Aquatic Pesticide Application Plan for the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project This plan addresses herbicide application activities undertaken by 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] for the State Coastal Conservancy 1330 Broadway, 13th floor Oakland, Ca 94612-2530 August 2010 Current funding for the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project comes from the California State Coastal Conservancy and grants from the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Miner- als Management Service. Previous major funders include the CALFED Bay-Delta Pro- gram, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Table of Contents 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............................................................................. 15 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 7. DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATE, NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS.. 32 ISP-selected Non-chemical Control Methods....................................................................... 33 Hand-pulling and manual excavation............................................................................... 33 Mechanical excavation and dredging ............................................................................... 33 Covering/blanketing ......................................................................................................... 34 Other Non-chemical Methods Evaluated.............................................................................. 35 Mowing, burning, pruning, and flaming .......................................................................... 35 Crushing and mechanical smothering .............................................................................. 36 Flooding and draining ...................................................................................................... 36 8. HERBICIDE APPLICATION AREAS FOR 2008-2010.......................................... 37 Site 01 – Alameda Flood Control Channel, Alameda County.............................................. 37 Site 02 – Bair & Greco Island Complex, San Mateo County ............................................... 39 Site 03 – Blackie’s Pasture, Marin County........................................................................... 39 Site 04 – Corte Madera Creek Complex, Marin County ...................................................... 40 Site 05 – Coyote Creek & Mowry Slough Area, Santa Clara County.................................. 40 Site 06 – Emeryville Crescent, Alameda County ................................................................. 41 Site 07 – Oro Loma Marsh, Alameda County ...................................................................... 41 Site 08 – Palo Alto Baylands, Santa Clara County............................................................... 42 Site 09 – Tiscornia Marsh (formerly Pickleweed Park), Marin County ............................... 42 Site 10 – Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, Contra Costa County ........................................ 43 Site 11 – Southampton Marsh, Solano County..................................................................... 43 Site 12 – Southeast San Francisco, San Francisco County................................................... 44 Site 13 – Whale’s Tail / Old Alameda Creek Complex, Alameda County........................... 44 Site 15 – South San Francisco Bay Marshes, Santa Clara County ....................................... 45 Site 16 – Cooley Landing, San Mateo County ..................................................................... 46 San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project i. 2010 Aquatic Pesticide Application Plan Site 17 – Alameda Island / San Leandro Bay Complex, Alameda County .......................... 46 Site 18 – Colma Creek / San Bruno Marsh Complex, San Mateo County ........................... 47 Site 19 – West San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County ........................................................ 48 Site 20 – San Leandro / Hayward Shoreline Complex, Alameda County ............................ 49 Site 21 – Ideal Marsh, Alameda County............................................................................... 49 Site 22 – Two Points Complex, Alameda County ................................................................ 50 Site 23 – Marin Outliers, Marin County............................................................................... 50 Site 24 – Petaluma River, Sonoma County........................................................................... 51 Site 26 – North San Pablo Bay, Solano County ................................................................... 52 9. WATER QUALITY MONITORING PLAN ............................................................ 52 Objective............................................................................................................................... 52 Monitoring Site Selection ..................................................................................................... 52 Sampling Design................................................................................................................... 53 Field Sampling Procedures............................................................................................... 53 Equipment Calibration ................................................................................................. 54 Field Data Sheets ......................................................................................................... 55 Sample Shipment ......................................................................................................... 55 Field Variances ............................................................................................................ 55 Sample Analysis............................................................................................................... 55 Assessment of Field Contamination............................................................................. 56 Lab QC & Data Quality Indicators .............................................................................. 56 Monitoring Site Descriptions................................................................................................ 56 10. APPLICABLE WATER QUALITY BMPS ........................................................... 61 11. REFERENCES........................................................................................................ 63 List of Figures Figure 1: Locations and mean discharges for municipal wastewater treatment plants in South San Francisco Bay.....................................................................4 Figure 2: Conceptual Model of Possible Exposure of Biological Organisms to Herbicide Mixture Used by the Spartina Control Program.............................26