The Pickleweed The Newsletter of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy

Spring 2016

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON Our History is Personal by Gordon Smith, Ph.D

You’ve probably decisions? Time will tell, but for me it’s resource, our cause was strengthened heard the news personal—40+ years worth of personal. when the California Department of that Dr. Charles Fish and Game officially declared them In 1972, just out of college, I circulated Lester, historical but degraded wetlands, and petitions for Proposition 20 and Executive thus affording them the strongest campaigned for its passage. Prop. 20 Director of the protections under the Coastal Act. It was a California citizens’ initiative to California took some doing over several years to put a hold on out-of-control Coastal convince the City Council to place development along the state’s 1,100 Commission, protective zoning on the wetlands mile coastline. Passed by a firm was fired from parcels, but when that zoning was majority of voters, it created the the job he held ultimately applied, the stage was set Coastal Commission, and it put an for five years. Lester was a strong for the Huntington Beach Wetlands immediate brake on development in advocate for the coastal protections Conservancy to acquire and restore the sensitive coastal areas. The Coastal and public access embodied in the wetlands. Act of 1976 put the provisions of Prop. Coastal Act of 1976, the legislation the 20 into state law; it was enacted by the So while we’ve saved the Huntington Commission is charged with enforcing. Legislature and signed by then- Beach Wetlands, many of us worry Despite overwhelming support for Governor Jerry Brown. that other sensitive coastal resources Lester from Commission staff, former may be in jeopardy if the firing of Dr. In the 1980s, I stayed involved in members of the Commission, and Lester portends a change of course by coastal protection. I spoke at Coastal from citizens and elected officials up the Coastal Commission. As the late Commission hearings on behalf of the and down the state, the appointed Peter Douglas, the Commission’s first Sierra Club and other environmental commissioners voted 7 to 5 to oust executive director, was fond of saying, groups, and I served on the Huntington him. “The coast is never saved; it’s always Beach Coastal Advisory Committee to being saved.” It’s personal. Lester’s firing raised alarms among help create the city’s coastal planning supporters of the Coastal Act. What element required by the Coastal Act. was behind the firing? Did a majority Watch for news about anticipated It’s no exaggeration to say that of the Commission members decide he Coastal Commission actions affecting Proposition 20 saved the Huntington was too rigorous in his application of the Huntington Beach Wetlands in Beach Wetlands. When I joined with the Coastal Act’s protections? Will future issues of The Pickleweed several local residents in 1983 to start a moneyed developer interests now campaign to preserve this vital and have undue sway over coastal planning increasingly scarce ecological THE PICKLEWEED | THE NEWSLETTER OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH WETLANDS CONSERVANCY | SPRING 2016 2

California Least Tern Natural Preserve at the HB Wetlands by Lena Hayashi Springtime is the best time monitored during breeding to catch a glimpse of the season. There is a California Least Tern as it wonderful opportunity for performs its mating ritual volunteers to help protect among our wetlands. In these endangered birds and April, the terns will return to ensure their continued their protected reserve at success. Volunteers the mouth of the Santa Ana educate the public against River. From our restored walking dogs on and off Talbert Marsh, you can leash on the beach, flying watch the terns hover and kites over the preserve, and swoop and dive for tiny reporting predators, such as silver fish, which they will crows, squirrels and raptors carry back to the nesting that can decimate the site to present as proof of population in a matter of their hunting skills to a hours. possible mate. fenced Natural Preserve for the Least If you are interested in volunteering, or A major reason we restored Talbert Tern. At that time, there were only 600 need more information on the California Marsh was to provide protected waters nesting pairs in all of California and only Least Tern, please visit the Sea and Sage for the terns to hunt for fish, since the seven pairs in Orange County. In 2013, Audubon site for information, training shore line and ocean waters are crowded there were some 5,607 nesting pairs in and monitoring opportunities. with beachgoers and surfers. During California and 347 pairs at the http://seaandsageaudubon.org/Conserva their nesting season, visitors can watch Huntington State Beach Natural tion/LeastTerns/LETE.htm the action as the California Least Terns Preserve, one of four California Least forage in the marsh located across Tern preserves in Orange County. Fun fact Pacific Coast Highway from the State Most birds need lighter bones so Preserve. Entrance is from both Our tern is a colony nester. Each pair they can fly using as little energy as Brookhurst Street and the Santa Ana nests within a few feet of other terns, River bike trail, and is open to the public making it possible to enclose their possible. 24 hours every day. nesting site with fencing, keeping the Can you imagine how hard it would be to chicks from wandering onto the sand flap your arms as if they were wings and The Least Tern is the smallest of terns and shore, and protecting them from lift yourself off the ground? What if you that nest on open beaches and islands beachgoers and terrestrial predators. had to fly all day, like birds do when they free of vegetation. It is distinguished by migrate? Some birds, like loons that dive its small size, 9 to 10 inches long, a black The terns arrive from their wintering for their food, need to be heavier, so cap and stripe through the eye, white grounds in April and begin their mating they have more solid bones. Why would forehead, yellow to yellow-orange bill, ritual. The male flies out over the ocean a diving bird need to be heavier than a and ki-dik call. and saltwater marshes and dives to non-diving bird? Can you work it out? catch fish to offer a potential mate. Both Our Least Tern, Sterna albifrons browni, parents take turns incubating the two to breeds along the Pacific Ocean coast three eggs, feeding the hatchlings, and Upcoming Events from Monterey Bay to the Mexican teaching the fledglings to fish on their border and winters in southern Mexico own. The California Least Tern Earth Day at GWC and South America. Since people have completes its breeding season by August The Huntington Beach Wetlands overrun most of California’s sandy and heads south for the winter. Conservancy will be at the Earth Day beaches where they nest, the California event at Golden West College. Least Tern has been state and federally Although our tern population has grown since the preserve was created, their listed as an endangered species since success rate for raising babies fluctuates Day: April 21, 2016 1970. greatly each year due to terrestrial and Time: 9:00 am – 2 pm In 1973, at the mouth of the Santa Ana avian predators, and available food River, the California State Parks supply. To keep this species thriving, the Location: Cafeteria Quad established the first fully protected and California Least Tern Natural Preserve needs to be continually watched and

THE PICKLEWEED | THE NEWSLETTER OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH WETLANDS CONSERVANCY | SPRING 2016 3

A Sanctuary for Juvenile California Halibut at Sea Level Rise in the Huntington Beach the HB Wetlands Wetlands by Pat Petric by Gordon Smith, Ph.D

The restored Huntington Beach wetlands are made up of three Mean sea level in Southern California will rise at least three feet by marshes--the Talbert, Brookhurst and Magnolia marshes—which the end of the century—so predicts NOAA, the National Oceanic are important habitats for the California halibut (Paralichthys and Atmospheric Administration. If you look at these pictures of californicus). It’s here in the tranquil wetland waters along the coast our Brookhurst Marsh, it seems like it’s already occurred! You can where halibut come to spawn. Halibut are broadcast spawners, also see the dramatic range between low and high tide levels. which means they release their eggs and sperm into the water where — with luck —they will find each other. The peak spawning This last Thanksgiving week, the “King Tide” broke records for the season is April and May, and once fertilized, the eggs stay close to highest sea levels ever observed at Southern California tide the shore. stations. Sea levels have been rising due to the warm El Nino ocean

A typical five-year-old fish releases about 300,000 eggs at a time, though the number of eggs depends on the size of the fish. Baby halibut have a relatively short free-drifting larval stage (less than 30 days), before they transform and settle to the bottom when they are about 0.3 to 0.5 inches long. It’s in the enriched coastal wetlands--fed by the rhythmic rise and fall of clean tidal waters-- where halibut offspring spend the early stages of their life, eating and growing until they are large enough to venture out into the open ocean.

King Tide at Magnolia Marsh, Nov 26, 2015; photo by Marinka Horack conditions off California, on top of global warming.

As the planet and oceans continue to warm, and as glaciers and ice Small juvenile halibut in our wetlands eat crustaceans, including sheets melt, we can expect more of these very high tides. copepods and amphipods. Once they reach 2.5 inches, they are Unfortunately, our marshes were designed several years ago such large enough to eat small fish, such as the gobies that are that the islands used for nesting sites will always to be at least two commonly found in bays. As juvenile halibut increase in size, the feet above the highest tide. But global warming and rising seas will percentage of fish in their diet increases. Newly settled and larger take a toll on the Huntington Beach Wetlands, along with coastal juvenile halibut are frequently taken in plantless shallow-water developments around the world. embayments, and only infrequently on the open coast, suggesting that embayments are important nursery habitats. Predators of juvenile halibut in the bays and estuaries include shore birds and fishes.

The shallow waters of our coastal wetlands are an important nursery for the California halibut — and other species that use wetlands during their early lives. Southern California fish populations may be limited by the amount of nursery habitat available in local coastal areas. The Southern California halibut stock is currently depleted to 14% of its potential spawning biomass, and few young fish reach a size where fishermen can harvest them. Environmental conditions have been poor over the last decade in Southern California, and the dredging and filling of bays and wetlands have caused a decline in shallow water habitats the juvenile halibut need to grow.

The restored Huntington Beach wetlands are providing ideal Low Tide at Magnolia Marsh, March 2016 habitats for young halibut. Come and visit soon!

THE PICKLEWEED | THE NEWSLETTER OF THE HUNTINGTON BEACH WETLANDS CONSERVANCY | SPRING 2016 4

Bringing the Native Plant Nursery Back to Life volunteers, HBWC hopes to construct a demonstration by Lena Hayashi garden and provide native plants for future restorations and You may have noticed there’s a plant nursery at the end of for local residents to use in their gardens. Community the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy (HBWC) involvement parking lot. What’s it doing there? and education will dominate the activities, and we will need volunteers with a variety of skills in construction, repairs and The nursery was built to gardening to ensure our success. propagate plants for the planned 1,000 acre Orange If you are interested in helping with the nursery, please Coast River Park (OCRP) with a contact us at [email protected] or call 714-536-0141. $30,000 grant from the Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks. HBWC, as part of OCRP, had Our Board of Directors the land for the nursery and the Gordon Smith, Chairperson need for plants to restore the Jack Kirkorn, Vice Chairperson Brookhurst and Magnolia Marshes. When in 2010, we Bill Weisman, Secretary reached the point where tidal Ann McCarthy, Treasurer flow once again inundated Magnolia Marsh, the workings of the nursery slowed to a halt. Dave Guido Today, we’re planning to revitalize the nursery. The first Lena Hayashi project was to construct a compost bin to recycle the leftover vegetables from feeding the animals at the Wetlands and Jim Robins Wildlife Care Center. We will be creating rich soil to Dick Zembal propagate drought-tolerant native California plants. With

------ (CUT HERE) ------WE CAN ONLY RESTORE AND MAINTAIN THESE VITAL WETLANDS WITH YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT The Huntington Beach Wetlands Please join our contributors □ This is a new contribution. with your personal donation to □ This is a renewal of my annual Conservancy wetlands restoration and contribution. maintenance activities. A Nonprofit Corporation □ Great Egret ($10) With your annual tax deductible □ Belding’s Savannah Sparrow ($25) contribution, you will receive our newsletters, invitations to □ California Halibut ($50) special events and our thanks □ Least Tern ($100) for your help with this □ Brown Pelican ($250) exceptionally worthy cause. □ Other Amount ($______)

Name: ______21900 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92615 Address: ______Mailing Address: City, State, Zip: ______PO Box 5903, Huntington Phone: ______E-Mail: ______Beach, CA 92615

Phone: 714-536-0141 My interests include: □ Docent training □ Docent walks □ Wetlands restoration Email: [email protected] □ Native plant propagation □ Newsletter articles □ Wildlife monitoring Website: www.hbwetlands.org □ Interpretive center staffing □ Other ______