Spartina Project San Francisco Estuary Invasive 2012-2013 E California Clapper Rail Habitat nhancement Plan Prepared by: For: California Coastal Conservancy 1330 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612 December 11, 2012 San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project 2012-2013 California Clapper Rail Habitat Enhancement Plan Prepared by: Olofson Environmental, Inc. 2612-A 8th Street Berkeley, CA 94710 Contact: [email protected] For the State Coastal Conservancy San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project 1330 Broadway, 13th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 December 11, 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This plan was prepared by Katy Zaremba, Spartina Project Restoration Program Manager, and Jeanne Hammond, Assistant Restoration Program Manager, with assistance from Whitney Thornton, Jeff Lewis, and Stephanie Chen. Additional staff contributing to the development and implementation of the plans presented herein include Tobias Rohmer, Tripp McCandlish, Jen McBroom, Jude Stalker, Leslie Bandy, Ilana Stein, Anastasia Ennis, and Luke Swanson. Special thanks to Erik Grijalva and Drew Kerr, Spartina Project Treatment Program managers, for their contributions of experience, expertise and advice throughout planning and implemen- tation of this program. Also special thanks to Ingrid Hogle, Spartina Project Data and Technolo- gy Manager, for support building and maintaining a functional geodatabase and data protocols. Cover photo: Grindelia stricta planting on a marsh plain channel by installation contractor West Coast Wildlands crew. This report was prepared for the California Coastal Conservancy’s San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project with support and funding from the California Coastal Conservancy and the California Wildlife Conservation Board (MOU #99-054-01 and subsequent) Implementation of the 2012-2013 California Clapper Rail Habitat Enhancement Program is funded by the California Coastal Conservancy, California Wildlife Conservation Board, and Port of Oakland. Additional funding is being sought. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Work Completed ................................................................................................................. 1 Project Review .................................................................................................................... 2 2. Floating Islands .................................................................................................................................... 3 Plans for 2012-2013 ............................................................................................................ 5 3. Constructed High Tide Refuge Islands ................................................................................................ 6 4. Predator Management Actions ......................................................................................................... 10 5. Tidal Marsh Revegetation ................................................................................................................. 12 5.1 2012-2013 Revegetation Sites ................................................................................................. 14 5.2 Lessons from 2011-2012 Field Season .................................................................................... 18 Propagation ....................................................................................................................... 19 Installation ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.3 2012-2013 Propagation and Collection ................................................................................... 27 Spartina foliosa ................................................................................................................. 27 Grindelia stricta and other ecotone species ..................................................................... 28 5.4 2012-2013 Planting Design ...................................................................................................... 29 5.5 Plant Installation ...................................................................................................................... 38 6. Site-specific Planting Plans: 2012-2013 Revegetion Sites ................................................................. 39 6.1 Cogswell A ............................................................................................................................... 39 6.2 Cogswell B (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013 by ISP) .............................................................. 42 6.3 Cogswell C................................................................................................................................ 45 6.4 Oro Loma East ......................................................................................................................... 48 6.5 Oro Loma West ........................................................................................................................ 51 6.6 Damon Marsh (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013 by ISP) ........................................................ 54 6.7 MLK New Marsh (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013 by ISP) .................................................... 57 6.8 Alameda Flood Control Channel .............................................................................................. 60 6.9 AFCC Pond 3(Site to be initiated in 2012-2013 by ISP) ........................................................... 63 6.10 Whales Tail South .................................................................................................................... 66 6.11 Whales Tail North .................................................................................................................... 69 6.12 North Creek Marsh .................................................................................................................. 72 6.13 Mt. Eden Creek ........................................................................................................................ 75 i ISP Clapper Rail Habitat Enhancement Plan Draft September 25, 2012 6.14 Greco Island North ................................................................ .................................................. 78 6.15 Bair B2 North Quadrant ........................................................................................................... 81 6.16 North Marsh (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013) ..................................................................... 87 6.17 Bunker Marsh (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013) ................................................................... 90 6.18 San Lorenzo Creek and Mouth (Site to be initiated in 2012-2013) ......................................... 93 6.19 Creekside Park ......................................................................................................................... 96 6.20 High Tide Refuge Islands (only) ............................................................................................... 99 Cooley Landing .................................................................................................................. 99 Bird Island ....................................................................................................................... 102 Belmont Slough ............................................................................................................... 105 6.21 2012-2013 Potential Planting Total Across All Sites .............................................................. 108 7. 2012-2013 Next Steps ..................................................................................................................... 109 8. References ....................................................................................................................................... 111 Appendix 1. Master 2011-13 Revegetation Matrix Appendix 2. Spartina foliosa Collection Protocol Appendix 3. Preliminary 2011-2012 Survivorship Analysis 2012- ii 2013 ISP Revegetation Plan December 11, 2012 Table of Figures Figure 1. Examples of artificial floating islands. Right: Floating island for high tide refugia at Arrowhead Marsh. Left: Floating island for nesting habitat at Bunker Marsh, Robert's Landing Complex. ................... 4 Figure 2. Map of Pilot High Tide Refuge Island Sites. ................................................................................... 7 Figure 3. Conceptual drawings for proposed high tide refuge islands. Top: Typical plan view. Bottom: Typical cross-section. .................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 4. Power poles and other debris removed from the marsh by East Bay Regional Parks District to reduce predator perches. ........................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 5. Predation by mammals and raptors is a major cause of mortality for endangered wildlife. Clockwise from bottom left: A red fox at Cogswell Marsh in Hayward; raccoon footprints along a channel; feral cats at a feeding station on Colma Creek; a red tailed hawk hunting in a Hayward marsh; remains of a California clapper rail at Faber Laumeister Marsh in San Mateo; a broken eggshell marks a former nest location. .................................................................................................................................