The Natural Resources 0 the Napa Marsh
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The natural resources of the Napa Marsh Item Type monograph Authors Michaels, James Publisher California Department of Fish and Game Download date 03/10/2021 22:08:04 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/18456 • t F~00 ~ v THE NATURAL RESOURCES 0 OF THE NAPA MARSH .. STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AUGUST 1977 COASTAL WETLANDS SERIES REPORTS: # 1 - Natural Resources of Upper Newport Bay .. # 2 - The Natural Resources of Goleta Slough # 3 - The Natural Resources of Bolinas Lagoon, Their Status and Future # 4 - The Natural Resources of Elkhorn Slough # 5 - The Natural Resources of San Diego Bay, Their Status and Future # 6 - The Natural Resources of Humboldt Bay # 7 - The Natural Resources of Los Penasquitos Lagoon # 8 - The Natural Resources of Morro Bay # 9 - Natural Resources of the Eel River Delta #10 - Natural Resources of Lake Earl and the Smith River Delta #11 - The Natural Resources of Bodega Harbor #12 - The Natural Resources of San Dieguito and Batiquitos Lagoons #13 - The Natural Resources of Carpinteria Marsh #14 - Natural Resources of the Coastal Wetlands of Northern Santa Barbara County #15 - The Natural Resources of the Nipomo Dunes and Wetlands #16 - The Natural Resources of Agua Hedionda Lagoon #17 - The Natural Resources of Mugu Lagoon #18 - The Natural Resources of Anaheim Bay-Huntington Harbour #19 - The Natural Resources of Napa Marsh #20 - The Natural Resources of Esteros Americano and de San Antonio - .. - .. THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF NAPA MARSH - .. - Prepared by: MADRONE ASSOCIATES - Environmental Consultants - Assisted by: James Michaels, Wildlife Biologist Region 3, Department of Fish and Game Under Contract to: California Department of Fish and Game E. C. Fullerton, Director John Speth, Planning Branch Bruce Browning, Coastal Wetlands Program Coordinator Coastal Wetland Series #19 August 1977 • I , I I I I I I t I I , I , , I I I , San Pablo Bay and the Napa Marsh. (California Department of Fish &Game photo by John Speth) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was written and produced by Madrone Associates, Environmental Consultants, San Rafael, California. The Principal in-Charge and Project Leader was Rembert Kingsley. Nona Oennis served as Technical Director of the report and was assisted ·by Cecilia Bridges, Diane Renshaw, John Robert, Ray Peterson, and David Mayfield, all of whom researched and wrote portions of the draft. Madrone staff Gay Kagy and Carol Handin typed the manu script, and Dan Lewis is responsible for most of the graphics. - The information on hydrology was prepared by David Storm, environmental engineer, Davis, California, and geologic material was supplied by Frank Kresse, engineering geologist with Harding Lawson Associates, San Rafael. Notes on history were researched by Nancy Wise. - It would have been impossible to prepare this report without the close cooperation and willing help of the Department of Fish and Game, Region 3, staff, especially Jim Michaels, Wildlife Biologist, who worked closely with Madrone staff and supplied his files on the Napa marshes. Craig Thomsen, botanist and seasonal aide to Region 3, spent many hours studying and mapping the vege tation of the marsh. Michael Fontana, Sally Sample, Dave Harlow and Barrett Christenson assisted with gathering field data on the marsh. Leslie Salt Company is singled out and acknowledged for its cooperation in providing information and access to the salt pond areas. Finally, we extend gratitude to Bruce Browning, Coastal Wetlands Program Coordinator, whose affection for California coastal wetlands and dedication to prot~cting them have been revealed in past reports and continue to be expressed in his concern for the Napa Marsh. - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS WI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. INTRODUCTION . - SUMMARY ... 3 RECOrYlMENDAT IONS 9 NAPA MARSHES AND ENVIRONS 11 Physical Features 11 - 13 Geology and Soils . Cl imate ........ 17 .. Drainage and Hydrology .. 19 Groundwater Hydrology . 21 Water Quality and Water Characteristics 21 History ... ' .. 25 .. NATURAL RESOURCES 29 .. Habitat Types 29 Open \~ater .. 30 Mudflat . 31 Tidal Marsh 32 - Dikes .... 34 Disturbed Marsh 35 - Salt Ponds. 36 Agriculture 37 Wi ndrows .. 37 - i i .. - Fish and Wildlife. 39 Fi sh ..... 39 Reptiles and Amphibians 40 Birds .. 40 Mamnla 1s . 47 Invertebrates . 48 Insects ......... 50 Ecological Relationships 52 Areas of Biological Significance 55 - Coon Island Ecological Reserve 56 Bull Island and Fagan Marsh. 58 Steamboat Slough Marsh . 60 Lower Tubbs Island Preserve. .. 62 NATURAL RESOURCE AND LAND USE 64 General Resource Use 64 Hunting . 64 - Fishing . 67 Brine Shrimp Production . 68 Recreational and Educational/Scientific Uses 68 Land Ownership 69 Land Use 70 Agriculture. 70 Industrial . 72 Commercial . 74 Transportation 74 Public Facilities. 75 Residential ... 77 iii - - Land Use Planning and Regulation .. 78 County of Sonoma 78 County of Napa . 79 County of Solano 80 City of Napa . 80 - City of Vallejo 81 Other Public Agencies and Speci:al Districts 82 San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) 82 u.S. Army Corps of Engineers 83 San Francisco Bay Regiona Water Quality Control Board 83 State Lands Division and the Department of Fish and Game ..... 83 United States Fish and Wildl ife Service (Ft~S) . 84 - List of Other Agencies Having Limited Jurisdiction in the Marsh . 84 PROBLEMS AND CONFLICTS . 85 Urbanization . 85 Residential 88 .. Commercial and Industrial Development 89 Transportation . 89 Sol i d ~Ja st e 90 .. Agricultural Lands 90 Leslie Salt Ponds 91 Flood Control 91 - iv - • Maintenance Dredging and Spoils Disposal. 91 Natural Causes . 92 Access . 93 REFERENCES 94 .. APPENDIX A. Plants of the Napa Marshes A-l Algae of the Napa River .. A-9 Lichens Observed on Baccharis pilularis in the Napa Marsh .... ··· A-ll APPENDIX B. Fish of Napa River and Napa Marsh Sloughs. B-1 .. Fish Collection Data--1973 to 1976 B-4 APPENDIX C. Napa Marsh: Reptiles and Amphibians C-l APPENDIX D. Birds Observed in Napa Marshes, 1975-76 . 0-1 Bird Census Methodology. 0-7 Bird Observation Stations 0-9 APPENDIX E. Mamma 1s . E-l APPENDIX F. Invertebrates: Planktonic and Benthic Invertebrates Collected in the Napa Marsh F-1 .. Insects of the Napa Marshes F-3 PLATE NO. 1. Locat ion 12 - PLATE NO. 2. Watersheds 20 PLATE NO. 3. Vegetation (Habitat) Map Fold-out PLATE NO. 4. Coon Island Ecological Reserve 57 PLATE NO. 5. Bull Island and Fagan Marsh 59 PLATE NO. 6. Steamboat Slough Marsh (Sonoma County) 61 .. PLATE NO. 7. Lower Tubbs Island Preserve 63 ., v - - - PLATE NO.8. Napa Marsh State Wildlife Area and San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. 65 PLATE NO.9. Land Use ............ 71 - TABLE NO.1. Climate Summary: Duttons Landing 18 TABLE NO.2. Tidal Data: Napa Marsh ..... 22 - FIGURE NO.1. Annual Fluctuation of Shorebird Population: 1975-76 . 42 FIGURE NO.2. Annual Fluctuation of Duck Population: - 1975-76 . 43 - - - - vi .. - .. INTRODUCTION Less than a hundred years ago Napa Marsh was one of the most extensive wetland systems in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing habitat resources for millions of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. As with other wetlands around the bay, the encroachment of human settlerrlents, prompted by needs for space and "productive" land, has resulted in replacement of major areas of the historic Napa Marsh by other land uses. However, unlike some other "reclaimed" and developed bay wetlands, the former Napa marshlands retain for the - most part a pastoral aspect, having been converted largely into salt ponds and agricultural fields. Only within the past two decades have there been more drama- tic and destructive incursions into the marshes, in the form of - industrial, commercial and residential developments. As demands continue to be made, especially on the eastern portions of the Napa Marsh, it becomes increasingly important to take stock of the natural and cultural resources that still exist within the boundaries - of the historic Napa Marsh, so that future land use decisions can be made in full recognition of the need to protect those resources. .. One of the objectives of this report is to document not only the ecologic/biological resources of the Napa Marsh but also the aesthetic, recreational, and productive (such as agriculture and salt production) resources of the 73 square miles that once made up a network of wetlands and sloughs ·and rivers. Thousands of people - cross portions of the marsh by automobile every day, undoubtedly assimilating in largely unconscious ways the daily and seasonal ebb and flow of light, colors, birds, clouds and tides. And yet, few stop to consider its value and even fewer have visited or savored its interior waterways and remaining natural marshlands. This report has a second set of objectives: that is, to des cribe the range of human demands which increasingly threaten parts - - -1- - of the marsh, and to make recommendations which focus on specific problems and offer positive solutions. The recommendations essen tially take three forms: preservation and/or acquisition of the most vulnerable parts of the marsh; enhancement of areas that can be restored to tidal action to become once again viable marshland; and protection of the residual values of lands some of which are now committed to other uses but still offer marginal or supplemental .. habitat to resident and migratory wildlife. It is hoped, then, that this report will be useful to planners, to administrators, to landowners, and to others whose interests are diverse, serving as a guide to decisions which concern both conservation and appropriate development of the Napa Marsh. The report is part of a series of studies of critical California coastal wetlands which have also been addressed to the practical - need for management solutions. In addition, this series offers an information resource--in the form of compilations of technical data, interpretive descriptions, and bibliographies--for each of the coastal wetlands which have been identified as critical. This additional information regarding other California coastl wetland resources and their administration may be obtained from the other reports in the "Coastal Wetland Series" prepared by the California Department of Fish and Game.