Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline Resource Analysis East Bay Regional Park District CARQUINEZ STRAIT REGIONAL SHORELINE RESOURCE ANALYSIS Adopted: November 17, 1992 Resolution No: 1992-11-302 Prepared by: East Bay Regional Park District Planning/ Stewardship Department 2950 Peralta Oaks Drive Oakland, CA 94605 " .. .1 was almost wild to get out alone with the big sail and go tearing down the Carquinez Strait ... " Jack London, Tales of the Fish Patrol FOREWORD Carquinez Strait channels waters flowing from Sierran snow beds through the vast fields of the Central Valley to meet the salt waters of the Pacific Ocean in the San Fran­ cisco Bay. The broad streams of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers converge in the Carquinez Strait and along their course supply water for over two thirds of California residents. Much of this immense ancient water system is visible from the bluffs rising above the Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline. We usually speed by these waters on freeways or over them on bridges, catching a glimpse of sailboats on the way to somewhere else. At Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline one can sit quietly under coastal bluffs next to the water's edge and contrast the relatively recent trappi1\gs of human history, the factories, subdivisions, railroads and ships, to the larger, more permanent forces of nature at this northern border of the Bay. This waterfront area offers tremendous potential for recreation, preservation of natural resources and education. The diversity of resources is reflected in the special aspects of the park's location; its views, open water, trail system, marine climate and historic buildings. It is the water oriented and water dependent attributes that make this site so unique - an area of truly regional significance. To determine the feasibility of Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline to function as a park, it is necessary to understand the natural and cultural features that the area pos­ sesses; for these are the primary materials from which the park is to be made. The purpose of the Resource Analysis is to describe and locate those features that are most crucial to the development of a plan that will preserve the park's natural resources and develop its recreational opportunities: topography, slope, hydrology, vegetation, wildlife, soils, geology, visual attributes, roadways, trails and cultural resources. This information will form the foundation upon which the Land Use-Development Plan will be built. CARQUINEZ STRAIT REGIONAL SHORELINE _RESOURCE ANALYSIS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 1 II. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 7 A. Description and Location .................................................................................. 7 B. Land Use History ............................................................................................... 9 C. Regional Shoreline Classification and Purpose ...................... ........................ 12 III. NATURAL RESOURCES INVENTORy............................................ 13 A. Topography and Visual Resources .................................................................. 13 B. Water Resources and Water Quality ................................................................ 17 C. Geology and Soils .......................... ............. .................... ................. .................. 22 D. Biological Resources ....... ............... .................. ..... ........... ....................... ........... 28 E. Climate and Air Quality .............. ........... ........ ......... ...... .......... ..... .... ....... ..... ..... 38 IV. CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORy.......................................... 39 A. Archaeological Resources ................................................................................. 39 B. Access, Circulation and Transportation .......................................................... 43 C. Recreation Facilities and Use ............................................................................ 50 D. Service Facilities and Utilities ......... ............... ..... .......... ....... .......... ....... ............ 54 E. Easements and Legal Agreements ................................................................... 57 F. Zoning and Other Agency Designations .............. ............... ........ .................... 60 V. BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 66 References Cited ... ............. ............... .................... ........... ................. ............ ........... 66 VI. REPORT PREPARATION .................................................................... 67 VII. APPENDICES ........................................................................................ 68 Appendix A Purpose and Role of the East Bay Regional Park District .............. ...... ................ ............ ............ ......... 68 Appendix B East Bay Regional Park District Planning Process ..... ................ ..................... .............. ............. ........ 69 Appendix C List of Plants ...... ................ ........ ................ ................ ..................... 71 Appendix D List of Wildlife Species .................................................................. 77 Appendix E List of Aquatic Vertebrates and Invertebrates ............................. 83 Appendix F Visitor Survey .................................................................................. 85 Appendix G Range Analysis Report ................................................................... 87 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Vicinity Ma.p ........... ......... ...... .................... ............ ....... ......... ........... ...... 2 1-2 Opportunities and Constraints Ma.p .................................................... 4-5 2-1 Location Ma.p ..... .... ....... .... ....... ........ ... ....... ................ ..... ........ ........... ..... 6 3-1 Hydrology and Topography ................................................................. 20-21 3-2 Soils and Landslides .............................................................................. 26-27 3-3 Natural Resources .................................................................................. 36-37 4-1 Indian Tribes Around San Francisco Bay...................... ................ ...... 39 4-2 Ridge and Shoreline Trails .................................................................... 44 4-3 Existing Facilities and Circulation........................................................ 48-49 4-4 Wh.ite' s Resort......................................................................................... 51 4-5 Acquisition Parcel Map .................................................. :...................... 58-59 4-6 General Plan Designation ................................... ............... .................... 64-65 I. SUMMARY Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline is a park of road is not the only constraint preventing access high rounded bills that form the open space to this park. Existing parkland holdings have backdropforthreequietwaterfronttowns: Mar­ limited potential for new staging areas and tinez, Crockett and Port Costa. Visitors to this public access because of the lack of connection recently opened park have taken advantage of to public roads. Additional acquisitions could splendid hiking opportunities reminiscent of enhance and protect existing views and im­ those provided by the rolling-hills. of nearby-. FrQV~ access opportunities. Marina and fishing Briones Regional Park. What sets this site apart facilities could be rebuilt and connected to exist­ from other regional parks is the combination of ing parkland. Trails could be expanded to link typical parkfeatures (open land and trails) with the park to other recreation areas and trail extraordinary opportunities for water-related corridors. The Land Use Development Plan recreation and a vivid and rich history of hu­ (LUDP) will examine these possibilities in an man endeavor. effort to create an accessible r~onal shoreline park. The following discussion summarizes the The park also offers an interesting sequence of opportunities and constraints to the develop­ views, including sweeping panoramas of the ment of the LUDP. (See Figure 1-2) Strait and Delta region; visuallyinterestingfea­ tures, suclt as bridges, piers, factories and the OPPORTUNITIES changing scene offered by the day-to-day ship­ ping and boating activities of the Strait. ACCESS. Vehicle access to the park from major roads is generally good. Access exists Within the interior parkland perennial water at two staging areas a10ngCarquinez Scenic resources are scarce. Consequently, the land Drive, at the west and east ends of the park. has never sustained abundant wildlife popula­ Opportunities for additional vehicle access tions or early human settlements. The deep should be considered at portions of the park waterway adjacent to the park, however, pro­ not yet open for public use; the Crockett vided the conditions for a brief explosion of Hills Unit and the Port Costa Conservation industrial activity at the tum of the century. It Society land. Trail links may be possible continues to serve as a site for boating and sport betweentheCarquinez Strait Regional Shore­ fishing. line and Martinez Shoreline, Rankin Park and other open space lands. Bicycle and The land is now in transition.