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San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Site Description for Palo Alto Baylands Sailing Station
Location, Ownership, and Management: The Palo Alto Baylands Sailing Station is located witin the 1,600‐acre Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve (Preserve), owned and managed by the City of Palo Alto. The Preserve is near Highway 101 and Embarcadero Road in the City of Palo Alto, between the communities of Mountain View and East Palo Alto. The Sailing Station itself is located beyond the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretative Center in the northeast area of the Preserve. It is a popular site with windsurfers, kayakers, and canoes (refer to attached maps).
The Preserve is part of Palo Alto Open Space Preserves, which has a total of seven full‐time ranger staff, three of whom are stationed primarily in the Baylands.
Contact Name: Bicknell, Richard Contact Phone: (650) 617‐3156 Contact E‐mail: [email protected]
Windsurfer Pier leading to gangway & dock Dock
Description of Existing or Planned Facilities:
Site ID: SC3 The Palo Alto Sailing Station is located within Palo Alto In WT Plan: Yes Baylands Nature Preserve. The launch facility Part of Bay Trail: Yes configuration is a pier that leads via a gangway to a dock Existing or Planned: Existing with two different freeboard levels (one being a low float Ownership: Public dock). Near the pier there is ample free parking on a Jurisdiction: City gravel substrate (30 + spaces estimate with no time limit Designation: Pending apart from park hours), a boat washing facility (a hose in Launch or Destination: Launch the parking lot near the pier), and a public phone. There Fee for Launch or Parking: None are no picnic tables located at the launch site, but they do exist elsewhere within the Preserve. There is one bench located near the entrance to the pier, with six more
May 29, 2012 Site Description for: Palo Alto Baylands Launching Dock 2
Type of Launch/Landing: located along the trail leading to the Sailing Station. Dock: Yes Float: Yes There is a public accessible portable restroom located in Accessible: Yes the parking lot, and other restrooms are located in other Beach: No areas of the Preserve. Other: Gangway The site is popular with windsurfers and can become very windy in the afternoon. Canoes and kayaks also frequent the site. There is not a specific drop off or staging area, but there is room near the entrance to the pier to drop off a boat or gear.
There are not many launch sites located in the area. Alviso Marina County Park, to the south, and the largely undeveloped "Ravenswood" site to the north are the
closest launch sites.
The Preserve within which the Sailing Station is located consists of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, mudflats, creeks, sloughs, upland transition habitat, and a duck Pier Entrance pond. As such, it attracts a lot of non‐boating visitors as well. It includes 15 miles of multi‐use trails, including portions on the Bay Trail, additional parking areas, an interpretive center, a duck pond, picnic facilities with barbecues, and wildlife viewing platforms and benches to enjoy the views. An Ecocenter led by the non‐profit group Environmental Volunteers will be having their grand opening in early summer 2012.
The Preserve also includes the Palo Alto Municipal Golf
Course, the Palo Alto Airport, the Baylands Athletic Center, the Palo Alto Regional Water Control Plant, and the former landfills of the Palo Alto Recycling Center (future extension of Bixby Park). Portable Accessible Restroom
Parking and Staging: Facilities: Restrooms: General Spaces (number): 30‐plus Overnight: No Total (number): 1 Accessible Parking Spaces (number): 4 Boat Washing: Yes Duration (hours):No limit Picnic Tables: Yes Accessible (number): 1 Loading/Unloading Area: Yes Benches: Yes Proximity to Other Launch and Rigging/Staging Area: Yes BBQ: Yes Destination Sites: Distance to Launch from Parking Area Boat Storage: No The closest sites are Ravenswood (feet): 80 (SM2) and Alviso Marina County Restrictions: The rules state that only Park (SC2) hand‐carried, non‐motorized boats may launch from the facility, wading and
San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail May 29, 2012 Site Description for: Palo Alto Baylands Launching Dock 3 swimming is prohibited, and dogs must be on leash. Facility is to be used at one's own risk, and users are warned to consult tide charts due to shallow waters and return at least three hours before low tide.
Current and Expected User Groups Notes Related to ADA Accessibility: During Kayak: Yes Canoe: Yes extreme low tides, persons with disabilities Windsurfer: Yes Outrigger Canoe: may have difficulty reaching the dock due to Kiteboard: Yes Sculling: the slope of the gangway. This information is Whaleboat: Rowboat/Dinghy: Yes displayed on a sign located next to the pier. It Other: Yes is highly unlikely that any user would access Notes: Also sailboats the site during an extremee low tide du to mud and very shallow conditions. There is an accessible portable restroom and there are four accessible parking spaces. The dock, gangway, and pier are described in more
detail in the attached accessibility form.
Public Transportation: The Palo Alto E shuttle bus comes to the very edge of the Baylands (the closest stop is a flat 1 ¼ ‐ mile walk away, at the intersection of Embarcadero Road and Geng Road). From there it is easy to access trains and busses serving the entire Bay Area. The site is also on the Bay Trail.
Gangway and dock at low tide
Use of Site (Boating and Non‐Boating) and Existing and Planned Management: The Preserve is open from 8 am to sunset daily. The Preserve attracts a wide variety of visitors and is very popular for bird watching year round.
The site is maintained by the City of Palo Alto and three full‐time rangers patrol the Preserve, although their schedule is staggered and there may be only one person on duty. The most frequent boaters using the site are windsurfers, followed by canoes and kayakers. The City sponsors recreation programs and canoe trips, and two‐week‐long recreational camps that focus on Bay ecology.
The trashcans located near the pier are checked daily and are emptied when they are half or more full.
There are no boat storage facilities. Any proposals for boat sotrage must go through the City of Palo Alto Park and Recreation Commission and the Architectural Review Board.
There are no conflicts between different boaters at this time, but if the use increases there is the potential for conflicts to occur.
San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail May 29, 2012 Site Description for: Palo Alto Baylands Launching Dock 4
Safety and Security: Boaters need to be aware of the tides as the site can become muddy or very shallow during low tides and may become stranded. Boaters should also carry maps so they do not get lost. The site also can be very windy in the afternoon. There is a ranger station on the Preserve and the rangers have canoes that can be used to assist the Coast Guard with rescues. Visitors should always first call 911 in case of an emergency. Boaters should also be aware that there is seasonal hunting allowed during the state defined hunting season on nearby lands (Mountain View and Alviso) within four miles. The Water Trail sign will alert users of this and provide a website address to find out current information.
Wildlife and Habitat Considerations: The site is an important stop‐over or destination for the Pacific Flyway and for resident birds. Refer to the attached seasonal bird map produced by the City of Palo Alto showing the main locations of bird hotspots.
Two harbor seal haul‐outs are located within four miles of the launch site: Newark Slough, which is a pupping site; and Calaveras Point, which is a secondary haul‐out.
Boat users need to be sensitive to wildlife, high tide refugia, and marsh habitat, observe buffer distances, and not land in any location besides the Sailing Station, including Hooks Island, located across from the Sailing Station. Additionally, there are areas located nearby where a boater who lands inappropriately could disturb nesting Western burrowing owls (Mountain View) or Western snowy plovers (Alviso or Ravenswood). The City of Palo Alto Municipal Code prohibits trampling vegetation and/or harassing wildlife and non‐permitted activities in the marsh constitute violations and are subject to fines of $1,000 or more. Nearby lands owned by the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge also prohibit unauthorized entry into marshes. Rangers have not had problems with boaters landing in the marshes, with the exception of emergencies where someone had to make an unauthorized landing. Most of the problems within the Preserve with people entering the marsh have been photographers who enter frome th road.
Education, Outreach, and Stewardship, Including Signage: The Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center has displays on Bay ecology. The City of Palo Alto website showcases “Nature Notes,” which are downloadable nature notes about wildlife and other items of interest found within the Palo Alto Baylands. The non‐profit Environmental Volunteers, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto, will soon open an environmental education center with hands‐on learning about environmental stewardship (Summer 2012).
The Water Trail will develop a sign at the trailhead that will emphasize the need to avoid disturbing rafting waterfowl, California clapper rail habitat, and California harbor seals. The sign will include buffer distances when required, and will emphasize not to paddle/sail/row directly toward wildlife, and the need to not land in marshes, especially during high tide. More detailed information about avoiding all these species, the importance of marsh habitat and high tide refugia, and more detail on ways to view seals without causing a disturbance and what to do in the event of encountering an injured seal, will be included ein th website. See attached EIR evaluation form for more details about wildlife information to be provided at site.
The Water Trail sign will also alert users that hunting exists within four miles of the site and will have a website for people to find specific information on hunting in the area.
San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail May 29, 2012 Site Description for: Palo Alto Baylands Launching Dock 5
Other Existing or Anticipated Water Trail‐related Issues and Opportunities: There is an opportunity to update the sign located at the pier, and perhaps combine it with a Water Trail sign. The City is investigating resurfacing the dock. The City is open to exploring the feasibility of adding boat storage to this location.
Additional Photos:
High tide (looking west) Gangway and dock
Low tide (looking west) Bench
San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail May 29, 2012 Summary of Environmental Review (Water Trail Final EIR) for Palo Alto Sailing Station
Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Recreation Palo Alto Baylands is located Signage at the trailhead location References: WT FEIR within four miles of areas will include language that alerts text. Also, see maps for currently open to hunting at least non-motorized small boat hunting locations. part of the year. (NMSB) users that hunting exists within four (4) miles and will Designation of Palo Alto Sailing include a website to find specific Station will not increase facility hunting information. size, increase facility use beyond its capacity, encourage motor There are no immediate plans to boat use, or preclude existing modify existing facilities for the recreational activities. Water Trail (WT). The design of any future WT-related changes would need to avoid recreational user conflict.
Navigational and At low tide the launch site There is currently a low tide Personal becomes very shallow and/or advisory on the sign at the Safety muddy. Users need to be aware trailhead with up-to-date tide References: WT of tides and should also have a charts posted on the same sign. FEIR text and map to avoid being stranded Other WT outreach materials will Figures 3.4.2-1 and/or lost. include safety information about and 3.4.2-2. tides and how to avoid getting Palo Alto Sailing Station is stranded in the mud. located in the South Bay and is not located near ferry boats and The Palo Alto Police Department commercial shipping channels. phone number is on the sign, although users should call 911 or use a radio in an emergency.
Aesthetics The launch site is located within There are currently no plans for the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve. alterations at the site. The WT sign may be consolidated with the current Palo Alto Sailing Station Sign. The new sign will be designed to be aesthetic, following the guidelines of the City of Palo Alto and the WT.
Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Biology- The marsh area between the There is a boat wash area Vegetation launch site and San Francisquito located in the parking lot, next to References: WT Creek is one of the last the pier. The boat wash can help FEIR text and untouched marshes in the Bay prevent the spread of invasive Table 3.7.2-1 and Table Area. species. The WT website will 3.7.2-2. explain how WT users can help The two special status plant prevent the spread of invasive species with the potential to be species using boat rinses. found in the vicinity are: Centromadia parryi ssp. The sign will emphasize that Congdonii (Congdon’s tarplant) – unauthorized landings in the low potential for occurrence; and marsh are prohibited. The City of Spartina foliosa (Pacific Palo Alto prohibits trampling cordgrass, California cordgrass) vegetation and/or harassing – very high potential for wildlife, subject to a $1,000 or occurrence. more fine. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prohibit entry into The invasive plant species with marshes year-round. the potential to occur in the area include: Carpobrotus edulis x Other WT outreach materials will chilensis (Iceplant), Elytrigia provide more detail on the effects pontica (Russian wheatgrass), of unauthorized landings that Lepidium latifolium (Broadleaf may trample wetland vegetation pepperweed), Piptatherum and reinforce that this is mileaceum (Smilo grass), Salsola prohibited. soda (Mediterranean saltwort), and Spartina alterniflora x foliosa City of Palo Alto staff have had (hybrid cordgrass). very few incidents with NMSBs landing inappropriately. Will continue to monitor and if evidence of trampling occurs, take feasible actions to discourage.
Biology – Rafting The site gives users access to Signage will emphasize Waterfowl areas where rafting waterfowl importance of keeping a distance References: WT FEIR may congregate in the South of 250 meters (820 ft) from text. Also, see Bay. rafting waterfowl and avoiding Baylands Hotspots map paddling/sailing/rowing directly for reference. toward them.
Other WT educational materials will also have this information, but will include more details.
Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Biology – California The site is located near California Signage will emphasize clapper rail and clapper rail and California black importance of not entering California black rail and rail habitat, including channels marsh, of keeping a 50-foot high tide refugia and other areas rails would use buffer from rail habitat (i.e. not References: WT FEIR for high tide refugia. entering channels less than 100- text, Figure 3.8.2-2. feet wide), ways for boaters to Also see Baylands avoid impacting rail species, Hotspots map for importance of avoiding high tide reference. refugia, and will state that landing in marshes is prohibited.
Other WT educational materials will include discussion of California clapper rails and California black rails, including pertinent laws, habitat, importance of avoiding nesting habitat and high tide refugia, keeping buffer distances, and not entering vegetated marshes supporting rails.
Biology – Nesting black- Nesting stilts and avocets in the WT outreach materials with necked stilts and Preserve are located in areas include information about how to American avocets inaccessible to boaters. not disturb nesting birds. This References: site does not need specific Baylands Hotspots map information about black-necked for reference. stilts and American avocets because of where they are located. Biology – Nesting There is a black- crowned night Signage will emphasize wading birds, nesting heron and snowy egret rookery importance of not landing in Western snowy plovers located on the Preserve, although unauthorized location. and nesting Western it is in an area inaccessible to burrowing owls boaters. Other rookeries exist The WT website will provide References: within 4 miles of the site. Nesting buffer distances (200m (656ft) for WT FEIR text, Western burrowing owls are nesting wading birds, 200m Annotated Atlas and found in Mountain view and (656ft) for snowy plovers, and Implications for the nesting Western snowy plovers 75m (246ft) for burrowing owls), Conservation of Heron are found in Alviso and information about these species, and Egret Nesting Ravenswood. Boaters would and ways to avoid disturbance. Colonies in the San impact these species if they Francisco Bay Area made an unauthorized landing in sensitive habitat.
Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Biology – Harbor Two harbor seal haul-outs are Signage will notify boaters not to Seals located within four miles of the land on seal haul-out and References: WT launch site. Newark Slough, pupping sites and to observe a FEIR text, Figure which is a pupping site, and 100m (328ft) buffer August – 3.9.2-1, and Calaveras Point, which is a February and 150m (492ft)buffer Tables 3.9.5-1 secondary haul-out. March – July. Additionally, the and 3.9.5-2 sign will emphasize not to paddle/sail/row directly toward them.
Other WT outreach materials will provide more detail about how to view seals without causing a disturbance (for example, use binoculars) and what to do in the event of encountering an injured seal.
Biology - Sensitive California least terns are shown WT educational materials will Species in Figure 3.8.2-3 as having include information about References: WT FEIR habitat located near the avoiding disturbance to California text, Figure 3.8.2-3, Preserve. Personal least terns. Personal communication with Cheryl Communication with Strong, Wildlife Biologist, Don Edwards National USFWS, confirmed California Wildlife Refuge biologist least terns do not breed near the (5/21/12). site.
Cultural No WT-related construction is WT educational materials will Resources planned at this time. NMSB include information about users are not allowed to land in avoiding disturbance to cultural adjacent wetland habitat, artifacts. potentially disturbing cultural artifacts.
Hydrology No WT-related construction is planned at this time. Transportation, There is a large parking lot with Circulation, and ample parking. Parking
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San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail www.sfbaywatertrail.org
To Jarvis Landing Location Map
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Alameda County Palo Alto San Mateo «[ County §[ Sailing Station 0 5
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Text 4 Mile Buffer Potential 0 1 (from Sailing Station) Hunting Area §[ Pupping site «[ CA clapper rail Palo Alto Sailing Station CA Harbor Seal data from Water Trail FEIR Protected Miles Potential Water Primary or secondary CA Clapper rail½ data generalized from Location Map Areas Boundary ! Trail Sites §[ 2011 California Natural DiversityDatabase
Path: S:\WaterTrail\2012_WaterTrail_Maps\Sites\SantaClara\PaloAlto\SC3_PaloAltoBaylands v2.mxd ¹ haul out site (5/25/2012) SANTA CLARA San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail
Palo Alto Sailing Station
Text Palo Alto Sailing Station 0 500 www.sfbaywatertrail.org½ Aerial View (5/14/2012) Feet Path: S:\WaterTrail\2012_WaterTrail_Maps\Sites\SantaClara\PaloAlto\SC3_PaloAltoBaylands zoom.mxd ¹ San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Accessibility Evaluation
Site Information
Name of Site Palo Alto Sailing Station
Date of Evaluation March 22, 2012 Evaluated by: Galli Basson, Water Trail Planner, ABAG
Notes______
______
Parking
__4__ Number of accessible parking spaces (total)
__1__ Number of van accessible parking spaces
__N/A Distance of unloading zone to accessible parking
__N/A_ Distance of unloading zone to end of pier
Gravel parking lot Nature of accessible parking area surface (paved, gravel, dirt etc.)
Notes_Two spots are located near the portable restroom and two are located near the pier. No designated unloading zone but it is possible to unload at pier entrance.
Restrooms and Accessible Routes
__Y__ (Y or N) Public Restrooms
__Y__ (Y or N) Accessible Restroom
__Y__ (Y or N) Unisex or Family Restrooms
Surface material & distance from:
80 feet to pier______>100 feet______50 feet ______parking space to launch site parking space to restrooms parking space to other facilities (i.e. boatwash)
_>100 feet______45 feet______Launch site to restroom Launch site to other facilities (i.e. boatwash)
Notes: Portable restroom located over 100 feet from launch site on the other side of the parking lot. There are two separate ADA parking spots located next to the portable restroom in addition to the two ADA parking spots near the pier. Restrooms are also available at the Nature Center
1 located in the Park. Launch Site - Gangway
__Y__ (Y or N) Gangway Present? (if not, skip to next box)
Pier is 195 feet long. Gangway is 8 feet wide by 44 feet long. Gangway, or series of gangways, length, width, and maximum slope at low water
__Y_ (Y or N) Gangway meets federal ADA Standards for gangway running slope. (If gangway, or a series of gangways, is 30 ft minimum, and facility has less than 25 boat slips; or a gangway, or series of gangways, is 80 ft minimum --- maximum slopes may exceed a slope of 1:12 at low water.
__N__ (Y or N) Handrail extensions from gangway (not required)
Notes _Gangway does meet federal ADA standards, even with gangway slope at low tide. Maxiumum slope at low tide is approximately 1:4.
Launch Site - Boarding Pier
_9 feet wide by 64 feet long, plus a low float dock which is 36 feet long ______Length and width of boat docks
_N/A______Length and width of boarding pier
_Y__ (Y or N) Low float dock
Notes______
Sight Accessibility
Is there a path to the launch site that a person with vision loss using a cane can follow? Describe.
The pier and gangway have railings that lead down to the dock.
Are there obstacles (i.e. overhanging obstructions) that a sight impaired person could walk into? Describe. There is a post at the entrance to the pier to keep cars from driving onto it.
Notes______
Notable Barriers
Notes The gangway may be steep at very low tides .
Other Amenities
Notes__Boat wash ______
2 HOTSPOTS LEGEND Sand Point Hooks Point ACCESS Fall INFORMATION Winter 1.20 Nesting • Open to the Spring Cliff or Hooks public 8 am to
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SCALE IN MILES M E
Bike Bridge Adobe Creek to Oregon Expressway Undercrossing (Seasonal) via St. Francis Drive Open April 15-October 15
San Francisquito Creek Trail Boardwalk Trail .2 mile (one way) Duck Pond Loop Trail .7 miles Renzel Trail .9 mile/20-25 min. Hilltop Trails 1.0 mile/ 10-30 min. Marsh Front Trail 1.0 miles Adobe Creek Loop Trail 3.2 miles/1-21/2 hours. Easy, flat terrain, can 15 min. Best area to view California 10-15 min. Dogs prohibited. Easy, flat Trail passes along the Emily Renzel Wetlands Bay views, wildlife, wildflowers, landfill 25-30 min. Descriptive natural history 5.6 miles/ 2-3 hours. Bay views, be extremely muddy during rainy season. clapper rail, Easy, flat terrain; mixed terrain; crushed oyster shell and and connects the Adobe Creek Loop Trail conversion process. Hilly terrain/trails are panels. Easy, flat terrain; crushed oyster bird life, converted landfill. Easy, flat Mixed terrain trail bed includes decomposed terrain trail bed includes gravel levee decomposed granite trail bed; with the San Francisquito Creek Trail. Easy, steep in places. Trail bed is decomposed shell and decomposed granite trail bed; terrain; trail mostly on bayside
granite, crushed oyster shell, paved sections. and wood boardwalk. no obstacles. flat terrain; paved. granite and crushed oyster shell. no obstacles. gravel levees and pavement.
Graphic Design: Sharon Erspamer Sharon Design: Graphic
Illustration: Virginia Kolence; Lettering: Carl Rohrs Carl Lettering: Kolence; Virginia Illustration: Photography (unless noted otherwise): Rosemary Lombard otherwise): noted (unless Photography