Central San Francisco Bay Regional Sediment Management Plan

Francisco Bay Central San Francisco Bay Regional Sediment Management Plan Funding for this portion of the San Francisco Bay Regional Sediment Management (RSM) program was provided by the Department of Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways; Coastal Sediment Management Working (CSMW) group; and the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) through the US Fish and Wildlife Service 1 Table of Contents Title Page I. Introduction 4 II. Embayments 9 III. Central Bay – Planning Reaches 10 IV. Basis of Understanding 33 V. Source of Sedime nt 38 VI. Central Bay Challenges and Opportunities 45 VII. The Plan 52 VIII. Recommendations IX. References 58 Appendices A Beach Erosion Areas of Concern Report B Economic Analysis of Recreation Assets of Beaches C Regulatory Setting D Outreach Plan 2 Figures Index Title Page Figure 1 . Central San Francisco Bay RSM Study Area 5 Figure 2. San Francisco Bay Drainage Pathway 8 Figure 3. San Francisco Bay sediment transport pathway 7 Figure 4. Central San Francisco Bay planning reaches 11 Figure 5. Central Bay watersheds and creeks 12 Figure 6. San Francisco Bay areas of fill 1998 (SFEI 1998) 13 Figure 7. Central Bay areas of fill 1998 (SFEI 1998) 14 Figure 8. San Francisco waterfront and sea wall 15 Figure 9. Central Bay land cover 15 Figure 10. Southern Marin Reach, Richmond San Rafael Bridge to Corte Madera 16 Figure 11 . Southern Marin Reach, Corte Madera to Sausalito 17 Figure 12. San Francisco Golden Gate North Reach 19 Figure 13. San Francisco Reach 21 Figure 14. San Francisco Bayside Reach 23 Figure 1 5. Richmond Reach 25 Figure 1 6. Berkeley Reach 27 Figure 1 7. Oakland Reach 29 Figure 1 8. Alameda Reach 31 Figure 1 9. SFEI shoreline assessment map 34 Figure 20. Maintenance dredging projects in Central San Francisco Bay 39 Figure 21. Permitted maintenance dredging projects with sand and sand mining lease in Central San Francisco Bay 40 Figure 22. Sediment Summary for Central Bay 45 Tables Index Title Page Table 1. Permitted maintenance dredge project containing sand 41 Table 2. Permitted sand mining resources in San Francisco Bay 42 Table 3. Outreach meetings 47 Table 4. Regional challenges and opportunities within Central San Francisco Bay 47 Table 5. Critical regional monitoring and data needs for San Francisco Bay 55 3 Central San Francisco Bay Regional Sediment Management Plan I. Introduction Regional sediment management (RSM) is a planning approach to managing sediments within the context of an entire system or watershed, including sediment sources, movement and sinks within the system and exchange with the ocean. Application of RSM to San Francisco Bay (Bay) and its watersheds will assist watershed, flood control and coastal managers to better understand both the impacts of individual permit decisions locally and system-wide, and the impacts of systemic processes such as climate change and sea level rise on permitted projects. It recognizes that sediment – fine sediment , sand and cobble are important natural resources that make up the base of any habitat. In the case of San Francisco Bay, the watershed and all of its components begin in the Sierras, spend much time in the Bay and continue on until they reach the Pacific Ocean. Because physical processes drive biological processes, sediment dynamics are important components of estuarine systems that are integral to the environmental and economic vitality of the Bay Area. Regional sediment management planning provides the opportunity to have a greater understanding of the inter-relationships between system processes – supplies of sediment and sinks, as well as the interactions between the physical processes and activities that occur in the Delta, San Francisco Bay and the central coast of California. Within the Bay, a number of activities take place that influence the movement of sediment from its origins in tributaries, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, to eventually the outer coast. Sediment could erode from or be deposited in marshes, mudflats and subtidal channels, bounce along the shoreline or simply be redistributed. Dams, reservoirs, dredging and mining activities, clearing of flood protection channels, and restoration of habitats are all direct anthropogenic linkages in the system. Through regional sediment management, i mproved knowledge of both the system itself and its associated activities can improve decision-making, policy and practices on a regional scale to reduce adverse impacts and enhance existing systems and habitats. The State of California has recognized and emphasized the need to better manage sediment, particularly in coastal regions where public access to the shoreline provides opportunities for recreation, fishing and wildlife appreciation. The Coastal Sediment Work Group (CSMW), a collaborative taskforce of state, federal and local/regional entities, concerned about adverse impacts of coastal erosion and excess sedimentation on coastal habitats, is developing a Sediment Master Plan for coastal California. Recognizing that California has a physically diverse coastline , varying in use and governance, CSMW determined that regional plans were appropriate. The refore the main thrust in developing the state sediment master plan is supporting and advancing regional sediment management plans. As such, CSMW has provided funding and technical support to a number of organizations throughout the coastal zone for development of these plans. Once complete, the regional entities can use the plans 4 within their jurisdictional area to improve sediment management. This Central San Francisco Bay Regional Sediment Management Plan is the portion of the overarching plan under development for the Bay. Further work will be undertaken for each of the four embayments, including Central San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay and South San Francisco Bay. The geographic study area for Central Bay of the San Francisco Bay RSM plan includes to the outer coast of San Francisco Bay, from Point Bonita to Point Lobos (estuary interface with the Pacific Coast); north to Point San Pablo across to San Pedro Point; and then south to San Leandro Channel (adjacent to Bay Farm Island) and across to Hunters Point; including local tributaries within the boundaries (Figure 1) . The Delta, Suisun, San Pablo, the South Bay, local tributaries, and the outer coast are important considerations in any Bay sediment management strategy as sediment is supplied, exchanged and deposited in these areas. Figure 1. Central San Francisco Bay Study Area. Napa Solano Novato• Marin Contra Costa Alameda Newark• San Mateo Half Moon Bay• Santa Clara Project A rea Miles ~ 0 2 4 8 5 In discussions with the CSMW prior to receiving funding, the CSMW limited the scope of work for this project to sand sources and beach nourishment projects within Central San Francisco Bay because the primary focus of the group has been coastal beaches and erosion processes associated with the outer coast. As San Francisco Bay has limited sand shoals, being an estuary with mainly fine grain sediments making up over 80% of the environment, the scope of the project was confined to Central San Francisco Bay. As BCDC continues its work on RSM, the other embayments will be added to the overall San Francisco Bay RSM plan. As with all planning work, staff relies on contributions, experience and expertise of the Bay Area agencies and stakeholders that manage or work in the Bay, its’ watersheds and the nearshore coast in making recommendations for any management activities for these areas. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) is a California state planning and regulatory agency with regional authority over the San Francisco Bay, the Bay’s shoreline band, and the Suisun Marsh. BCDC was created in 1965 and is the nation’s oldest coastal zone management agency. Its mission is to protect and enhance San Francisco Bay and to encourage the responsible and productive use of the Bay for current and future generations. As part of the Bay Program, BCDC staff includes a sediment management team that focuses its work on dredging, sand mining, flood protection and habitat restoration projects where sediment is a contributing factor to the success of the restoration. As part of this work, BCDC is a partner in the Long Term Management Strategy for the Placement of Dredged Sediment in the Bay Region (LTMS) program. The partnering agencies are the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board) and BCDC. Together these agencies jointly manage dredging activities within the Bay as a regional program. BCDC has taken the lead in working on a RSM program for the Bay, and while working with LTMS partner agencies, BCDC will incorporate the LTMS and RSM planning components for sand mining, flood protection, habitat restoration and shoreline erosion issues, in consideration of climate change issues. This planning process includes three components: • Investigating and Understanding the Bay’s physical processes • Identify challenges and opportunities presented in the current physical process and management activities. • Recommend possible changes to practices and activities to maximize sediment use as a resource, protect sensitive resources, improve the health of the Bay, align management activities, reduce project costs, and help address climate change impacts and other system stressors. Understanding the San Francisco Bay System - Overview San Francisco Bay lies between the Pacific Ocean at the Golden Gate and the confluence of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers west of the Delta. Its watershed covers 4,600 square miles, of which the Bay encompasses 1,600 square miles and drains 40% of 6 California’s landscape (Figure 2) . The Bay proper is approximately 50 miles long and three to thirteen miles wide, depending on where you measure. It is the largest Pacific estuary in the Americas and is both highly urbanized and rural in nature, with over 7 .4 million people living within its nine bordering counties and 101 cities.

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