SHELLFISH AREAS OF BOLINAS LAGOON &% - - - Boundary of Shellfish Habitat 'LI Shellfish harvesting Areas %1\ The unattractive conditions arise because of two problems. First, tidal velocities in these oxygen deficient portions of the lagoon are not high enough to enable erosion, suspension and hydraulic removal of the highly "fertilized" mucks. Secondly, nature's capacity to overcome nutrient loadings has been too heavily taxed by an oversupply of nitrogen, phosphorous, and organic materials from sewage and runoff. FISH AFJD WILDLIFE RESOURCES AND USE

!the flora and fauna of the area are extremely diversified. Here the resident or visitor can, within a few minutes ' walk or ride, visit the plant and animal communities of the redwood and Douglas fir forests, coastal chaparral, hillside grasslands, streamside meadows, rocky tide pools, salt and fresh-water marshes, and tidal mudflats. ?he Appendix contains lists of some of the most common plants, mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrates associated with the area. Readers desiring more complete information are referred to Howell's description of Marin County flora (ibid. ) and authors1citations in publications included in the appended List of References. Storm (ibid.) has compiled an especially comprehensive list of sources of data and general information. Probably the most comprehensive compilation of material is that assembled by Gilroy (1970) in his report to the County of Marin and Resources Agency. Records and reference materials available at Audubon Canyon Ranch,

College of Marin Wine Station at Bolinas, and the Point Reyes National Seashore afford additional information on the natural history of the locality. The first-time visitor can obtain an informative purview of local history and naturd attractions from the Audubon facility's dis- play of photographs, maps, invertebrate collections, and other educa- tional exhibits. The Ranch is open to the public on weekends and holidays. Organized groups and students may arrange appointments for a weekday visit. Those interested in specific features of the lagoon and marine environments can, by prior arrangement, view specimens and exhib- its at the College's Marine Station. Upland Wildlife

In the uplands one can find or see evidence of many interesting animals including black-tailed deer, raccoon, gray squirrel, bobcat, porcupine, and Sonoma chipmunk. The marbled and Oregon salamanders are secreted in moist spots and under rotting wood, while overhead the red- tailed hawk displays his gliding skill.

At lower altitudes, there are Virginia opossum, badger, California quail, the wood rat, gray fox, alligator lizard, numerous songbirds, and the ubiquitous turkey vulture. The fields and brushlands harbor the

Audubon cottontail and black-tailed jackrabbit along with many smaller rodents. Deer mice attract the beautiful white-tailed kite - a yearlong resident - while fall brings flights of band-tailed pigeons to the oak lands.

!Ihe belted kingfisher often perches on wires nea:r the edge of the lagoon, the red-winged blackbird frequents the cattails of fresh water areas, and swallows swarm around the ranch buildings. A hike from lagoon to ridge top can be truly rewarding for the alert or casual observer.

Hunting is primarily confined to the large private ranches because most of the public lands are closed to shooting. About 6,000 acres of highlands are used by deer and upland game hunters. The Department estimates that about 1,000 hunter days per year are spent in quest of deer. Most of this sport is on a fee basis with limited membership and

annual fees of about $100 per member. Deer numbers vary from about 30 to 60 per square mile, and it is estimated that the hunters annually remove about 20 to 25 antlered animals from these lands. Upland game hunting is equally limited. Each year a small number of hunters spend about 100 dap in search of doves, pigeon, quail and

rabbit. The quail harvest is estimated to be about 100 birds per year, and there are no records for other species.

Wildlife observation, nature study and photography are primary

purposes or secondary benefits of much of the public use of the uplands.

As many as three-quarters of a million people visit Mount Tamalpais State Park each year, but it is difficult to ascertain the proportion of

use which would be assigned to the Bolinas Ridge area. Similarly, there are no data available for public use of that portion of the National Sea-

shore within the study area, but such use is appreciable, is gradually

increasing, and is expected to double within the decade. Vp to 30,000 visitors per year now came to the Audubon Canyon Ranch to witness the activities of nesting herons and egrets and to take advantage of the

nature walks and trails.

Wildlife of the Lagoon

The wildlife of the lagoon is of primary interest to the bird- watcher, the nature student and photographer, and until 1970 there was a limited amount of waterfowl hunting at the south end. In recent years, the annual hunter take has been about 500 ducks and 20 brant, but the

entire lagoon is now closed to hunting, as it has recently been declared a county park. The pattern of black brant flights is unpredictable and subject to extreme annual change (~ma.iland Lenna, 1969). Brant now utilize the lagoon for brief resting periods only, whereas it was a favorite feeding area prior to the disappearance of the eel grass. At times, large Audubon Canyon Ranch with Egrets on Mudflats and on Nests in Redwoods (upper eft)

Photo By: Clerin Zumwalt Audubon Canyon Ranch "rafts" of brant are observed in the open sea between Dwcbury Reef and the beach, but they seldom venture into the lagoon.

Although the hunter harvest has been small, the lagoon has been of inestimable value as a resting and feeding area for both waterfowl and shorebirds. Various aerial surveys by the Department (Tables 1-6

Appendix G), bird counts by members of the Audubon Society (~arris,et al., Appendix F), and unpublished records at the Point Reyes Bird

Observatory testify to its importance. The lagoon is a historical link in the Humboldt, Tamales, San Francisco, Morro, and San Diego Bays path- way of wintering shorebirds. Many of these birds use the protected inland route along the trough of the San Andreas rift zone between

Tomales and Bolinas Bays. Tables 1 and 2 of Appendix G summarize data from aerial censuses (1968-70) of shorebirds at Bolinas Lagoon and other important areas between Tomalcs Bay and Stinson Beach.

Water-associated birds commonly seen at the lagoon include plovers, willets, godwits, turnstones, snipe, curlew, avocets, dowitchers, dunlins, gulls, herons, egrets, loons, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, and kingfishers. A partial list of resident and visiting species is presented in Appendix E.

The general public is now becoming increasingly aware of the ecological importance of our coastal marshlands, and a major portion of its interest is centered on the welfare of shorebirds. As this appreci- ation increases, more and more people are taking advantage of the few and relatively undisturbed tidal areas like Bolinas Lagoon to watch and study tideland wildlife. This use is becoming of increasing economic importance to seashore communities such as Bolinas because the peak birdwatching season occurs in the winter months - normally a period of low income. Local authorities estimate that as many as 100,000 visitors per year spend a portion of a day observing the lagoon's birdlife. This use includes visits to the Audubon Canyon Ranch, most of which occurs on weekends.

Shellfish

Historically, the lagoon's shellfish have been one of the area's richest resources. Washington, gaper, and littleneck clams were once highly sought by the clam digger. They were, rightfully, a matter of local pride and an economic asset to the community. Unfortunately, water pollution problems have been severe enough to warrant the Marin

County Board of Health's action in posting warning signs around the lagoon. In so doing, the Board informed the public that clamming, fish- ing and other water contact sports could be dangerous. During prepara- tion of this report, the County and State Boards of Health imposed quarantine restrictions which prohibit the taking of shellfish, swimming, surfing and water skiing entirely. The pollution problem is discussed in a separate section of this report.

Despite its pollution, Bolinas Lagoon has long been noted for the excellent growth rate of its shellfish. Ihe firm which once utilized the upper basin for oyster-fattening purposes attained exceptional results, but public health standards required removal of the oysters to another, less polluted, area for "purging". 'Ihe consequent costs proved

to be excessive and forced discontinuance of the operation (~ishand

Game, 1963).

"Native" oysters and clams uere once a common and favored part of the California bill-of-fare. In some areas, pollution and loss of tidal mudflats through urban developmenthaveresulted in a near extinction of this valuable food source. Now that the State is intent upon attaining high water quality and new methods of shellfish culture are adapted to attainment of maximum crops with minimal area requirements, the future appears brighter.

Oysters, clams, and scallops are now reared successfully on various media suspended from racks and rafts. Tne new techniques obviate the need of large expanses of water surface and bottom lands. Littleneck clam populations can be established by deposition of gravel and artifi- cal "seeding". There is even hope that domestic sources of oyster seed - foreign sources often are in short supply - can be developed. In preparation for the potential revitalization of the shellfish industry, the Department has established a shellfish laboratory at

Granite Canyon in Monterey County. One of the prime objectives of the laboratory's program will be the fostering of new methods to assist the commercial grower and sportsman by establishing new shellfish resources and rehabilitating areas despoiled by pollution. This program is partic- ularly designed to assist in the recovery of economic and natural resources of areas such as Bolinas Lagoon.

Gustafson (1968a) and Osborn (1969) have indicated that, although mature and harvestable clams are common in Bolinas Lagoon, there is an apparent lack of younger generations of gaper and Washington clams. They conclude that pollution or unknown natural factors could be responsible for the present lack of younger generations and a potential decline in mollusk populations. If such is the case, the Department's program could be of incalculable value in restoring the lagoon's shellfish resources. In the last year of record (1963), at least 7,000 clam diggers spent part of a day on the lagoon's mudflats. In view of present scarcities and given a clean water supply, the use could soar to pro- portions requiring limits on the harvest. Without proper management, the demand could simply exceed the supply. It is also possible that, once again, people will visit the Bolinas area Just to partake of the local delicacies - fresh native clams and oysters.

Crustaceans and Other Invertebrates

Long-time residents of the area state that market crabs were once fairly common in the lagoon, but adult crabs of edible species kave virtually disappeared from its waters, and localites no longer set out their crab pots. Although members of the Marine Station staff report that young market crabs are occasionally discovered in the lagoon, it appears likely that, in recent years, the sought-after species was actually the red crab, still taken in modest numbers in the Tomales Bay area

Although the crabs prospered for many years in the presence of pollution, most authorities attribute their disappearance to changes in the character of sewage effluents and/or the use of pesticides within the watershed. They cite the many new disinfectants, detergents, house- hold chemicals, caustics, organic solvents, and persistent pesticides in use during the past three decades. Regardless of the causative agents, they feel that elimination of discharges into the lagoon and restric- tions in the use of persistent pesticides will, in time, result in the return of edible crabs. The Department concurs with this prediction and, upon the abatement of pollution, may be able to devise steps to hasten their return. Clan (1967), Gustafson (1968a), and Payne (1968) have described or listed some of the other invertebrates of the lagoon (~ppendixc). It should be noted that many of these species are of more than academic or ecological interest. For instance, the blue mud shrimp and the white ghost shrimp, the Oregon mud crab, the lined shore crab, and the sand crab are popular baits of the marine fisherman, and t&e lagoon has long been a favorite source of these animals.

Finfish of the Lagoon Hansen (1968), Adams (1968), Nolan (1967), and other workers and students of the Marine Station have demonstrated that the lagoon plays a major role as a nursery for many species of fish of economic and sport importance. These include several species of perch and the starry flounder, English sole, brown rockfish, and eabezon. The work of collecting and identifying larval and juvenile forms is continuing and the list of important species is constantly expanding.

The lagoon also serves as a feeding area for adult marine fish which enter and leave with the tides or remain for protracted periods in the deeper waters of the lawer basin. Some of the important forage species are surfsmelt, Pacific herring, northern anchovy, and topsmelt.

Several cartilaginous species ( elasmobranchs ) frequent the lagoon or are permanent residents. The leopard shark and the bat stingray are the most common members of this class. ?he intermittent streams tributary to the lagoon are not important anadromous fish waters, but, each year, a few steelhead trout and silver salmon spawn in Pine Gulch Creek (the only permanent stream) and juvenfle striped bass are occasionally found in its deeper pools. The creek also contains numerous prickly sculpins, Venus roach, threespine sticklebacks, and, seasonally, the arrow goby and staghorn sculpin

upa as and Smith, 1968). Fineman, et al. (1967) and Adams (1970) also reported the presence of the Japanese goby in the creek and lagoon - an item of interest to ichthyologists. The fish of the creek may seem obscure to the layman, but they are a basic item in the menu of the green heron, great blue heron, and belted kingfisher which frequent the delta.

The sport fishery of the lagoon is rather limited,, principally because of the lack of boating facilities. The catch consists primar- ily of rubberlip perch, shiner perch, redtail perch, silver (or walleye) perch, smelt, anchovy, and an occasional sole or flouniler. "Hook-ups" with leopard sharks and bat stingrays are common. The most noted

fishing on the lagoon occurs during the late summer and fall whenever striped bass enter in pursuit of anchovy schools.

There is also an important striped bass fishery a-t the mouth of the lagoon. Fishermen utilize the sand spits on both sides of the chan- nel, and there is some fishing from light skiffs which are launched in the channel or from the beach on the west side of the inlet.

Ocean Fishing

Surfperch fishing from the beach is popular, and when weather and water conditions permit, skiff-fishing for bottom species can be good to excellent. Skiff-fishing and navigation in open sea and tidal chan- nels can be dangerous, however, and the practice is not recommended.

Other local angler attractions include the seasonal salmon fishery between lhucbury Point and the channel; reef fishing for greenling, cabezon, and rockfish; and the art of "poke-poling" in the rocky tide

pools (Department of Fish and Game, 1964). "Poke-poling" enthusiasts seek monkey-face eels and rock eels -

not true eels but actually members of the ble~yfamily. They employ

a stiff pole (usually bamboo) with a short wire line and a strong leader of linen line. As the name implies, the user pokes the end of

the short pole, line, and baited hook into crevices and rock crannies to catch the secretive fish. The technique reportedly originated in the Bolinas Bay area.

Tide Pool Animals

Duxbury Reef extends from Bolinas Peninsula to a point about 3 miles into the ocean. At normal low tide about 1/2 mile of the reef becomes exposed. The reef is well known to students of invertebrate

zoology, collectors of tide-pool organisms, abalone divers, and seekers of clams or piddocks. The popularity of the reef and indiscriminate collecting has resulted in a noticeable and severe depletion of its animal life. The Department, the Fish and Game Commission, the College of Marin, and the County are now considering means of limiting the removal of nongame species from the area and other ways of minimizing damage to the habitat. me reef is of great ecological and educational significance (Chan and Molina, 1969) and is considered by the Marine Station to be a valuable outdoor laboratory and adjunct to its facility. In 1969, the staff of the Station conducted about 4,000 outside students and members of organized groups on lectured tours of the reef. The reef's educa- tional importance to the College and Bay area schools is one of the principal reasons for this Department's concern for its future. VALUES

From the foregoing, it should be obvious that the Bolinas Lagoon

area is endowed with a wealth of natural attractions and wildlife resources. Although its resources are not unusual in themselves, their

juxtaposition is unique to California at lea&. We how of no other lagoon on the California coast that possesses such a close association

of rift fornation characteristic6 and varied plant and animal communi- tie& still in a reasonable state of preservation.

Because of these natural assets, the staff and students of maqy Bay Area schools and colleges utilize the basin for general and advanced studies in natural hiestory, ecology admarine sciences. In recognition of this fa&, the Departarent of the Interior (National Park Service) in

1969 dedicated the Audubon Canyon Ranch as a ftRegi8tered Htntional Land- markv1for its "exceptional value in illustrating the natural history of the United Statesoff

Each year about 5,000 children in various school groups attend lectures and participate in field trips eponsored by the Ranch. The organization has also been a contributor to many local studies leading to valuable information on estuarine ecology. With the aid of a private grant, the Ranch has initiated an education program in natural hidory for disadvantaged children from several Bay Area codties. The State

Department of Education has alrso provided a planning -ant which has enabled initial etadies leading to a future development of a residence school for Bay Area students of ecology and conservation. Facilities for this use are now being prepared on Santh Canyon property. In addition, the Junior League of San Francisco, Inc. has provided a substantial grant to enable a three-year training period for Bay Area volunteers, Each year about k, teachers will receive assistance in studies of the natural

history and ecology of Bolinas basin. The College of Marin Marine Station is also very active in public programs in conservation and ecology. In addition to ite normal study

programs, the Station provides lectures and ecological tours of the

lagoon and seashore for grammar and secondary school students, As men-

tioned in the section on Duxburg Reef, about 4,000 students and teachers

participated in this program in 1969.

The c-ty and those respomible for the establishment and main- tenance of the two facilities can well be proud of the contributions

they are making in the field of conservation education and pronotion of

public awareness of the value of our estuarine habitats. Sedimentat ion

Sediment accumulations in Bolinas Lagoon are not simply the result of watershed erosion and runoff. The problem is complicated by the pres- ence of sands of marine origin and tidal dynamics which have been the object of study by State, Federal and local agencies for some time. Ritter (ibid. ) , Gustaf son (ibid. ) , Wilde, et ale (l$9), the Interstate Electronics Corporation (1$8), Johnson (1$9), Isselhardt, et al. (1968),

Stom (ibid.), and Burgy (1970) have contributed much new information on sediment transport and deposition within the lagoon and Bolinas

Bay. Most of these studies resulted from problems associated with various proposals to develop a harbor of refuge and/or a small boat basin within the lagoon. Johnson (ibid.) has summarized the various plans, and they are discussed in a subsequent section of this report as well.

Many of the studies indicate that any effort to arrest the gradual ecological degradation of Bolinas Lagoon, improve its tidd circulation, decrease pollution from runoff sources, or establish small craft fac- ilities will depend upon an economical and assured means of providing a stabilized channel of sufficient cross-sectional area and depth to enable erosion and seaward transport of undesirable sediments. Econo- mic problems, resistance from conservationists, and a lack of information on the potential effect of channel mouth improvements on the sand supplies of Stinson Beach have been of primary concern to the various planning agencies. For example, a former proposal by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers

(ibid.) for navigation improvements was deemed infeasible by the District

Engineer. The high costs of jetty and brealkwater construction, the cost- sharing features confronting local agencies, and the possibility of serious erosion of Stinson Beach sands were factors in this decision.

In addition, the proposed project aroused the concern of conservation groups and precipitated the acquisition of Kent Island by the Nature Conservancy - a move designed to combat potential dredging of that part of the lagoon.

The State Department of Navigation and Ocean Development (NOD)and the U. S. Corps of Engineers are still sensitive to the demands for channel improvements and a harbor of refuge. There has, however, been a reluctance to advance new plans pending completion of renewed stud- ies of littoral drift patterns, sediment budgets, and impact of such developments upon the lagoon's ecology. In addition, the County, in response to a legislative mandate, is preparing its own plan for dev- elopment and utilization of the lagoon's resources. The plan must be submitted to the Legislature before November 15, 1972. Until that time, there is little likelihood that the various interested agencies can produce a fully coordinated program of channel improvement.

Although many conservationists admit that improved tidal cir- culation and adequate flushing of the lagoon is highly desirable, they have, in public hearings, private conversations, and correspondence, indicated that they feel the creation of a permanent deep channel will inevitably lead to an irresistible demand for total development of the lagoon as a small craft harbor and commercial complex. This attitude was evident in the controversy surrounding proposals (~ilroy,1965) of the now definct Bolinas Harbor District, discussed in a subsequent section of this report.

A portion of the problem, the Stinson Beach phase, may be approaching solution as a result of recent studies. In discussing the result of littoral drift studies, Johnson (ibid. ) states: "It therefore does not appear necessary to incorporate extensive sand by-passing features in connection with stabilization structures at the entrance to Bolinas

Lagoon." He also believes that, in contrast to former plans of the

U. S. Corps of Engineers, shorter and more economical jetties will pro- vide adequate channel protection.

The composition and origin of sediments within the lagoon have been fairly well established. Generally, the finest materials are concentrated in the upper basin and southeastern end of the lagoon.

Coarse sands, shell fragments and pebbles comprise a large part of the channel bottoms where tidal velocities are greatest. Most of the recent sediments from inland sources probably come from the Pine

Gulch Creek drainage and are concentrated on the western side of the lagoon. Depositions on the eastern side are dominated by materials contributed by runoff from the gulches of Bolinas Ridge and, to a lesser degree, fines from highway fills.

A substantial part of the sediments in many parts of the lagoon appear to be of marine origin and derived from Mon%erey shales of the

Bolims headlands which are eroding at an average annual rate of 2.3 feet per year (~ohnson, ibid.) . A coincidental deposition of parti- culate matter of marine organisms definitely associated with that area tends to confirm this conclusion, Nonetheless, geol-ogists and marine authorities are not yet in total agreement on the exact origin and mode of transport of the various tide-borne materials that are found within the lagoon. There does- appear to be a concensus that, as postulated by Brown and Caldwell and cited by Ritter (ibid. ), the principal marine input to beach and lagoon results from two component;^ of onshore transport - a counterclockwise current on the east side of the bay and a clockwise pattern on the west side.

There has also been considerable speculation that much of the sands within the lagoon - particularly those of the south side of Kent Island - represent wind-drift materials from the dunes of the peninsula. It appears likely that stabilization of the dunes by residential development will eventually reduce this source of input to negligible proportions.

Regardless of the origin of sediments, there is an obvious buildup within the lagoon. The rate of deposition simply exceeds the rate of tidal removal. The accumulations are of most concern in the northern and southeastern ends of the lagoon, and it, is doubtful that channel improvements, alone, will result in any appreciable removal of the organically rich materials in these areas. On a purely ecological basis, there appear to be two alternatives: (1) let nature take its course and pursue the natural transition from mudflats to salt marsh to dry land, and (2) decrease the rate of filling by utilizing mechanical or other aritificial methods to remove excessive sediments and/or employing sound soil conservation practices in the wtershed. ~%ny ecologists would accept the first alternative as being the orderly succession which nature has prescribed. Others realize that

Man has outpaced nature in the filling of our coastal wetlands, They feel that it is now necessary to arrest both natural and man-made fills and preserve our coastal fish and wildlife resources to the greatest extent possible.

Some concepts considered under the second alternative may approach feasibility,but their implementation would be costly and difficult.

Mechanical removal of surplus sediments would involve enormous amounts of material and entail tremendous spoil deposition costs. Further- more, there would be serious problems related to abrupt and, perhaps, drastic disturbance of ecological conditions within the wildlife sanctuary.

Gustafson, in his third report (1969), advanced the concept of the installation of tidal control structures north of Kent Island. The proposed structures would provide a "tide head" which, upon release, could create sufficient velocity to result in ebb tide removal of accumulated sediments. A controlled and gradual outward removal of

"fines" in this manner could be acceptable to many ecologists and this

Department. However, the many interested agencies would carefully examine the ecological consequences of such measures. The Audubon

Canyon Ranch would, certainly, be equally concerned.

In the same report, Gustafson has also suggested the use of limited channel dredging in the northern basin and the deposition of resultant spoils to create islands of refuge and nesting sites for the lagoon's birdlife. Many authorities on the lagoon's wildlife appear to disagree on this proposal. One aspect of the sediment situation which has generally been overlooked is that nature itself is now providing a form of tide head removal of fines. Molina (verbal) points out that the Salicornia marshlands north of Kent Island serve to retard ebb flows in the upper basin by acting as a semi-permeable "dam. " The natural tide head, so created, results in increased velocity in the drainage channels as the intermediate portions of the lagoon become dewatered. Any consideration of artificial methods of induced scouring which cannot improve upon this existing natural situation should be automaticcally discarded.

Various suggestions to control erosion inputs :from the watershed by engineering methods appear impractical as far as the eastern side of the lagoon is concerned. Steep gradients, rapid water velocities, and abrupt transition to base level6 appear to overrule construction of settling basins in any area other than in the lagoan itself. Gilroy's proposals (ibid.) featuring the provision of sedimeint basins within the lagoon were opposed on the basis that they constituted an undes- irable encroachment upon the wildlife sanctuary.

The future development of Pine Gulch Creek as an auxiliary water supply for Bolinas could offer some hope in efforts to decrease the rate of sedimentation and slow the natural and evolutioncwy processes in the lagoon. Inclusion of upstream sediment basins and caref'ul management of the Pine Gulch watershed could lead to a significant reduction in sediments from this source.

The Department believes that, even if the main channel were stabilized satisfactoriXy, additional efforts would still be re- quired to improve conditions in the upper basin and southeastern arm of the lagoon. We agree that consideration should 13e given to the possibility of incorporating tide control structures and/or limited channel dredging in these critical areas but in a manner conducive to maintenenace or improvement of ecological conditions. The Department would not, however, advocate use of spoils for the creation of islands as suggested by Gustafson, unless the concept were thoroughly reviewed and approved by all interested groups.

The Department also believes that any future plans for development of a domestic water supply reservoir in Pine Gulch Creek Canyon should include provisions for watershed management designed to stabilize soils and reduce the stream's sediment loads. In this regard, the firm of

~edway/~ooke(1970)~ in a report prepared for the Conservation Foundation, has suggested a selective program of land acquisition and control of watershed use through properly qualified easements.

Another report prepared for the Conservation Foundation (~urgy,ibid.) emphasizes the relationship between watershed quality and deposition of sediments in the lagoon. Burgy's studies included a comparison of suspended materials in selected streams on the west slopes of Bolinas

Ridge. He concluded that there was a "nominal" ratio of 5:l in the amount of suspended solids in sections of two streams draining areas disturbed by logging and in a section of stream draining a relatively undisturbed

.or "native" area.

Burgy ' s findings in respect to "severe storm" situations provide sone insight on the magnitude of potential sediment transport into the lagoon. He estimated that on January 21, 1970, Pine Gulch Creek carried more than 7,500 tons of suspended material (exclusive of bedload) into the lagoon. This high, single-day, loading occurred during a major storm (7 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period) which followed a 12-day rainy period (12 inches of rain). By contrast, Burgy notes that USGS estimates for the same stream during the entire water years of 1967-68 and 1968-69 were 7,582 tons and 388 tons respectively.

Highly accelerated erosion resulting from major storms is related to our earlier comment regarding rapid alteration of small estuarine areas (page hl). For instance, in the winter of 1969, prolonged and heavy rainfalls in Orange County caused a tremendous deposition of sediment in Upper Newport Bay. The sudden filling resulted in sig- nificant ecological changes and the shoaling of a boating area, An even more drastic filling of a coastal water basin occurred at Goleta

Slough in Santa Barbara County when, in l%l,sediment from a single storm transformed a navigable harbor into a shallow lagoon (~ishand

Game, 1970~~).

Burgy 's observations and those of Storm (ibid. ) amplify the feelings of this Department in that engineering solutions (channel dredgings, tidegates, sediment basins, etc .) may provide some solution to problems of accelerated erosion, but the ultimate sluuing of sed- imentation in coastal lagoons lies in sound watershed management and protection. In this regard, Burgy has recommended a three-point program for the Bolinas Lagoon watershed: control of land use through zoning and other legal methods, rehabilitation of critically dis- turbed areas, and removal of potential erosion hazards.

Pollution and Contamination

Although the word "pollution" has been used throughout this report in the commonly accepted sense, it must be emphasized that the water quality problems in Bolinas Lagoon involve both "pollution" and

"contamination". The State Water Code (section 13005) defines water

contamination as an impairment in quality "to a degree which creates

an actual hazard to the public health through poisoning or through

the spread of disease." The Code also defines pollution as an impair-

ment which "does not create an actual hazard to the public health but

which does adversely and unreasonably affect" beneficial uses of State

waters.

Thus, when a county board of health prohibits the taking of shell-

fish from a body of water "to protect the public health", the matter

is one of contamination. If a State agency is considering oily films which stain boats, nutrient loadings which result in foul odors and algal

growths, greasy residues or sludges which make swimming unpleasant, or

silt depositions which foul salmon spawning grounds, it is concerned with pollution.

Quite often there is an overlap. For instance, a public health agency may prohibit the taking of shellfish because high coliform

"counts" indicate the presence of a public health hazard. If the taking

of shellfish for human consumption is a designated beneficial use aud there is prohibition against taking these shellfish due to "contamination", then this is"p~llution.~'Dischargeof poorly treated sewage may also result in bottom deposits which limit the growth or reproduction of shellfish in adjacent areas. The latter situation would also be con- sidered a matter of pollution if established beneficial uses of the water included "habitat for shellfish and other aquatic invertebrates."

In some instances, it is possible that it could be safe to swim in certain waters, but unsafe to harvest its shellfish. This situation arises when the ?@I?(media probable number) of coliform organisms

(bacteria characteristically associated with fecal matter) in stand- ard water samples may be low enough to meet standards for water-contact sports but too high to permit human consumption of clams or oysters taken from the same waters. This confusing situation results from the filter-feeding habits of the mollusks and their tendency to accumulate contaminating organisms or materials in their flesh in concentrations far beyond those of the water in which they live. When the water becomes free of the contaminants or the shellfish is placed in a clean water supply, it may once again become fit to eat. This ability of shellfish to purge themselves of contamj.nants was men- tioned in the discussion on oyster rearing (page 55). The foregoing has been inserted into this report so that those interested in pursuing the history of Bolinas Lagoon's pollution problems may have some realization of the various roles played by state, county and local agencies in evaluating the cause and effect of pollutants on fish, wildlife, recreation and public health. For instance, the Department of Fish and Gme's comments on pollution in the lagoon may be directly concerned with the protection of beneficial uses involving the well-being of wildlife, finfish, or shellfish as well as their use by )/Ian; but the Department of Parks and Recreation would be concerned with contamination of swimming waters at the State

Park, the county board of health would be interested in disease trans- mission dangers, and the State Department of Navigatior, and Ocean

Development would be expected to comment on the distribution of poll- utants or contaminants by littoral drift and tidal action. Sources of Pollution

There are three major sources of pollutants in the lagoon:

(1) watershed runoff, (2) direct sewage discharge in the mouth of the channel, and (3) septic tank overflows or leaching field failures in the Stinson Beach area. The deposition of litter and highway slide materials are continuing, but incidenta1,sources.

The amount of organic matter, pesticides, and dissolved minerals derived from the watershed varies with rainfall. Decomposing vege - tation and droppings from grazing cattle, deer, and other mammals are prime nutrient sources. Dissolved copper originating from Copper Mine

Gulch Creek, a tributary of Pine Gulch Creek, may be of possible con- cern (~ustafson,1969, ibid.). Copper salts tend to become indorpo- rated in bottom muds and can be deleterious to shellfish and other bottom-dwelling organisms, even when the actual concentration in the water may be relatively low. This Department, however, has no evi- dence that copper compounds have had a significant effect upon the fish and wildlife resources of the lagoon.

Pesticides

Because of the watershed's small size, low population, and limited acreage devoted to the raising of row crops, grains, and fruit, it would be expected that agricultural pesticides would not reach harmful con- centrations in the lagoon. The results of 1966-67 analyses by this

Department (1967 et seq .) tend to confirm this conclusion. The studies showed that, in contrast to some estuarine waters near prime agri- cultural locations and metropolitan areas, the lagoon ' s waters have contained relatively low concentrations of DMI and derivatives. Analyses for residues in the flesh of oysters hanging from racks have ranged from a trace to about 21 parts per billion (21 ppb) . These findings are in sharp contrast, for example, to higher concentrations

(285 to 860 ppb) found in oysters of Elkhorn Slough in Monterey County.

It is quite possible that most of the pesticides which do appear in Bolinas Lagoon waters are derived from drainage of residential areas or sewage discharge. It is to be expected that there will, in time, be less and less input of these materials because of current restrictions in the use and sale of persistent pesticides and the likelihood that state and federal agencies will gradually impose additional limitations on such use.

Even though the occurrence of pesticides in the lagoon may appear to be of relatively low proportions, the Department is not implying that they have not affected fish and wildlife resources. Even at low levels, persistent pesticides can result in harmful accumulations in the flesh and bodies of mollusks, fish-eating birds, and many other adult or larval forms of water-associated animals. One of the most recent and graphic illustrations of the subtle and long-term effects of this nature is the plight of apparently healthy C:alifornia brown pelicans. In the past two years, egg shell weaknesses attributable to massive accumulations of DDT or derivatives have resulted in an almost complete reproduction failure of the pelican colonies of Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel (report in progress, Department of Fish and Game ) . Despite the fact that the recent restrictions promise a much safer aquatic environment for fish and wildlife, traces of persistent pesticides may linger in the State's inland and coastal waters for many years - perhaps decades. Bolinas Lagoon, because of its relatively low order of exposure, should be one of the first California estuaries to experience natural purging of persistent pestidides or their residues.

Sewage Disposal

The village of Bolinas has, for many years, discharged raw sewage into the mouth of the lagoon at all tide stages. Bolinas ksa residents, however, employ septic tanks as do more than 400 homes in the Stinson

Beach area (~aliforniaRegional Water Quality Control Board, 1970).

The current discharge at Bolinas is estimated to be about 37,000 gallons per day. It is impossible to estimate the volume of septic tank over- flow or seepage from leach fields at Stinson Beach, but it has been of sufficient volume to result in high coliform counts at sample areas on Stinson Creek (prior reference and Flarin County and California

Departments of Public Health, 1970).

The sewage inflows at Bolinas Lagoon are of direct concern to this

Department because of shellfish contamination which can limit or pre- vent human use of the clam reserve and because of the presence of materials deleterious to other fish and wildlife resources. Pollutants commonly appearing in raw sewage discharges include grease, sludges, oils, solvents, detergents, bleaches, caustics, and a wide variety of other harmful materials. These can affect aquatic organisms in many ways including abrasion and corrosion of body tissues, poisoning through ingestion, suffocation by coating of gill surfaces, and alteration of habitat by the deposition of slimes or sludges. Consequently, the Department has, for many years, been working closely with State and county agencies responsible for control of public health and pollution problems at the lagoon. The Regional Water Quality Control Board (hereinafter referred to as the "~oard")first took official action on waste discharge require- ments for the Bolinas Public Utility sewerage system in 1961. Since that time, the Board has adopted several resolutions, held many hearings, and devoted much attention to the Bolinas-Stinson Beach sewage disposal problems. On a local level, the Board's requirements have engendered much debate on the best means of financing the planning and construct- tion of a sewerage system capable of meeting discharge requirements, the most economical design and location of facilities, and the selection of interim and final discharge points.

The following actions by the Board were important steps in the prolonged proceedings. Readers desiring further details can examine records on file at the Board's office.

1. Resolution No. 372, September 1961, wherein the Board adopted require- ments for the Bolinas discharge.

2. Resolution No. 617, December 1964, in which the Board adopted a long-

range plan and policy affecting water pollution control in the Bolinas-

Stinson Beach area and defined the beneficial uses of the waters of

Bolinas Lagoon as: swimming and wading, sportfishing, habitat for shellfish and other aquatic invertebrates, habitat for marine fishes,

boating, sport clamming, waterfowl refuge area, migratory route for

spawning runs of steelhead trout entering Pine Gulch Creek, recharge

of the recreational lagoon of Seadrift subdivision, and aesthetic enjoyment . Beneficial uses for tributaries and adjacent ocean waters were also established. The Resolution affirmed the Board's

intent to protect the beneficial uses of the lagoon's waters and

to "make and preserve Bolinas Lagoon suitable for the taking of

shellfish." 3. Resolution No. 743, April 1966, which rescinded Resolution No, 372

and prescribed new discharge requirements.

4. Resolution No. 744, April 1966, which ordered the Bolinas Public

Utility District to cease and desist violation of Resolution No. 743.

5. Resolution No. 68-37, June 1968, which ackaowledged the intent of the Bolinas Community Public Utility District and the Stinson

Beach County Water District to cooperatively develop a joint

sewage collection, treatment and disposal system, The same

resolution also set requirements for five alternative discharge

sites outside the lagoon.

6. Cease and Desist Order, June 1970, wherein the Board required com-

pliance by the Bolinas Community Public Utility District with the

waste discharge requirements by 1972, prohibited additional connect-

tions to the existing sewerage system, and urged the blarin County

Health Officer and State Board of Health "to impose a quarantine

on those portions of Bolinas Bay and Bolinas Lagoon necessary to

protect the public health. "

Important steps in local action were: the merger of the Bolinas

Beach Utility District and the Bolinas Public Utility District into the present Bolinas Community Public Utility District, applications for

Federal assistance under provisions of PL 660, proceedings to initiate the formation of a local assesment district, and the completion

(~ecember1969) of the Joint powers agreement between the Bolinas and Stinson Beach districts.

The districts are endeavoring to meet the planning and development schedule adopted by the Board and have recently reported on their progress. It now appears that the ultimate development will include a collector system at Stinson Beach, a cross-channel interceptor ) to Bolinas , another collector system at Bolinas village, a force main to conduct sewage to a proposed treatment plant on

Bolinas ?ksa,and phased construction of discharge facilities to a

permanent outfall terminus about 2,900 feet offshore from Agate Beach

and at a point beyond the 30-foot depth line.

The plans entail an "interim" discharge location at a dry arroyo

on Bolinas Mesa or an inshore location at Agate Beach. The Department

of Fish and Game has concurred with the selection of the permanent

point of discharge providing requirements for pro!bection of fish and wildlife resources are met. In respect to the interim measures, it has

requested the Board to continue to protect the beneficial uses established

for the waters between Duxbury Point and areas north of Agate Beach. These uses are: surfing, wading, skindiving, sport and commercial fishing,

sport clamming for piddocks, abalone picking, habitat for marine

fishes, habitat for shellfish and other qquatic invertebrates, and aesthetic enjoyment . The necessity for phased development of the discharge system is

related to the high cost of constructing a pipeline .to the permanent discharge point, the assessment capabilities of the communities, and

the already imposing problem of financing the proposed collector and

treatment system. If the two districts are able to meet present

schedules, the waters of Bolinas Lagoon should be completely safe for water contact sports and the taking of shellfish by late 1972.

Ironically, the August 9, 1970 issue of the Santa Rosa PRESS DEfulO-

CRAT contained a special release saying that Marin County and State Department of Public Health officials intended to invoke a quarantine at Bolinas Lagoon and adjacent beach on or about August 12. The ban on swimming, surfing, wading, and taking of shellfish is expected to continue until sewage standards are brought up "to minimum State levels. " The same story indicated that the two agencies' decision may have been related to the common denominator of four recent hepa- titus cases in the county - all victims had been swimming at the beach off Bolinas .

Channel Stabilization and Boating Facility Plans

During the progressive deterioration of navigation conditions in

Bolinas Lagoon and its channels, there have been numerous informal and official proposals for channe 1 mouth improvements and/or dev- elopment of boating facilities. At various times, there have been demands or proposals for a public skiff-launching area for clam diggers and fishermen; launching ramps for trailered boats; development of a harbor of refuge; creation of berthing facilities for recreational craft and shallowdraft fishing vessels; construction of residential- marina complexes, and development of the entire lagoon for commercial, recreation, boating, community, and wildlife purposes.

Some of the proposals have been highly controversial on both a local and regional level. The disagreements have involved county and local agencies, Bay Area conservationists, boating associations, commercial fishing interests, and a variety of other concerned groups.

During this period of contention, the tidelands within the lagoon have been under the successive jurisdiction of the State, Bolinas Harbor

District, and the County of Marin. The most significant proposals followed the State's action in granting to the Bolinas Harbor District (and its successors) the right and title to "all lands, salt marsh, tidelands, submerged lands, and swamp and overflowed lands" within the boundaries of the Bolinas

Harbor District (statutes of California, Chapter 800, 1957), The authorizing act (effective in September, 1957) required the District to utilize the lands for such purposes as establishment of a harbor, aviation facilities, docks and piers, fishing and recreation, etc.

The act further provided that the conveyed lands should be "sub- stantially improved" within 10 years, or all title and interests would revert to the State.

Because of the need of long-term and basic engineering studies, dissentions, financial problems, and various other reasons, the

District was unable to effect any substantial developments within the next ten years. The Marin County Board of Supervisors then

(~une,1968) began proceedings to dissolve the Harbor District. The voters of the District approved the dissolution in IWch, 1969.

Subsequently (~ugust1969), the Legislature amended Chapter 800 to enable transfer of the tidelands and trust to the County of Win or its successors. The amended section specifies many acceptable uses for the lands, including: harbor facilities, public utilities, parks, bathing areas, marina, aquatic playground, and maintenance of fish and wildlife resources. It also stipulates that the County shall, within a three-year period, submit a plan for future use of the lands to the

"Department of Harbors and Watercraft" (since incorporated in the Depart- ment of Navigation and Ocean ~evelopment). The act states that "...the county shall prepare and submit a reasonable plan pursuant to which the lands shall be substantially improved, restored, preserved, or maintained by the county without expense to the state....clhe Department of Harbors and Watercraft shall review the plan for compliance with the provisions of this act, and, not later than the 30th day after receipt of the plan, shall transmit such plan, together --with its comments, to the State Lands Commission, If the State Lands Commission determines that the county has failed to submit a reasonaible and workable plan as herein required, all right, title, and interest of the county in and to all lands granted by this act shall cease and all right, title, and interest in the lands shall revert and rest in the state."

On an administrative level, the Harbors and Watercraft Commission had long advocated development of a harbor of refuge at Bolinas Lagoon and had provided substantial support in the District's planning efforts

(for example, see minutes of Commission meeting, February 20, 1967). Be Commission reaffirmed this interest shortly after abolishment of the District, when in May 1969, it directed a resolution a arbors and Water- craft Commission, 1969) to the Marin County Board of Supervisors requesting a continuation of efforts to develop a port of refuge at the lagoon. Copies of the resolution were also directed to the Resources Agency and its individual departments.

Much of the layman's confusion relating to development of a harbor of refuge has apparently stemmed from varied interpretations of the functiona3. differences between a harbor of refuge and harbors for recre- ational craft, fishing, commerce, and other purposes. In June 1970, the Director of the Department of Fish and Game requested (interoffice cor- respondence) the Director of the Department of Navigation and Ocean

Development to define specifications for a harbor of refuge at Bolinas.

In his reply, the Director stated that his Department (NOD)has not established any particular specifications for a harbor of refuge at the lagoon and favors further studies to establish design criteria not necessarily conforming to those of prior studies. He also referred this Department to definitions appearing in an interim report prepared for the Department of Parks and Recreation (1963). The cited report contains a modified version of a definition previously advanced by the

U. S. Army Corps of Ehgineers (preliminary Examination Report on Harbors for Lightdraft Vessels, Northern California Coast, 1949) : "Small Craft Harbor of Refuge - a temporary haven for small craft in distress or seeking shelter from approaching storms; a safe

place of rest and replenishment for transient boats. A harbor of

refuge must offer anchorage or moorage protected from waves of

hazardous magnitude from any quarter, must have access by land,

must have a public landing, and must have some means of obtaining

aid, supplies or assistance. Entrances to small craft harbors of

refuge must be safe for navigation by small craft under all but

the most extreme sea and weather conditions found at the site.

The entrance channel must be of adequate depth and width to allow

for maneuvering by the small craft using the harbor. A harbor of

refuge in a given area must be large enough to accomodate the

estimated number of small craft that might require refuge at any

one time. " A subsequent paragraph in the report is pertinent to much of the

controversy surrounding port development plans for Bolinas Lagoon:

"It is possible that a small craft harbor of refuge in a remote

location could be a refuge harbor and nothing more. At most loca- tions, however, demand factors would stimulate other activities

such as home port berthing, fishing enterprises (both sport and

commercial), provisioning, marine supplies and repair. It is important, therefore, that the refuge capacities of small craft

harbors be protected against encroachment or complete displacement by development of home port or other facilities."

Initial Harbor of Refuge Study In 1962, the Bolinas Harbor District made its initial survey study

(Blume & Associates, 1964) of a port of refuge. The plan (plate 6)

incorporated an entrance channel 300 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The channel would have been protected by rubble-mound jetties 3,200 feet long (west side of channel) and 2,500 feet long (east side). Within the lagoon there would have been a turning basin between Kent Island and Seadrift Peninsula, a dredged channel leadin$ to an inner harbor on

the east side of the lower basin opposite Kent Island, and a small park- ing area adjacent to Shoreline Highway, There were no cost estimates,

Department of Parks and Recreation Study

In 1963, the firm of Leeds, Hill and Jewett, Inc. prepared a report

on coastal harbors of refuge for the Department of Parks and Recreation

(bid.). The plan (plate 7) included a concept for a coastal harbor of refuge at Bolinas Lagoon. Under the firm's concepts, dredging would PLATE 6 PLATE 7

0 1/2 I MILE .- I Scale in Miles have been limited to the entrance channel (15 to 20 feet below mean lower low water) and an anchorage area on the west side of the lagoon north of the village of Bolinas. !be channel would have been protected by an "L" shaped jetty (3,700 feet long) on the west side of the entrance and a spur groin and short jetty (900 feet long) on the east side. The supporting facilities would have been limited to navigation aids, fixed anchors, a public landing, and provisions for fueling.

Although this plan involved a smaller area of the lagoon, the dredging would have required removal of most of Kent Island. The estimated cost, at that time, was about $6,200,000.

U. S. Corps of Engineers' Studies

In January 1966, the U. S. Corps of Engineers released the review report (ibid. ) on navigation improvements for the channel and lagoon.

As mentioned earlier (page 6&), the proposals were not recommended by the District Engineer, me Corps considered the plans suggested by local authorities and a modification (plate 8) which it considered more appropriate from an engineering standpoint. The plans, in general, approximated those resulting from the Harbor District 's 1962 studies (Blume, et. al., ibid. ) . me principal modification in the Corps version consisted of changes in the design of jetties, provision of off- shore breakwater, and maintenance measures for bypassing of sand. The estimated initial cost was in excess of $11,000,000 and the annual main- tenance cost was estimated at about $200,000,

The State's official comments on the proposed project (state of California, Resources Agency, 1965) concurred with the Corps ' economic analysis but emphasized continued interest in the "much needed small GENERALIZED PLAN OF FEATURES REVIEWED BY U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS 1966 (Adopted from 1 NAVIGATION REVIEW OF REPORTS BOLINAS CHANNEL AND LAGOON -CALIFORNIA (NOT RECOMMENDED) craft harbor." The State also requested the Corps to cooperate in efforts to find a more feasible and suitable solution.

The Department of Fish and Game's comments on the impact of the proposals (if implemented) were included in the State's overall com- ments. This Department requested confinement of "harbor development to the south part of the lagoon adjacent to the sandspit" and acknowledged that the Corps' plans reflected prior requests to consider the need of proper vehicular access, suitable deposition of spoil, and curtailment of construction activities during the waterfowl and shorebird migration season.

The principal opposition of conservation groups apparently centered on their belief that the project would result in (1) potential damage to

Kent Island, (2) a more-than-necessary incursion into the lagoon, and

( 3) the possibility that the development would stimulate encroachments into the upper basin and eventual destruction of the ecological values of the entire lagoon. me Johnson Concept for Channel Stabilization

Johnson (ibid.), after evaluating prior proposals and the results of later studies deduced that channel stabilization could be accomplished with a simpler system than previously proposed. He based this conclusion primarily on the results of model studies and the assumption that exten- sive sand bypassing features would not be required. He proposed a plan (plate 9) which incorporated arrow-head type jetties to effect stability of the channel, but the concept did not include any other development within the lagoon. PLATE 9

I ( Based on Original Plate from Johnson Concept-1969) 1 PLATE 10

0

APPROX. SCALE OF MILES

I

PLAN FORDEVELOPMENT OF ' BOLl NAS LAGOON

(MODIFIED FROM PLANS PREPARED BY NORMAN T. GILROY ASSOCIATES FOR BOLINAS HARBOR DISTRICT September 1966)

! 90 The Harbor District's Master Plan

In Septennber 1966, the Harbor District released its plan or concept

(~ilroy,ibid.) for development of the lagoon (plate 10). The concept involved an almost complete transformation of the lagoon into a complex of marinas, commercial developments, boating lagoon, fishing harbor, small boat basin, parks, swimming areas, administrative offices, service and repair facilities, motel, restaurant, boat storage areas, wildlife areas, etc. The concept encountered the immediate ire of conservation groups and engendered vociferous opposition from many quarters, This report will not indulge in a review of supporting arguments or criticism of the plan. Instead, we refer the reader to the Marin County Planning

Department 's evaluation (1966) of the report. The Planning Department 's evaluation considered the impact of the proposals upon ecological and aesthetic assets of the area and its compatibility with the County's master plan for the area. lhis Department could say little to supple- ment the County's critique other than acknoxledge that implementation of the plan would have signified irretrievable losses and permanent damage to most of the lagoon's fish and wildlife resources.

Ihe 1970 Gilroy Concept In May 1970, Gilroy (ibid.) submitted recommendations to the County of Marin and the Resources Agency for preservation of the lagoon's envi- ronmental system and the development of boating facilities. In many respects, the report agrees wlfh prior conclusions and recommendations of this Department. PLATE II

erve Harbor Seal Habitat

Possible Parking Area - Possible Restaurant ..a...... Brighton Avenue *...... d Spending Basin Channel to Bolinos Bay Groin under beach

rnmer Harbor \ /' ,, PROPOSED PLAN FOR HARBOR DEVELOPMENT 8 OF BOLINAS LAGOON Adapted from a report on Bolinas Lagoon prepared by Norman T. G.ilr0y and Associates 1970 Gilroy 's concept (plate 11) would provide: (1) wintertime refuge

facilities for small craft within the lagoon near the channel mouth, (2)

a summertime harbor outside the entrance and below the bluffs just west

of the existing outlet, and (3) a launching ramp and adjacent parking

area. The launching area and improved channel and outer harbor would be protected by jetties.

The Department of Fish and Game has not been asked for official

comments on this latest development plan, but it appears that the plan would result in less harm to the lagoon's natural resources than any

concept heretofore proposed. We further believe that the consultants have displayed an encouraging awareness of the need to protect and main- tain the lagoon's birdlife, shellfish, and the other fish and wildlife resources with &ich this Department is so greatly concerned. However, the entire plan, if adopted, will require detailed study and coordina- tion by many interested agencies.

Position of the Department on Development of Boatine; Facilities

The Department of Fish and Game recognizes the position of the

Harbors and Watercraft Conmission that a small boat harbor should be developed in the Bolinas area. It also realizes that many agencies and study groups have devoted much money and effort to the development of suitable plans. The Department also believes that judicious dredging in critical areas of Bolinas Lagoon and entrance channel may improve tidal circulation and result in possible reduction of sediments. At the same time, it believes that dredging should be limited to the minimum amount required for internal channels, mooring area, and supporting facilities necessary to meet harbor of refuge standards. Furthermore, the location and extent of dredging should be such as to produce the least possible -act upon the lagoon's natural resources - particularly the rich shellfish grounds and feeding areas of wading birds and shore birds .

As in our earlier comments on the plans considered by the U. S.

Corps, we believe that any deepening of the lower basin for mooring or navigation purposes should be confined to the southern area adjacent to

Seadrift Peninsula. The dredging of additional channels or boating areas within the lagoon should not be undertaken unless it will defi- nitely improve tidal circulation and promote the removal of sediments while maintaining or improving the overall quality of the lagoon's fish and wildlife habitat.

me Department also acknowledges that there has been (and will con- tinue to be) a great demand by recreational boating interests for devel- opment of complete harbor and service facilities within the lagoon. The demand could be such that, in time, the entire lagoon could be devoted to floats, wharfs, docks, and appurtenant facilities. Development of this sort would result in a complete alteration of what is still one of the least-disturbed estuarine environments of the California coast.

Despite its opposition to extensive development of small craft harbor facilities, the Department is not adverse to a suitable launch- ing ramp for trailered boats concomitant with the establishment of a harbor of refuge. me arrangement would satisfy much of the demand for direct boat access to Bolinas Bay. In association with the launching ramp, private or public interests could provide an onshore dry storage area and repair facilities for those desiring to leave their boats in the Bolinas area. Such provisions could be both a boon to the local economy and the public. At the same time, there would be a minor incuwion of the lagoon in contrast to the area required for equivalent

"wet" berthing space.

The popularity of a launching ramp for trailered boats could, how- ever, create problems in traffic circulation and parking. In this regard, it does not appear that a location adjacent to Shoreline Highway on the east side of the lagoon - an area often mentioned for this use - would be the best solution.

In the event the latest (1970) Gilroy plan for boating provisions is not adopted, the Department suggests consideration of improvements in the channel between the west shore and Kent Island to a point adjacent to County lands near Pine Gulch Creek delta. Improvement of the channel might have a beneficial effect upon tidal circulation within the upper basin while enabling provision of a launching ramp in a less constricted area. Furthermore, development of adequate facilities on the -east ehore could well entail the need of filling an ecologically valuable portion of the lagoon.

At the same time, improvements of the western channel toward Pine

Gulch Creek delta could have a deleterious effect upon the ecological values of Kent Island and neighborin@; areas. It is, therefore, obvious that any proliferation of small craft facilities should not be under- taken until all interested parties have had an opportunity to weigh the merits and disadvantages of any such proposal. DISCUSSION AND REVIEW

In this report, the Department has endeavored to convey to the public and interested agencies its interpret ation of the unusual natural and aesthetic values of Bolinas Lagoon. Because of its responsibility to protect and maintain the fish and wildlife resources of the State, it has also had to outline present and potential influences capable of damaging the area's ecological attractions, Despite problems of pollu- tion adsedimentation and the various pressures for physical develop- ment of the lagoon, this Department knows that the County's planners are keenly aware of the desirability of maintaining the area's natural resources to the fullest extent possible. Yet we also realize that the

County is obliged to produce a master plan which will meet requirements imposed by the Legislature.

Consequently, we have outlined our position on establishment of a harbor of refuge within the lagoon and have indicated one means of satie- fying demand far mall craft access to Bolinas Bay. We have also acknawledged that selective dredging and regulation of tidal flows may be of some assirstance in the improvenent of water circulation adthe reduction of sedimentation and pollution arising from watershed runoff.

In this regard, euch meaemres may have long-term beneficial effects upon fish and wildlife resources, but they should not be undertaken without full consideration of the impact upon the lagoon's fish and wildlife habitat, resident and migratory birdlife, shellfish and educational values. In reaped to species protection, thia Department believes it imperative that future plane for the lagoon fully consider the needs of continued maintenance and protection of heron and egret feedling areas, their flight paths to and from the Audubon Canyon Ranch, and existing buffering prom human activity and molestation. The harbor seal "hauling arealt at the south end of the lagoon is another location requiring such attention. At the same time, there should be provisions for public parking at selected viewpoints to enable optinum opportuni- ties for the public to observe the lagoon's wildlife, We have also indicated that upon abatement of pollution the Depart- ment will endeavor to assist in the reestablishment of oyster rearing in the lagoon, utilim its facilities in efforts to improve or rehabili- tate shellfish resources, reevaluate the possibility of restoration of eel grass beds, and promote the replenishment of crab populations. As conditions require, the Department will initiate or cooperate in any other habitat management programs designed to meuntain ar improve the welfare of the lagoon's fish and wildlife resources. We will also con- tinue our shorebird and waterfowl censue program and continue to cooperate with all. groups engaged in inventory of the area's natural resources. We endorse the foresight of the County, the National Audubon Society and its local chapters, and The Nature Col~servancyin acquiring lands important to the preservation of the lagoon's natural resources and future public use and enjoyment of these assets. We also welcone the County's willingness to consider this Department's concern and interests in the formulation of its plans, In conclusion, this Department believes that the citizens of Bolinas,

Stinson Beach and Marin County can be proud of their past efforts to maintain the ecological integrity of Bolinas Lagoon in the face of economic attractiveness of wholesale development. The Department, along with the citizens of MnCounty, recogniaes the iarpoPtance of this dr- tudly undeveloped area and will do all in its power to assist in any program designed to protect, maintain, and improve the lagoon's natural resources. REFERENCES

Ad-, Kenneth Matthew, Jan. 1970. A Bolinas Iagoon tide flat community (Juvenile fish and physcophilous crustacea) . ?hesis, MA, Sn Fran. State Col. 59 p. plus appendix.

Audtubon Canyon Ranch, April. 1970. Landnarks in the history of Audubon

Canyon Ranch. Pamph., 6 p.

Blume, John A. and Assoc., Oct. 1964, Report on proposed hydraulic

model study of Bolinas Harbor entrance. Prep. for Bolinas Harbor

District.

Burgy, Robert Ha, May 1970. Bolinas Lagoon study. The watershed.

Runoff and sedimentation. Prep. for Conservation Foundation. 28 p.

with graphs and tables, plus appended photomaps.

California Dept. Fish and Game, 1964. Ocean fishing map of Sonoma and

Marin counties by Daniel J. Miller and Dan Gotshall. Text printed

on reverse side. Currently available.

, 1967 et seq, Pesticide monitoring, quarterly reports, by

John C. Modin. Oct. 1966-Sept. 1967, MRO reference nos. 67-3, 67-19, and 67-27 (u. S. Bur. Comm. Fish. contract no. a-17 -002-211) . , 1963. The California oyster industry. Fish Bull. 123,

103 p. inc. photos, maps and tables. , 1970. Completion report, Special Wildlife Investigations, P-R contract W-54-R-7. Prep. by Fred C. Sibley. 29 p. with tables. , Aug. 1970. The natural resources of Goleta Slough and

recommendations for use and development. 35 p. plus appendix, plates and photos.

Calif. Division of Mines, 1951. Geologic guidebook of the San Francisco

Bay Counties. Bull. 154. 329 p. with glossary and index. Calif. Dept. of Parks and Recreation, 1963. Interim report on coastal

harbors of refuge, by beds, Hill and Jewett, Inc. Prep. for Div.

aall Craft Harbors. 56 p. plus appendix and hl plates. Calif. Harbors and Watercraft Comm. , 1970. Resolution No. 69-5-148, Re expression of continued interest in the development of a harbor of

refuge in the Bolinas Lagoon, Marin County, Calif. Adopted at

meeting of May 19, 1969.

Calif. Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco, 1970. Staff

report submitted for hearing of June 25, 1970.

California Resources Agency, Dec. 1965. &dl craft harbor improvement,

Bolinas Channel and Lagoon, Calif. Comments of Calif. on a detailed

project report by the District Engineer, U. S. Army Corps of

Engineers, San Francisco District. 4 p. plus introd. and letter of transmittal.

Chan, Gordon, Nov. 1967. Population studies of marine animals in Bolinas

Lagoon. College of Marin Marine Sta. 109. p. inc. tables and photos.

Chan, Gordon F. and Alfonzo Molina, 1969. Conservation of the marine

animals on Dwrbury Reef. College of Marin Marine Sta. 56 p. inc. plates and photos.

Fineman, Edward, et al., 1967. Ecology of the fishes of Pine Gulch

Creek. College of Marin Marine Sta. 11 p.

Gilroy, Norman T. and Assoc., Sept. 1965. Master plan for the Bolinas Lagoon. Prep. for Bolinas Harbor Dist.

, March 1970. Bolinas Lagoon. Its system of environmental dynamics and recommendations for its preservation and utilization.

Prep. for Resources Agency and County of Marin. 23 folders with

numerous maps and photos plus appendix in separate volume. Gustaf son, Joel, F., Feb. 1968. Study of the ecosystem Bolinas Lagoon,

Marin County, Calif. Part 1 of 3-part report to Audubon Canyon

Ranch, Bolinas Harbor Dist., County of Marin, and Marin Consem.

League. 22 p.

IOct. 1968. Ecological study of Bolinas Lagoon, Marin County, Calif., Part 2 of above report. 45 p. inc. photos and tables.

, June 1969. Ecological studies, Bolinas Lagoon, Xarin County, Calif. Part 3 of above report. p. inc. maps and tables.

Hansen, Craig, 1968. Unpub. data on fish populations of Bolinas Lagoon.

Various papers. College of Marin Marine Sta.

Howell, John Thomas, 1949. Marin flora. Univ. of Calif. Press, Berkeley.

322 p. with photos and keys.

Interstate Electronics Corp., Feb. 1968. Preliminary investigation of

littoral. drift characteris tics, Bolinas Lagoon California. Prep. for

Bolinas Harbor Dist. 63 p. with maps, graphs and tables.

Isselhardt, C., L. Osuch, and P. Wilde, Nov. 1968. Recent marine sediments

of Bolinas Bay, Part A. Prep. for U. S. Corps of Eng. by Univ. of

Calif. Hydraul. Lab. 155 p. with graphs and tables.

Johnson, 3. W., Sept. 1969. Stabilization of the Bolinas Lagoon Inlet.

Univ. of Calif. at Berkeley. 40 p. with appendix.

Mannix, Kathy C., 1967. An algae survey of Bolinas Lagoon. College of

Marin Marine Sa. 24 p.

Marin County and Calif. Dep t. Public Health, June 1970. Study of water

and shellfish quality in Bolinas Lagoon and Bolinas Bay. 19 p. with tables and maps.

Marin County Planning Commission, 1961. Bolinas-Stinson Beach master plan.

46 p. plus appendix and maps. Win County Planning Dept., Nov. 1966. Report on Bolinas Lagoon Master

Plan. 34 p.

Molina, Al and Ann Rathburn, 1968. The zonation of the conspicuous

phanerogams on Kent Island, Bolinas Lagoon. College of Marin Marine

Sta. 17 p. plus 23 plates.

Nolan, Ron S., 1967. Fishes of Bolinas Lagoon. College of mrin Marine

Sta. 58 p.

Osborn, Kenneth, April 1969. Water pollution in Bolinas Lagoon. College

of Marin Marine Sta. 8 p. plus graphs.

Payne, Betty. Unpub. report prepared for Dr. J. F. Gustaf son arri cited

in Gustafson, 1968a.

Pritchard, Donald W., 1967. Observations of circulation in coastal plain

estuaries. In Estuaries, Publ. no. 83, Amer. Assoc. for the Advan.

of Sci., Washington, D. C., pp. 37-44.

Ritter, John Roy April 1969. Preliminary studies of sedimentation and

hydrology in Bolinas Lagoon, Marin County, Calif., May 1967-m we 1968. Open file report, U. S. Geol. Surv. 67 p. with maps, graphs and plates.

~edway/Cooke, June 1970. Bolinas Lagoon environs. Environmental management

implementation survey. Prep. for Conservation Foundation. 68 p.

plus appendix.

Snail, John and Phillip Lenna, 1964. Avifaunal surveys of the Limantour

Estero area, Pt. Reyes National Seashore. 33 p.

Storm, David R., May 1970. Bolinas Lagoon report to the Conservation Foundation. 65 p. plus appendix.

Tupas, Peter and J. Stnith, June 1968. Survey of the fishes of Pine Gulch

Creek. College of Marin Marine Sta. 51 p. inc. photos and plates. U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, Jan. 1966. Review report

on Bolinas Channel and Lagoon, Calif. for navigation. /44 p. plus

appendices and maps.

U. S. Soil Conservation Service, April 1968. Report and soil map, Bolinas

Lagoon watershed area, hrin County, Calif. 49 p. plus appendix and

maps

Wilde, P., C. Isselhardt, L. Osuch, and T. Yancey, Dec. 1969. Recent

sediments of Bolinas Bay, Calif., Part C. Interpretation and

summary of results. 86 p. inc. maps, graphs and tables. ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

STUDENT PAPERS ON FILE AT COLLEGE OF MARIN MARINE STATION, BOLINAS

The following student papers contain much information on Bolinas

Lagoon, its flora and fauna and environmental characteristics. This list is published through the courtesy of the College.

Bailey, Grant, 1969. An identification of limpets of the California

coast with emphasis on limpets in Bolinas Lagoon.

Benedet, Sandra, 1968. An algae survey of Pine Gulch Creek.

Bernstein, Diana, 1968. Report of Pine Gulch Creek.

Berry, Pamela, 1965. Adaptations of sand dune plants.

Bowman, Barbara, 1969. The Pine Gulch Creek.

Byrd, Terence, 1964. Temperature and salinity.

Campbell, Nancy M., 1967. A stu@ of the diatoms faund in a marsh

pool in Bolinas Lagoon.

Cartwright, Isabel, 1967. A study of the effect of ambient temperatures

on the pulse rates of selected polychaetes.

Clark, Sue, 1968. A simple relative map of the area fram the delta to

the bend of Pine Gulch Creek,

Clark, Wally, 1969. Study of the common Acmaea of the Bolinas area.

Combs, Elvey S., 1968. An ecological. study of the Bolinas Lagoon

culvert channel waters.

Conklin, Sara, 1968. Field guide to selected hydroids. Dasmann , Joan, 1964. Enteromorpha Deedy, Kathy and Dan Gladney, 1967, Iiife within the sand spit.

Doerr, Karl H., 1966. Population density of Callianassa californiensis. Dower, James S. and Johanna Hausle, 1969. The mapping of Bat Island.

Fitzgerald, S. and J. Strong, 1968. Plant key: Pine Gulch Creek.

Griffin, Greg, 1967. Fish survey, Bolinas Lagoon.

Hamilton, Bob, 1968. Repopulation of organisms on the recently dredged

area of Stinson Beach spit. Harris, Dale, 1968. -Phoca vitulina - Tne harbor seal in Bolinas Lagoon. Hevern, Linda, 1968. What's new at the culvert?

Hindersman, Roberta, 1969. Derbresia marina of Bolinas Lagoon.

Horton, Robert, 1969. Environmental changes in the North Bay region

and population figures for Marin County with projections to 1985.

Keener, Bernard H. and Jeannette Pomeroy, 1967. A study of selected

ecological factors relating to certain culverts entering Bolinas Lagoon . Kingsley, Rembert, 1966. A study of the avifauna of Bolinas Lagoon,

Marin County, in winter and spring. -1967. A study of Lumbrineris -zonata from Bolinas Lagoon, Marin County.

Lane, Jill and &an Davis, 1968. A study of mammals on Kent Island.

Leuchtenberger, William, 1967. Flankton: studies at Bolinas Lagoon.

McKinley, Scott S., 1968. A study regarding the possibility of benthic

fauna in the north end of Bolinas Lagoon.

Mannix, Kathy C., 1967. An algae survey of Bolinas Lagoon.

Michoul, Lilian, 1969. Upland flora of the west side of Bolinas Lagoon.

Mileto, Mary T., 1967. History of Bolinas.

Newhall, Rosetta C., 1968. hall mammals of Kent Island.

Nolan, Ron S., 1967. Fishes of Bolinas Lagoon. Patterson, Tom C., 1967. Where are Axiothella rubrocincta in Bolinas

Lagoon ?

Royce, Michael W., 1968. An underground study of --Callianassa californiensis in Bolinas Lagoon.

Sanders, Philip, 1968. A general ecological observation of tidal pools in Bolinas Lagoon marsh.

Schafer, Steve, 1968. Survey of the fishes and observations of upper Pine Gulch Creek. Seielstad, David S., 1965. Natural Science 49 report. (Physical and chemical studies of ocean water. )

Senser, John, 1968. A behavioral study of Urechis caupo. Shackelford, Lee E., 1969. A comparison in the zonation of Gigartina

on Duxbury Reef, Area A. aarp, Spencer G., 1969. Discussion on productivity of Bolinas Lagoon. , 1969. The effects of increasing nitrate and phosphate on Coscinodiscus reproduction. Sinclair, Cathy, 1969. Kent Island.

Stetson, Tinsley, 1967. A study of fishes in Bolinas "Lagoon.

Stewart, Julia, 1968. Mapping the plants of Pine Gulch Creek from the red alders to the deep pool. Sturgeon, Frederick L., 1968. An ecological survey of culverts of Bolinas Lagoon.

Swanson, James, 1968. The layering of black mud in the delta area of Pine Gulch Creek. Taylor, Donald S., 1968. Salinity variation at Pine Gulch Creek for

the period October 7, 1968-January 5, 1969. Thomson, Rob, 1968, Variations in Copepods, salinity and conductivity

in Gallinas Creek.

Tupas, Peter and Jim Snith, 1968, Survey of the fishes.

Van Zaute, Dirk, 1968. Seasonal algae mat in the Bolinas Lagoon.

Weissenberger, Larry, 1969. Spring salinity of Pine Gulch Creek.

Williams, Gary, 1968. Investigations into the ecology and population

of Mytilus californianus at Dwcbury Reef.

Wilson, Pat, 1968. A preliminary plant survey of Section By Bolinas

Lagoon, APPENDIX A

INDEX TO LIST OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS MENTIONED IN TEXT

Plants Page No. Beach salt bush Atriplex leucophylla

California laurel Umbellularia californica

Cattails mha sp.

Cord grass Spartina foliosa

Coyote bush Bac chari s pilulari s

Douglas fir Pseudo tsuga taxifo lia

Dune grass Ammophila arenaria

Eel grass Zos tera marina

Madrone Arbutus menziesii

Monterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa Monterey pine Pinus-- radiata Oaks Quercus spp.

Pickleweed Salicornia virginica Red fescue Festuca-- rubra Redwood -wuoia sempervirens

Sal tgrass Ms tichli s spicata

Sea lettuce Ulva spp.

Vancouver ryegrass Elymus vancouverensis APPENDIX A (Continued)

Invertebrates Page No.

Abalone Haliotis sp. 60, 78 Bent-nose clam Macoma -nasuta 47 Blue mud shrimp Upogebia pugettensis 58 Gaper clam Tresus nuttallii -c-.- 47, 55 Panope generosa

Lined shore crab Pachygrapsus crassipes

Littleneck clam Pro tothaca staminea Market crab -Cancer magister Oregon mud crab Hemigrapsus oregonen sis

Oyster (giant pacific) Crassostrea gigas

Oyster (native) -0str ea luri da

Piddock Zirfaea sp. Rock crab (red) -Can c er pro duc tus San dcrab s berita spp.

Washington clam Saxidomus nuttalli

White ghost shrimp (syn. pink ghost shrimp) Callianassa californiensis

Amphibians

Marbled salamander Ambystoma en saturn

Oregon salamander Plethodon eschschol tzii

Frogs (California yellow-legged) Rana- boylii Reptiles

Alligator lizard Sceloporus occidentalis

Garter snake (western) Thamnophis sir tali s APPENDIX A (Continued)

-Birds Page No. Avocet (American) Recurvirostra americana 45, 54

Band-tailed pigeon Columba fasdata 52 Belted kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon 51, 54, 59

Black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax 45 52, Black bran t Bran.--- ta nigrican s 45, 54 California brcwn pelican Pelecanus occiden talis 54, 74 Cormor ants Phalacrocorax spp.

Curlews Numenius spp.

Dowitcher Limnodromus spp. 54

Dove, mourning Zenaidura macoura 52 Ihnlin Erolia alpina 54 Egret, common Casmerodius albus- 45, 54, 96 Egret, snowy Leucophoyx thula- 45, 54, 96 Godwit, marbled Limosa fedoa 45, 54 Great blue heron Ardea herodias 45, 54, 59, 96

Grebes Aechmophorus or Podiceps spp. 54 Gulls Lams spp. 54

Loons Gavia spp. 54 Mallard -Anas pla tyrhyncho s 45, 46 Pin tail Anas acuta 45 Plover Charadrius sp., Squatarola sp. 45, 54 Qusfl, California Lophortyx californicus 9,52

Red- tailed hawk Buteo jamai censi s

Red-winged blackbird Age1 aius phoeniceus

Sandpipers Erolia spp. APPENRIX A (Continued)

-Birds (continued) Page No. Snipe, common Capella gallinayo 54 Swallows, barn Kirundu rustica 51

Turkey vulture Cathartes a= 9 Turnstones Arenaria spp. 54 White- tailed kite Elanus levcurus 51 Willet Cataptrophorus semipalmatus 54 -Fish Arrow goby Clevelandia ios- Bat stingray Myliobatis calif ornicusr

Brown rockfish Seba stodes auriculatus

Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmora tus

English sole Parophrys vetulus

Greenling Hexagrammos decagrammus

Japanese goby Acanthogobius flaviman~ns

Leopard shark Triakis semifasciata

Monkey-f ace eel (Blenny Cebidichthys violaceus eel)

Northern anchovy Enmaulis mordax

Pacific herring Clupea pallasi

Prickly sculpin a-

Redtail perch Amphistichus rhodoterus Rock eel (Blenny) Zphister mucosus

Rockfish Sebastes spp. Rubberlip perch Rhacochilus toxotes

Salmon, silver APPENDIX A (Continued)

-Fish (Continued) Page No. Shiner perch Cymatogaster aggregata 58

Silver perch Hy-perpro sopon argenteum 58

Staghorn sculpin (Pac. ) Leptoco ttus armatus 59

Starry flounder Pla ti chth ys stellalus 58, 59 Steelhead trout -Salmo gairdneri gairdneri 9,76 Striped bass Roccus saxatilis 58, 59

Surf smelt Hy-pomesus pretiosus 58

Threespined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus 59

Topsmel t Atherinopsis affinis 58, 59

Venus roach Hesperoleucus venustus 59

Mammals

Badger

Black-tailed deer Odocoileus hemionus

Black-tailed jackrabbit Le~uscalifornicus Bobcat Lynx rufus- Cottontail (~udubon) auduboni Deer mice Peromyscus sp . Gray fox Uro cyon cincreoargenteus

Gray squirrel Sciurus griseus

Harbor seal Phoca vitulina

Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum

Raccoon Procyon lotor

Sonoma chipmunk Eutamias sonomae

Virginia opossum Didelphis vi raiana

Wood rat Neatoma fuscipes Sharks and Rays (Chrondrichthyesl

Myliobati s californicus Bat stingray

Triakis henlei Brown smoothhound (shark) Saualus acanthias Dogfish (shark) 'Ikiakis sanifasciata Leopard shark Torpedo californica Electric ray

Bony Ei shes (~steichthyes)

Flat Fishes (sole. Flounder. etc.) Citharichthys sordidus Pacific sanddab Citharichthys stigmaeus Speckled sanddab Parophws vetulus English sole Pla tichthys stellatus Starry flounder Pleuronichthys decurrens Curlfin turbot Symphurus attricauda California tonguefish

Other Bony Fishes Acanthogobius flavimanus Japanese goby

Apo dich thys flavi dus Brown blenny Atherinops affinis Topsmelt Atherinopsis californiensi s: Jack me1t Clevelandia ios- Arrow goby -1/ Compiled from records of College of Marin Marine Station

B-1 APPENDIX B (continued)

Clinocottus analis Wooly sculpin -Clupea pallasi Pacific herring Cymatogaster aggregata Shiner perch Rhacochilus -vacca Pile perch Enrrraulis mordax Northern anchovy

Ehbio toca jacksoni Black perch Ehophrys-- bison Buffalo sculpin Gibbonsia metzi- Striped kelpfish Gillichthss mirabilis Mudsucker

Hexagrammos decagrammus Kelp, greenling

Hypome sus pre tio sus Surf smelt

Hyyerprosopon Walleye surfperch (silver perch)

Leptocottus armatus Staghorn sculpin

Liparis fucensi s Slipskin snailfish

Microgadus proximus Pacific tomcod

Dwarf perch

On chorynchus kisutch Silver salmon

ODhio don elonnatus Lingcod Pholis-- ornata Saddleback blenny Northern midshipman

Rhac ochilu s toxotes Rubberlip perch Roccus- saxatilis Striped bass -Sdlmo gairdneri gairdneri Rainbow ( steelhead) trout Sebas todes auriculatus Brown rockfish Sebastodes rastrelliger Grass rockfish Sebastodes vexillari s Whitebelly rockfish Syngnathus griseolineatus Bay pipefish B-2 APPENDIX C

Acanthina spirata Angular unicorn shell

Acmaea digitalis Finger limpet _I_ -Acmaea paradigitalis Common limpet Amphi ssa colwnbiana Columbian amphi ssa

Aplysia sp. Sea hare

Ceratostoma foliatwn Leafy hornmou th

Ceri thidea californica California horn shell

Clinocardim nuttallii Basket cockle

Cryptomya californica California soft shelled clam

Gemshell

Hermi ss enda crassicornis Sea slug (Nudibranch)

Hinni tes multirugo sus Purple-hinged scallop

Lacuna carinata Carinate chink shell (Morris)

Littorina scutulata Checkered li ttorina (periwinkle)

Mamma inconspicua Inconspicuous rnacoma

Macoma irus Irus macoma

Macoma nasuta Ben t-nos e clam

Macoma secta White sand clam

Meretrix lusoria Hawaiian clan

Mopalia muscosa The mossy chiton

arenaria Sof t-shell clam milus edulis Bay mussel

-I/ Compiled from Chan (1967), Payne (19681, and Gustaf son (1968a) APPENDIX C (Continued)

Nassarius mendicus cooperi Cooper's whelk

Olivella biplicata Two-plated olive (purple olive)

Panope generosa Geo duc k

Pododesmus cepio Abalone jing1.e

Proto thaca staminea Common li ttleneck

Saxidomus nuttalli Common Washington clam

Tapes japonica Japanese li ttleneck

Tegula funebralis Black turban

Teredo navalis European shipworm

Thais canaliculata Channeled dogwinkle -Thais emarginata Eharginate dogwinkle -Thais lamellosa Frilled dogwinkle -Tresus nuttallii ~aper Zirfaea pilsbryi 'Ihe rough piddock APPENDIX D

MISCELLANEOUS IIVTERTEBRATES COLLECTED AT BOLINAS LAGOON BY COLtEGE OF MARIN STAFF AND STUDENTS

Coelenterates (~ellyfish,Anemones, and Hydras)

Anthopleura elegantissima Aggregated anemone Aurelia aurita Jellyfish (moon jelly)

Diadumene leucolena Salmon pink anemone

Eudendrium californicum Hydroi d

Garveia annulata Hydmid Obelia lonaissima Hydroi d Pelagia- panopyra Blue j ellyf ish Stylatula elongata Slender sea pen Tubularia marina Colonial hydroid

Phoronid s

Phoronis viridis Loph worm

Polychaetes (Bri stle Worms)

Cirriformia spirabrancha Thread worm

Eudistylia vancouveri Featherduster worm Bristle worm Notomas tus tenuis Bristle worm

Urechids (Innkeeper worms) Urechis caupo Fat innkeeper or weenie worm BPPENDIX D (continued)

Crustaceans

Callianassa californiensis Ghost shrimp -Cancer an tennarius Rock crab -Cancer magi ster Dungeness or market crab Cancer productus Red crab

Crago nigromaculata Bay shrimp

Hemigrapsus or egonensis Sore crab or Oregon mudcrab

Limnoria sp. Boring isapod (Gribble)

Orchestoidea californiana Sand hopper

Pachygrapsus crassipes Lined shore crab

Upogebia pugettensis Blue mud .shrimp APPENDIX E

List No. 1 - Species of Water-Oriented Birds Observed on Bolinas Lagoon October 1963-February 1966 (Compiled from Records of Aubudon Canyon an ch)

Loons Waterfowl (Cont .) Loon, arctic Canvasback

Loon, common Goldeneye, Barrows

Loon, red-throated Golden eye, common -Grebes Mallard Grebe, eared Merganser, common

Grebe, horned Merganser, red-breasted

Grebe, pied-billed Pintail

Grebe, red-necked Redhead

Grebe, western Ruddy duck

Pelicans and Allies Scaup, greater

Pelican, brown Scaup , less er

Pelican, white Shoveler Cormorant, Brandt ' s Teal, green-winged Cormorant, double-crested Widgeon, American

Cormorant, pelagic Scoter, surf

Waterfowl Scot er, whi te-winged Buff lehead

Brant, black

-1/ From Calif. Dept. Fish and Game, Region 3 Report, February 16, 1966. Vultures and Allies Shorebirds, Gulls and Terns (~ont.)

Eagle, bald Gull, ring-billed

Osprey Gull, we stern

Vulture, turkey Jaeger, parasi tic

Herons and Allies Jaeger, pomarine

Heron, black-crowned night Killdeer

Her on, common Kittiwake, black-legged

Heron, great blue Plover, black-bellied

Heron, green Plover, semipalmated

Egret, common Phallarope, northern

Egret, snowy Phalarope, red

Cranes and Allies San tierling

Coot San tipiper, least

Rail, clapper Sandpiper, pectoral

Rail, Virginia Sandpiper, western

Shorebirds, Gulls and Terns Ten1 , Caspian Avocet, American Tent, elegant

Curlew, long-billed Tern, Forsterls Dowitcher , long-billed Tern, royal bwi tcher, short-billed Whirnbr el

Dunlin Wille t

Godwit, marbled Yellowlegs, greater

Gull, Bonapartets Yel.lowlegs, lesser

Gull, California Kingfishers

Gull, glaucous-winged Kingfisher, belted

Gull, Heermant s

Gull, mew Perching Birds Perching Birds (Cont. )

Blackbird, red-winged Swallow, tree

Phoebe, black Swallow, violet-green Swallow, barn Wren, long-billed marsh Swallow, cliff Yellow throat Swallow, rough-winged

List No. 2 - Water-Oriented Birds Not Recorded Between October 1963 and February 1966 but Expected to be Present on Lagoon.

Owl, short-eared Scoter, oommon Phalarope, Wilson s Sora

Rail, black Teal, cinnamon Sandpiper, Bair dl s Turnstone, ruddy

List No. 3 - Land Birds That Have Been Observed Within 100 Feet of the High Tide Line of Lagoon.

Hawks bmmingbir ds 7 Hawk, Cooperls Ifunrmingbird, Allen s

Hawk, red- shouldered

Hawk, red-tailed Hummingbird, black -chinned Hawk, sharp-shinned Woodpeckers Hawk, sparrow Flicker, red-shaf ted Gallinaceous Birds Woodpecker, acorn

Dove, morning Woodpecker, downy Quail, California Woodpecker , hairy -Owls Perching Birds Owl, barn Blackbird, Brewer s Owl, great horned Bush - ti t , common Perching Birds (~ont.) Perching Birds (Cont. ) Chickadee, chestnut-backed Thrush, hedt Cowbird, brown-headed Towhee, brown

Creeper, brown Towhee, rufous-sided Crow, common Vireo, Hutton's Finch, house Warbler, Audubon s Finch, purple Warbler, Nyrtle Flycatcher, western Warbler, Wilsonf s

Goldfinch, American -$rbler, yellow Goldfinch, lesser %mingy cedar

Grosbeak, black-headed Wren :, Bewick s Jay, scrub Wren, winter Jay, Steller s Wren,tAt

JWCO,(kegon Kinglet, ruby-crowned Meadowlark, western Oriole, Bullockt s

Phoebe, Say's

Raven, common Robin Shrike, loggerhead Sparrow, fox Sparrow, house Sparrow, golden-crowned Sparrow, Lincoln s Sparrow, white-crowned Starling APPENDIX F

IONTHLX BIRD CENSUS BOLINAS LA.GOON WINTElR OF 1567-68 BY IEMBERS OF AUDUBON CANYON RANCH w57 1968 Species 'Nov 28 [Dec 19 . Jan 13 fFeb 12 ' 1 Loon, sp. - - - 2 Loon, common - 1 - - Loon, red-throated - 2 - - Grebe, horned 7 13 16 16 Grebe, eared 7 5 2 4 Grebe, western 4 2 - 10 Grebe, pied-billed 1 - - - Pelican, brown 9 8 1 - Cormorant, dbl. cr. 13 14 11 25 Heron, great blue 15 23 10 55 Egret, common - 2 - 5 Egret, snowy 10 8 6 15 Heron, bl. cr. night 9 23 12 21 Pintail 90 4 53 4 Teal, cinnamon - - 2 - American widgeon - - 12 - Redhead - 1 - - Shoveler - - - 1 Canvasback 20 13 32 4 SC~UP(SPP) 50 408 153 228 Goldeneye, common 55 67 15 26 Goldeneye, Barrows - 1 - - Buff lehead 200 104 50 76 Scoter, wht. wing 391 2 13 4 Scoter, surf 134 44 54 29 Scoter, common - - 9 - ~uddyduck 1,755 1,120 789 1,161 Merganser, hooded 1 1 - - Merganser, redbreasted 8 6 4 2 Osprey 1 - - - coot 418 771 444 4% Plover, snowy 13 - - - Killdeer, 5 23 16 20 Plover, black-bellied 19 19 57 2 Turnstone, black 7 1 2 - Turnstone, ruddy - - 2 - Snipe, common - 2 - - Curlew, long-billed 16 15 22 2 Sandpiper, spotted 1 1 - 1 Willett 219 166 331 53 Yellowlegs , greater 5 9 1 2 Sandpiper, spp. 2,665 2,898 3,378 110 Godwit, marbled 32 27 . 90 - APPENDIX F (continued)

1967 1968 Species Nov 28 Dec19 1 Jan13 Feb12 I Sanderling 260 211 174 20 Avocet - - 105 9 GU~~S 1,714 1,61 1,217 191 western 14 2 2 2 herring 53 12 8 42 Calif. - 2 1 - ring-billed 8 2 48 60 mew 5% 1,042 744 64 Bonaparte s 4 1 1 - Owl, short-eared - 1 - - Kingfisher, belted 4 7 5 3 Phoebe, black - - 1 4 Blackbirds, Brewers .. 5b - - red-winged 3 - 8 10 Sparrow, Savannah 20 6 8 - song 7 6 2 7 Ye llowthroat 2 - - -

Total individuals 8,190 7,133 7,099 2 7 777 Total species 44 48 43 38 Accumulated species 44 53

I~ APPENDIX G

AERIAL SURVEY OF SHC%LEBIRDS, TOMALES BAY-BOLINAS LAGOON CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAEPE &/

Table 1

Number of morebirds Counted During 1969-70 Census

1969 1970

Sep 10 Oct 17 Nov 13 Jan 26 Feb 13 Mar 12 Apr 2 Apr 21 Total Average

Tomales Bay 508 1,205 2,353 2,760 1,834 5,019 4,321 4,881 22,881 2,860 ~bbott'sLagoon - 117 1,610 - 2 - - 5 1,734 217 Drake's Estero 351 1,666 3,713 695 1,696 2,892 1,363 1,926 14,382 1,798 -tour Estero 8% 843 3,687 818 1,542 3,200 1,010 1,326 13,284 1,660 Bolinas Lagoon 750 1,028 857 2,638 662 2,940 3,050 16,027 27,952 3,494 2,467 , 4,859 12,220 6,911 , 5,736 14909 9974.4 2493-65 809223

-1/ In cooperation with Point Reyes Bird Observatory. APPENDIX G (Continued)

Table 2 Number of Shorebirds Counted During Census Years 1968-70

Total No. Average Average No. Acres of Birds No. per Birds/Acre Percentage Total Mudflat Counted Census Average No. Mudflat of Total ~creag&/ & Marsh 1968-70 Flight Birds/~cre & Marsh Occurrences

Tomales Bay 9,290 3 ,340 46,385 2,927 0,3 0. 9 32.8 ~bbott'sLagoon 185 - 2,958 185 1.0 - 2 .I Drake's Estero 1,480 480 29,682 1,855 1 3 3.9 20.8 Limantour Estero 590 300 26,532 1,658 2.8 5.5 18.6 Bolinas Lagoon 1,250 870 36,64l 2,290 1.8 2 .6 25.7 4

-1/ Acreages from California Coastal Wetland Inventory (DFG 1969). APPENDIX G (Continued)

Table 3

Number of Waterfowl Counted During Census Year 1968-69 Bolinas Lagoon Only -1/

1 1968 1969

Species 9/11 10/7 10/30 11/26 1/9 3/9 4/5 5/15 Total Brant, black 15 1s I)uf f leheaa 25 ly475 453 7 5 Canvasback I Goldeneye, common 68 I 25 1 1 2'G:;69 ' Mallard 5 5 2 19 31 Merganser, red-breasted 12 10 2 3 2 39 Pin tail 12 4 225 110 241 Ruddy duck 300 937 103 1,340 Sc aup 2 173 118 303 Scoter, common 79 7 9 surf 1 87 88 unidentified 395 284 679 Widgeon 10 10 Other Unident. Species 50 1,050 200 % 15 1,371 1 Total 29 1 84 3,525 1 2,196 521 2 49 6,407

-1/ Unpublished data. APPENDIX G (continued)

Table 4

Number of Other Water-Associated Birds (Excluding Shorebirds) Counted During Census Year 1968-69 - Bolinas Lagoon Only

I 1968 1969 Species 9hl lo/'/ 10/30 11/26 1/9 3/9 5/5 5/15 Total

Coot 10 44 800 7 57 16 1,627 Cormorant, all 8 66 26 107 5 24 11 Egret, common 3 4 1 2 4 13 18 33 7 8 Egret, snowy 18 3 h 7 1 2 35 Grebe, western 1 2 10 9 1 7 1 2 33 Others k 1 5 Gulls, all 831 2,259 468 993 4,830 400 2 7 120 9,928 Heron, great blue 8 4 5 10 1 4 18 3 3 83 Kingfisher, belted 1 1 Pelican, brown 237 233 7 477 Pelican, white 25' 25 Tern, Caspian 3 3 0th er 50 50 Total 1,119 2,618 11,310 1,913 14,845 I 471 69 202 12,547