Aquatic Pesticide Application Plan for the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project This plan addresses herbicide application activities undertaken by the coalition of ISP partner agencies in the effort to eradicate non-native, invasive Spartina from the San Francisco Estuary. Annual update prepared by Drew Kerr 2612-A 8th Street Berkeley, CA 94710 [email protected] Under contract to Olofson Environmental, Inc. Berkeley, California for the State Coastal Conservancy 1330 Broadway, 13th floor Oakland, Ca 94612-2530 July 2012 Current funding for the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project comes from the California State Coastal Conservancy and grants from the California Wildlife Conservation Board. Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ....................................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... ii Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ ii 1. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 1 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................ 1 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE WATER BODY SYSTEM ................................................. 2 Ecology ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Natural Processes Affecting Water Quality .......................................................................................... 3 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Sediment Quality ................................................................................................................................... 7 4. DESCRIPTION OF TARGET SPECIES .................................................................... 9 Native Pacific Cordgrass (Spartina foliosa) ......................................................................................... 9 Atlantic Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and its Hybrids ................................................... 10 English Cordgrass (Spartina anglica) ................................................................................................ 13 Chilean Cordgrass (Spartina densiflora) ............................................................................................ 13 Salt-Meadow Cordgrass (Spartina patens) ......................................................................................... 14 5. CONTROL TOLERANCES ..................................................................................... 15 6. DESCRIPTION OF HERBICIDE ............................................................................. 16 Environmental Fate of Herbicides ...................................................................................................... 20 Potential Biological and Ecological Effects ....................................................................................... 25 Non-Target Aquatic Plants and Algae ............................................................................................................. 27 Aquatic and Benthic Invertebrates .................................................................................................................. 28 Fish ................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Birds ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Mammals ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Receiving Water Monitoring Triggers ............................................................................................................ 32 7. DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATE, NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS .. 33 ISP-selected Non-chemical Control Methods ..................................................................................... 33 Hand-pulling and manual excavation .............................................................................................................. 33 Mechanical excavation and dredging .............................................................................................................. 34 Covering/tarping ............................................................................................................................................. 35 Other Non-chemical Methods Evaluated ............................................................................................ 36 Mowing, burning, pruning, and flaming ......................................................................................................... 36 Crushing and mechanical smothering ............................................................................................................. 37 Flooding and draining ..................................................................................................................................... 37 8. HERBICIDE APPLICATION AREAS FOR 2012 ................................................... 38 Site 1 – Alameda Flood Control Channel, Alameda County .............................................................. 38 Site 2 – Bair & Greco Island Complex, San Mateo County ................................................................ 40 Site 3 – Blackie’s Pasture, Marin County ........................................................................................... 40 Site 4 – Corte Madera Creek Complex, Marin County ....................................................................... 41 Site 5 – Coyote Creek & Mowry Slough Area, Alameda & Santa Clara Counties ............................. 41 Site 6 – Emeryville Crescent, Alameda County ................................................................................... 42 Site 7 – Oro Loma Marsh, Alameda County ....................................................................................... 43 Site 8 – Palo Alto Baylands, Santa Clara County ............................................................................... 43 Site 9 – Tiscornia Marsh (formerly Pickleweed Park), Marin County ............................................... 44 Site 10 – Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, Contra Costa County ...................................................... 44 Site 11 – Southampton Marsh, Solano County .................................................................................... 45 Site 12 – Southeast San Francisco, San Francisco County ................................................................ 45 Site 13 – Whale’s Tail / Old Alameda Creek Complex, Alameda County ........................................... 46 Site 15 – South San Francisco Bay Marshes, Santa Clara County ..................................................... 47 Site 16 – Cooley Landing, San Mateo County .................................................................................... 47 Site 17 – Alameda Island / San Leandro Bay Complex, Alameda County .......................................... 48 Site 18 – Colma Creek / San Bruno Marsh Complex, San Mateo County .......................................... 49 San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project i. 2012 Aquatic Pesticide Application Plan Site 19 – West San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County ....................................................................... 49 Site 20 – San Leandro / Hayward Shoreline Complex, Alameda County ........................................... 50 Site 21 – Ideal Marsh, Alameda County ............................................................................................. 51 Site 22 – Two Points Complex, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties ................................................ 51 Site 23 – Marin Outliers, Marin County ............................................................................................. 52 Site 24 – Petaluma River, Sonoma County ......................................................................................... 52 Site 26 – North San Pablo Bay, Solano County .................................................................................. 53 9. WATER QUALITY MONITORING PLAN (WQMP) ............................................ 54 Objective ............................................................................................................................................. 54 Monitoring Site Selection .................................................................................................................... 54 Sampling Design ................................................................................................................................. 54 Field Sampling Procedures.............................................................................................................................. 55 Equipment Calibration