Initial Draft Conceptual Model for Managed Wetlands in Suisun Marsh Compiled by Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and Suisun Resource Conservation District (SRCD) staff Contributors: Laureen Barthman – Thompson (DFG) Kristin Bruce (SRCD) Sarah Estrella (DFG) Paul Garrison III (DFG) Craig Haffner (SRCD) Julie Niceswanger (DFG) Gina Van Klompenburg (DFG) Bruce Wickland (SRCD) With input from: Dennis Becker Laurie Briden Cecilia Brown Steve Chappell Steve Culberson Cassandra Enos Chris Enright Bellory Fong Terri Gaines Jasper Lament Conrad Jones Victor Pacheco Facilitated by: Zachary Hymanson Stuart Siegel 1 Table of Contents 1.0 MANAGED WETLAND MANAGEMENT GOALS AND ASSUMPTIONS .................................. 5 2.0 CURRENT CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 PHYSICAL .......................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Applied water salinity .................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.2 Slough water salinity / Marsh-wide salinity gradient (DWR 2001) ............................................. 7 2.1.3 Soils .............................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1.4 Water year .................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.5 Subsidence.................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF WATER CONTROL FACILITIES .......................................10 2.3 EXISTING BIOLOGICAL .................................................................................................................12 2.3.1 Vegetation ...................................................................................................................................12 2.3.2 Fish and Wildlife .........................................................................................................................15 3.0 REGULATORY RESTRICTIONS .....................................................................................................23 4.0 MANAGEMENT OPTIONS / TOOLS ...............................................................................................23 4.1 WATER MANAGEMENT SCHEDULES ........................................................................................27 4.2 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT / MANIPULATION ....................................................................38 5.0 EXPECTED RESULTS AND BYPRODUCTS OF MANAGEMENT .............................................38 5.1 BENEFITS OF MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................38 5.2 POSSIBLE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF MANAGEMENT ............................................39 5.2.1 Fish Entrainment ........................................................................................................................40 5.2.2 Discharge Issues .........................................................................................................................40 5.2.3 Acid Sulfate Syndrome / Red water .............................................................................................40 5.2.4 Subsidence...................................................................................................................................41 6.0 UNCERTAINTIES AND DATA GAPS ..............................................................................................41 6.1 FISH AND WILDLIFE UNCERTAINTIES .......................................................................................41 6.1.1 Waterfowl Uncertainties .............................................................................................................41 6.1.2 Other Fish and Wildlife Uncertainties ........................................................................................41 6.2 HABITAT UNCERTAINTIES ...........................................................................................................42 6.3 PHYSICAL UNCERTAINTIES .........................................................................................................42 7.0 OPPORTUNITIES / FUTURE POSSIBILITIES ...............................................................................42 7.1 FACILITIES .......................................................................................................................................42 7.1.1 Pumps ..........................................................................................................................................43 7.1.2 Interior Levees ............................................................................................................................43 7.1.3 Fish Screens ................................................................................................................................43 7.1.4 Pipes............................................................................................................................................44 7.2 SUBSIDENCE REVERSAL ..............................................................................................................44 7.3 MULTI-SPECIES MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................45 7.4 FUTURE RESEARCH / STUDIES ....................................................................................................45 APPENDIX A - WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES ..........................................................................46 A-1 LEVEES (EXTERIOR/INTERIOR).........................................................................................................47 A-2 DITCHES (PRIMARY DITCHES/SECONDARY DITCHES/”V” DITCHES) .................................................47 A-3 WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES (CULVERTS/ GATES/ AND RISERS) .........................................49 A-4 CONTROLLABLE TOPOGRAPHY ................................................................................................55 A-5 PUMPS (PERMANENT/PORTABLE) .....................................................................................................55 A-6 FISH SCREENS (CONICAL/FLAT SCREEN) ........................................................................................56 A-7 STRUCTURE MAINTENACE CONSTRAINTS .............................................................................56 2 APPENDIX B – PLANT DESCRIPTIONS...............................................................................................58 B-1 PLANT DESCIPTIONS ....................................................................................................................59 B-1.1 Important Wetlands Plants .......................................................................................................59 B-1.2 Important Upland Plants ..........................................................................................................63 B-1.3 Plants to Control .......................................................................................................................65 B-1.4 Endangered, Threatened and Rare Plants ...............................................................................68 APPENDIX C – RESIDENT AND MIGRATORY WILDLIFE .............................................................81 C-1 HARVESTED SPECIES ...................................................................................................................82 C-2 OTHER SPECIES OF IMPORTANCE .............................................................................................84 C-3 SUISUN MARSH MANAGED WETLAND LISTED AND SENSITIVE ........................................86 C-4 SPECIES OF MANAGEMENT CONCERN .....................................................................................97 APPENDIX D – REGULATORY RESTRICTIONS .............................................................................100 D-1 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE) ..........................................................................101 D-2 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) AND NATIONAL OCEANIC .......................103 D-3 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) .....................................................................103 D-4 SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD .......................106 D-5 CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME (DFG) ....................................................106 D-6 BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (BAAQMD) ....................................106 D-7 SAN FRANCISCO BAY CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT.........................................106 D-8. CALIFORNIA STATE LANDS COMMISSION (CSLC) ............................................................107 D-9 SOLANO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT.....................107 D-10 SOLANO COUNTY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT (SCMAD) .................................107 APPENDIX E – MECHANICAL VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND MANIPULATION .......108 E-1 PLANTING .........................................................................................................................................109 E-2 INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES CONTROL ..................................................................................................110