TheThe SantaSanta CruzCruz SandhillsSandhills

Protecting OurOur BiologicalBiological Treasure, Water,Water, andand EndangeredEndangered SalmonidsSalmonids inin thethe

Text and images by Jodi M. McGraw © 2007. ecognized as one of the rarest ecosystems marine origins, R in the United States, the Sandhills are a the Sandhills con‐ fascinating tain fossils of biological sand dollars, sea community cows, extinct found only sharks, and other on outcrops ancient ocean of sand soil in species. Marine fossil from the Sandhills central Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County features a moist, maritime The Sandhills climate that supports lush forests including support The Santa Cruz Sandhills Coast Redwood Forest, on the rich loam soils a wealth of that dominate the region. However, the islands native biodiversity, including at least four plants of sand soil create droughty and infertile condi‐ and three animals that occur nowhere else in the tions that require special adaptations for life. world. Like a jewel, the Sandhills are precious Sandhills plants must be able to tolerate the long due to their uniqueness, rarity, and fragility. summer drought, while Sandhills animals must be adapted to the sparse vegetation and summer Uniqueness temperatures that can exceed 100 degrees. he story of the Sandhills began more than The unique combination of sand soil and a moist T 10 million years ago, when a vast, shallow climate lead to the evolution of at least seven sea covered the Central Valley and emptied into species within the Sandhills (Box 1). Scientists the Pacific Ocean near Santa Cruz. Later, as the have yet to describe all of the species endemic to Santa Cruz Mountains formed, the sand that was (found only in) the Sandhills. As a result, the deposited on the ancient sea floor was lifted up. uniqueness of the Sandhills is a story that is yet Today, these sand deposits are found on ridges to be fully written. near the towns of Felton, Ben Lomond, Scotts

Valley, and Bonny Doon. As evidence of their Rarity

he Santa Cruz Sandhills are extraordinarily T rare. Found only in central Santa Cruz County, the Sandhills are estimated to have originally covered a mere 6,000 acres. Unfortu‐ nately, sand quarrying and development have removed more than 40% of the habitat, leaving Sandhills species to survive within less than 4,000 acres. By way of comparison, the Coast Redwood Forest—an ecosystem widely recog‐ nized as rare and endangered—covers more than two million acres, with an estimated 90,000 acres of old growth redwood forest remaining. Distribution of the Santa Cruz Sandhills Box 1: The Known Endangered Sandhills Species Since 1984, the Santa Cruz Wallflower has been lost from six Sandhills sites, while the Santa Cruz Zayante Band-Winged Kangaroo Rat has disappeared from four of its Grasshopper (FE) five historical locations. These extirpations have lead to serious concern that additional Sandhills species will go the way of the Greater Roadrun‐ Mount Hermon June Beetle (FE) ner. Not known to occur elsewhere in Santa Cruz kangaroo rat Santa Cruz County, (listing package being prepared) this unique bird oc‐ cupied the Sandhills Santa Cruz Wallflower until 1964 after which (FE, CE, CNPS 1B) habitat loss and deg‐ radation ultimately Quarry in the Sandhills Ben Lomond Spineflower lead to its extirpation. (FE, CNPS 1B) Ben Lomond Buckwheat The Importance of the Sandhills for (CNPS 1B) Water, Stream, and Endangered Salmonid Conservation Bonny Doon (Silverleaf) Manzanita (CNPS 1B) n addition to its extraordinary biotic value, FE=Federally Endangered; CE= Endangered; CNPS 1B= I the Sandhills ecosystem plays an important California Native Plant Society Rare or Endangered role in protecting the quantity and quality of our drinking water, and maintaining the fragile river‐ ine systems of the Watershed. Fragility The Sandhills occur on the Santa Margarita Aq‐ he biological communities of the Sandhills uifer—an underground porous sandstone forma‐ are critically endangered. Development has T tion that bears groundwater. Rain that falls on fragmented much of the remaining habitat, pre‐ the coarse Sandhills soil percolates into the aqui‐ venting plants and animals from migrating, and fer, where the San Lorenzo Water District has lo‐ thereby threatening persistence of their dwin‐ cated many well that provide an estimated 18,500 dling populations. people in central Santa Cruz County with 50% of Sandhills habitat is being degraded by exotic their water each year. Development of Sandhills plants, which crowd out native plants and render habitat reduces water percolation into the aqui‐ habitat unsuitable for native animals. Due to the fer, reducing its water level. Meanwhile septic erosive nature of Sandhills soils, recreation tanks, pesticides, and other pollutants associated causes extensive erosion. Sandhills habitat is also with development can contaminate the aquifer. being degraded by the exclusion of natural wild‐ Preservation of Sandhills habitat protects the fires, which is reducing the open habitat required quantity and quality of water for people in cen‐ by several of the endangered species. tral Santa Cruz County. Preservation

abitat preservation is essential to conserv‐ H ing the endangered Sandhills species and communities, and protecting the groundwater, streams, and rare salmonids in central Santa Cruz County. To facilitate preservation, the highest priority parcels for conservation of the endan‐ gered Sandhills ecosystem have been identified in a Conceptual Area Protection Plan for the Santa Cruz Sandhills. Water Facilities in the Sandhills Preservation of these areas will require collabora‐ tion among federal, state, and local agencies and Conservation of the Sandhills ecosystem also organizations. Only through such efforts will we be protects stream habitat within the San Lorenzo able to preserve this extraordinary legacy that has River Watershed. Rather than holding water for been entrusted to us. long periods of time, the Santa Margarita Aquifer feeds the streams within the watershed, includ‐ ing the San Lorenzo River and its tributaries, Newell Creek, Bean Creek, and Zayante Creek.

These streams support rare salmonid popula‐ tions, including the threatened Central Coast evolutionary significant unit of steelhead trout and one of the southern‐most runs of the endan‐ gered coho salmon. Water diversions from the San Lorenzo River for the City of Santa Cruz have caused low summer flows that threaten these fish and other Spring wildflowers in the Santa Cruz Sandhills aquatic species. Per‐

colation of winter For further information about efforts to preserve rainfall into the Santa the Santa Cruz Sandhills, please contact: Margarita Aquifer from intact Sandhills Terry Corwin habitat helps main‐ Executive Director tain flows during the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County summer drought. In 617 Water Street contrast, develop‐ Santa Cruz, CA 95060 ment in the Sandhills (831) 429‐6116 [email protected] increases run‐off, rob‐

bing the aquifer and For more information about the Sandhills, go to Bean Creek, streams of important www.santacruzsandhills.com a steelhead stream summer water.