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If You Build It, Will They Come? Response of Waterbirds to Salt

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If You Build It, Will They Come? Response of Waterbirds to Salt WINTER 2012 Volume 33, Number 4 If You Build It, Will They Come? Bird’s-Beak. Federally-listed threatened and Central Bays and for salt production Response of species like the Western Snowy Plover and in the South Bay. Today, roughly 95% of Waterbirds to Salt California Red-Legged Frog depend on the the historical wetlands have been lost to estuary for their survival. Several “species of development and conversion. Since wet- Pond Enhancements special concern” that have been designated lands provide critical habitat for endangered by the State of California also reside in the species and have important ecosystem in Pond SF2 San Francisco Bay Estuary and include the functions, which have become relevant as a By Stacy Moskal Salt Marsh Common Yellowthroat and the result of climate change and sea level rise, The sight of spherical and saw-toothed Salt Marsh Song Sparrow. the San Francisco Bay ecosystem is currently islands that are clearly man-made in a former salt pond can be a bit disconcerting as you head westbound on the Dumbarton Bridge in South San Francisco Bay. Large billboard signs that publicize that wetland restoration is in progress greet commuters and visitors alike as they approach the site. Unbeknownst to the casual observer, these strange-looking islands are part of an on- going experiment to determine how best to provide habitat for migratory and wintering shorebirds. The San Francisco Bay-Delta is the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas and it is surrounded by a large ur- ban center with a population of 7.5 million people. Healthy estuaries provide important ecosystem services such as water purification and flood protection. All living organisms also benefit from estuaries because of the food, open space, recreation, transporta- Round and saw-toothed islands in Pond SF2 Photo by Cris Benton tion of people and goods, and diversity of Historically, 200,000 acres of tidal undergoing the largest wetland restoration wildlife they offer. marshes and shallow pans were used by the project on the Pacific Coast. There are multiple habitat types within indigenous people for waterfowl hunting In 2003, Cargill, Inc. sold 15,100 the estuary: tidal marshes, mud flats, salt and salt production. By 1930, much of the acres of salt ponds in South San Francisco ponds, dry salt flats, and subtidal zones. wetlands were filled to support population Bay to federal and state governments. The These habitat types are home to several booms due to the gold rush and urbaniza- South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project federally-listed endangered species like the tion, and for salt evaporation ponds. The (Restoration Project) was formed to oversee California Clapper Rail, California Least area was diked and drained to allow for Tern, Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and Soft more grazing and agriculture in the North continued next page from page 1 the large scale restoration. The Restoration Project’s goals are to: “restore and enhance a mix of wetland habitats; provide wildlife- oriented public access and recreation; and provide for flood management in the South Bay.” For further information on the project, visit http://www.southbayrestora- tion.org. Salt ponds and dry salt flats have be- come extremely important habitat for one million migratory and wintering shorebirds. The California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover have also come to depend on these types of habitat for their survival. The San Francisco Bay is such an important lo- cation for shorebirds it has been designated as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site of Hemispheric Importance. These habitats are used as roosting and USGS Biologist Stacy Moskal survey bird use on the man-made islands. Photo by USGS breeding sites as well as foraging areas at goldeneye. In 2009-2010, the Restoration Affairs, Science and Technology, and high tide. Project enhanced SF2 by constructing 30 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funded a The current management plan of the nesting and roosting islands and installing graduate research project to conduct the Restoration Project is to convert 50-90% water control structures to allow tidal flow study. We surveyed the pond weekly at three of the existing 30,000 acres of former salt into the 155-acre pond. locations from October to May for two ponds to tidal salt marsh. Because migratory These islands were designed with the seasons (2010-2011 and 2011-2012). Using birds have come to rely on these ponds for purpose of conducting an experiment. All a map with a 50 m grid superimposed on food and roosting sites, the South Bay Salt of the islands have a north facing slope an aerial photo of the pond, we recorded all Pond Restoration Project has agreed that that provides protection from winds that birds observed within the pond, noting grid there should be no net loss of waterbirds in come from the northwest which is the location, bird behavior (foraging or roost- the bay when the ponds are restored back to Bay Area’s typical wind pattern. Half of ing), and habitat type (island #, levee, water, tidal salt marsh. the islands are round in shape, therefore pond bottom, or man-made structure). All So how do we maintain the abundance having a low shoreline edge to area ratio. avian predators observed were also recorded. of migratory and wintering shorebirds in a The other islands are longer and linear We defined a survey as two counts: the smaller footprint of managed ponds? The with a saw-tooth south edge, thus having daily high and the daily low tide within one most logical way is to increase the number a high shoreline edge to area ratio. The 24-hour period. of shorebirds using the remaining managed round versus linear islands were designed Enough data have been collected ponds. To increase the number of shorebirds to test whether birds prefer to be clumped over the last two seasons to begin our data using a pond, we need to know and under- in distribution (thereby choosing the round analysis. Some of our preliminary results are stand what characteristics these birds are islands) or more spread out (thereby choos- presented here. Of the 265,546 non-breed- looking for as their ideal habitat and how to ing the linear islands). These islands are also ing waterbirds that were observed on the maximize them. The South Bay Salt Pond spatially distributed strategically throughout pond over the two seasons, 36,884 (14%) Restoration Project is conducting adaptive the pond. Some islands were constructed were using islands. Since it is common for management using sound science: 1) design closer to exposed mud flat when water levels waterbirds to forage at adjacent mud flats an experiment; 2) test the hypothesis; 3) are low, and some were placed closer to the at low tide and roost in ponds at high tide, change management or restoration design trail or road to see if human disturbance is more birds were observed using the pond at based on experimental results. An experi- a factor. high tide (212,369) than low tide (53,177) ment designed with adaptive management To allow for the ebb and flow of bay but the proportion of birds using islands in mind was created at a former salt pond waters into the pond, The Restoration remained similar. on the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Project placed two sets of tide gates in the To help see general trends and simplify National Wildlife Refuge named SF2. bay-front levee. By opening or closing vari- analysis, data is often examined at guild Pond SF2 is on the west side of bay, ous screw gates, water levels within the pond level. In this case, a guild is a group of bird just south of the Dumbarton Bridge (Hwy can be manipulated up or down. species that forage similarly. Of the observed 84). Prior to the pond’s enhancements, SF2 In order to determine whether salt fish eaters (like cormorants and pelicans), was a gypsum-covered dry pond, home to pond enhancements are an effective way 50% were seen on islands. Other guilds like a couple thousand roosting sandpipers, a to increase migratory shorebird abundance dabbling ducks (like Mallard, Northern handful of nesting snowy plovers, and a few in ponds, the Restoration Project, the Shoveler, Northern Pintail, and American dozen foraging bufflehead and common Resources Legacy Fund, Council on Ocean Wigeon) and gulls were seen on islands 30% Page 2 between land and water which may be are most influential in waterbird use. preferred. A second reason may be the linear Since the SF2 enhancements, The islands offer multiple sections of shelter Restoration Project has begun two other from the wind due to the saw-tooth edge as island projects: pond A16 in the Alviso Unit opposed to the round ones that only offer of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay one section thereby forcing all the birds into National Wildlife Refuge and ponds E12/13 one section. Further analysis may be able in California Department of Fish and to help explain the island use discrepancy. Game’s Eden Landing Ecological Reserve. It also appears that shorebirds are choosing Construction of the islands in pond A16 to use the islands closest to the bay, perhaps will most likely be completed by the end awaiting the next low tide when their of 2012 while ponds E12/13 is still in the Dunlin and Western Sandpipers on one of foraging habitat would once again become design phase. As part of the adaptive man- the islands. Photo by USGS. available. agement process, the USGS will continue From this experiment, we hope to bet- to analyze the data to help land managers of the time.
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