habitat restoration

The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore many former salt production ponds, now managed for wildlife and water quality, to tidal marsh. However, because managed ponds support large densities of breeding waterbirds, reduction of pond habitat may influence breeding waterbird distribution and abundance. We investigated habitat use associated with breeding, feeding, and roosting behaviors during the breeding season for American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana), Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri), and Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) in south San Francisco Bay in 2019 after substantial tidal marsh restoration, and compared results to a 2001 survey (before restoration). In 2019, managed ponds (26% of currently available habitat) were selected by waterbirds engaged in breeding behaviors (> 39% of observations), foraging (> 42%), and roosting (> 73%). Waterbirds avoided tidal habitats (43% of available habitat), comprising < 17% of observations of breeding behavior, < 28% of foraging observations, and < 13% of roosting observations. Waterbird densities increased in managed ponds between 2001 and 2019, and decreased in active salt ponds, especially among feeding Avocets (92% decrease) and Stilts (100% decrease). Islands were important for waterbirds observed breeding and roosting (45% of Avocet and 53% of Tern observations). Avocets and Stilts fed primarily on wet bare ground (65% and 58%, respectively), whereas feeding Forster’s Terns and Caspian Terns used mostly open water (82% and 93%, respectively). Within ponds, Avocets were associated with islands (131 m closer than expected). Stilts and Forster’s Terns were also associated with islands (68 m and 161 m closer than expected), except when feeding (1 m closer and 90 m farther than expected). Avocets and Stilts were associated with pond levees (39 m and 41 m closer than expected), but Forster’s Terns were not (9 m closer than expected). Our results emphasize the importance of managed ponds for breeding and foraging waterbirds, including islands for breeding and roosting and levees for foraging.

Keywords

birds

waterbirds

Pond Complex

Alviso

Eden Landing

Ravenswood

Content available here

eScholarship link to paper

San Francisco Bay Delta Watershed - Wide Range of Restoration Efforts Need Updated Federal Reporting and Coordination Roles

ariela — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 23:18:20 +0000

San Francisco Bay Delta Watershed - Wide Range of Restoration Efforts Need Updated Federal Reporting and Coordination Roles ariela Thu, 11/03/2022 - 16:18

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

United States Government Accountability Office

Date

2018-08

Summary

United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives

August 2018
SAN FRANCISCO BAY DELTA WATERSHED
Wide Range of Restoration Efforts Need Updated Federal Reporting and Coordination Roles
What GAO Found
Federal entities, including the Department of the Interior, and nonfederal entities, such as California state agencies and nonprofits, carry out and coordinate a wide range of restoration efforts in the San Francisco Bay Delta watershed. These efforts have multiple benefits, such as improved water quality and habitat in restored marshland (see fig. below). The entities coordinate comprehensive efforts in the San Francisco Bay area (Bay) and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) through two groups. Federal efforts across the watershed are to be led and coordinated by Interior and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) through a 2009 Interim Federal Action Plan, but not all federal entities are using the plan. Interior officials said the plan is no longer relevant because state and federal roles have changed. For example, they said a state-led committee acts as the coordinating body for federal entities; however, this committee focuses on one region of the watershed, while federal funding supports efforts in all three regions. By updating or revising the Interim Action Plan, Interior and CEQ could help clarify federal roles in supporting restoration efforts in the watershed.

Information on the status of all restoration efforts across the watershed, including their accomplishments, is unknown because information is not being fully collected or reported. Also, related expenditures for fiscal years 2007 through 2016 are unknown, in part because federal reports do not include complete or reliable data for restoration efforts in the watershed. The 2004 CALFED Bay-Delta Authorization Act requires Interior and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to report annually to Congress on restoration accomplishments and federal and state expenditures in the watershed, respectively. Interior has not issued these reports since 2009, when the state agency from which Interior had obtained the state data was abolished. OMB has issued its reports with federal, but not state, data for the same reason. However, Interior and OMB have not reached out to other state entities for this information. Without obtaining and reporting available information, as required by law, Interior and OMB will not have reasonable assurance that they are providing Congress with the information needed to monitor federal and nonfederal restoration efforts and expenditures.

Keywords

restoration

habitat restoration

funding

Pond Complex

Alviso

Eden Landing

Ravenswood

Content available here

GAO document webpage

Nature-Based Solutions For Coastal Resilience, Habitat Enhancement, and Water Quality Improvement at the San Francisco Bay Shoreline: Challenges, Solutions, and Next Steps

ariela — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 19:47:39 +0000

Nature-Based Solutions For Coastal Resilience, Habitat Enhancement, and Water Quality Improvement at the San Francisco Bay Shoreline: Challenges, Solutions, and Next Steps ariela Thu, 07/07/2022 - 12:47

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Date

2021-11

Summary

Harris-Lovett, S., Bradt, J., Juvera, L., Nutters, H., and Wren, I. Nature Based Solutions for Coastal Resilience, Habitat Enhancement, and Water Quality Improvement at the San Francisco Bay Shoreline: Challenges, Solutions, and Next Steps. San Francisco Estuary Partnership and Bay Area One Water Network, 2022.

Executive Summary
The successful implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) along the San Francisco Bay
shoreline offers a pathway to sustainable coastal resilience that is equitable, economical, and
long-lasting. However, this pathway is not easily paved without careful planning and collaboration.
Over the course of a three-day workshop hosted by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP)
and Bay Area One Water Network, participants shared insights on the cross-sectoral challenges
facing stakeholders impacted by NbS, goals and drivers behind NbS for shoreline resilience in
the Bay Area, and opportunities for working together to create shared solutions that lead to the
implementation, funding, and regulation of NbS. Participants represented diverse stakeholder
groups including regulatory agencies, community-based organizations, wastewater agencies,
academic institutions, and shoreline planning groups. The workshop was facilitated by staff
from SFEP, the Bay Area One Water Network, and the Meridian Institute.
Emerging from this workshop were a set of both expected and innovative ideas for how to
proceed, as well as lessons learned that can help guide work in this field for years to come.
The throughline of these ideas rang clear: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to designing,
planning, or implementing NbS. These varied infrastructural assets (such as horizontal levees,
floating wetlands, oyster reefs, etc.) are place-based, nuanced, and have tangible impacts on all
stakeholders. Their planning and implementation should be guided by several key goals: be cost-effective,
adaptable, achievable, provide long-term value, steward the natural environment, and
serve the surrounding communities.
This report provides a summary of workshop themes and outcomes, along with key near-term
milestones to strategically advance towards multi-benefit shoreline resilience in the Bay Area.
Important audiences for the report include regional, state, and local partnerships working to
advance NbS in communities, elected officials, project funders, technical experts, community
groups, and academics.
This report also calls on decision makers to examine the lens with which they execute place-based
infrastructural work to ensure that community members and Tribes with local knowledge
are empowered to lead and have ample representation throughout the entire process.

Keywords

habitat restoration

water quality

Content available here

https://www.bayareawater.org/reports

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2014

ariela — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:23:43 +0000

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2014

2014 Annual Report cover

ariela Thu, 06/23/2022 - 13:23

Document Category

Progress Reports

Author(s)

SBSP Project Management Team

Date

02-2015

Summary

A yearly snapshot of Project milestones and assessment of progress toward meeting restoration, public access and flood management goals

Keywords

habitat characteristics

trail use/public access

fish

mercury

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2013

ariela — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:06:07 +0000

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2013

2013 Annual Report cover

ariela Thu, 06/23/2022 - 13:06

Document Category

Progress Reports

Author(s)

SBSP Project Management Team

Date

03-2014

Summary

A yearly snapshot of Project milestones and assessment of progress toward meeting restoration, public access and flood management goals

Keywords

trail use/public access

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2012

ariela — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 19:30:08 +0000

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project: Annual Report 2012

2012 Annual Report cover

ariela Thu, 06/23/2022 - 12:30

Document Category

Progress Reports

Author(s)

SBSP Project Management Team

Date

03-2013

Summary

A yearly snapshot of Project milestones and assessment of progress toward meeting restoration, public access and flood management goals

Keywords

trail use/public access

Innovations in Coastline Management With Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF): Lessons Learned From Three Case Studies

ariela — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 18:11:28 +0000

Innovations in Coastline Management With Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF): Lessons Learned From Three Case Studies

Map of South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

ariela Wed, 04/27/2022 - 11:11

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Date

2022-04

Summary

Coastal communities around the world are facing increased coastal flooding and shoreline erosion from factors such as sea-level rise and unsustainable development practices. Coastal engineers and managers often rely on gray infrastructure such as seawalls, levees and breakwaters, but are increasingly seeking to incorporate more sustainable natural and nature-based features (NNBF). While coastal restoration projects have been happening for decades, NNBF projects go above and beyond coastal restoration. They seek to provide communities with coastal protection from storms, erosion, and/or flooding while also providing some of the other natural benefits that restored habitats provide. Yet there remain many unknowns about how to design and implement these projects. This study examines three innovative coastal resilience projects that use NNBF approaches to improve coastal community resilience to flooding while providing a host of other benefits: 1) Living Breakwaters in New York Harbor; 2) the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Study; and 3) the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project in San Francisco Bay. We synthesize findings from these case studies to report areas of progress and illustrate remaining challenges. All three case studies began with innovative project funding and framing that enabled expansion beyond a sole focus on flood risk reduction to include multiple functions and benefits. Each project involved stakeholder engagement and incorporated feedback into the design process. In the Texas case study this dramatically shifted one part of the project design from a more traditional, gray approach to a more natural hybrid solution. We also identified common challenges related to permitting and funding, which often arise as a consequence of uncertainties in performance and long-term sustainability for diverse NNBF approaches. The Living Breakwaters project is helping to address these uncertainties by using detailed computational and physical modeling and a variety of experimental morphologies to help facilitate learning while monitoring future performance. This paper informs and improves future sustainable coastal resilience projects by learning from these past innovations, highlighting the need for integrated and robust monitoring plans for projects after implementation, and emphasizing the critical role of stakeholder engagement.

Citation: Palinkas CM, Orton P, Hummel MA, Nardin W, Sutton-Grier AE, Harris L, Gray M, Li M, Ball D, Burks-Copes K, Davlasheridze M, De Schipper M, George DA, Halsing D, Maglio C, Marrone J, McKay SK, Nutters H, Orff K, Taal M, Van Oudenhoven APE, Veatch W and Williams T (2022) Innovations in Coastline Management With Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF): Lessons Learned From Three Case Studies. Front. Built Environ. 8:814180. doi: 10.3389/fbuil.2022.814180

Keywords

restoration

habitat restoration

Pond Complex

Alviso

Eden Landing

Ravenswood

Content available here

Frontiers in Built Environment

Breeding Waterbird Populations Have Declined in South San Francisco Bay: An Assessment Over Two Decades

ariela — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 17:03:30 +0000

Breeding Waterbird Populations Have Declined in South San Francisco Bay: An Assessment Over Two Decades ariela Tue, 09/28/2021 - 10:03

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Date

2021-09

Summary

In south San Francisco Bay, former salt ponds now managed as wildlife habitat support large populations of breeding waterbirds. In 2006, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project began the process of converting 50% to 90% of these managed pond habitats into tidal marsh. We compared American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) abundance in south San Francisco Bay before (2001) and after approximately 1,300 ha of managed ponds were breached to tidal action to begin tidal marsh restoration (2019). Over the 18-year period, American Avocet abundance declined 13.5% (2,765 in 2001 vs. 2,391 in 2019), and Black-necked Stilt abundance declined 30.0% (1,184 in 2001 vs. 828 in 2019). Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) abundance was 2,675 birds in 2019. In 2019, managed ponds accounted for only 25.8% of suitable habitats, yet contained 53.9%, 38.6%, and 65.6% American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and Forster’s Tern observations, respectively. Conversely, tidal marsh and tidal mudflats accounted for 42.9% of suitable habitats, yet contained only 18.4%, 10.3%, and 19.8% of American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and Forster’s Tern observations, respectively. Using a separate nest-monitoring data set, we found that nest abundance in south San Francisco Bay declined for all three species from 2005–2019. Average annual nest abundance during 2017–2019 declined 53%, 71%, and 36%, for American Avocets, Back-necked Stilts, and Forster’s Terns, respectively, compared to 2005–2007. Loss of island nesting habitat as a result of tidal marsh conversion and an increasing population of predatory California Gulls (Larus californicus) are two potential causes of these declines. All three species established nesting colonies on newly constructed islands within remaining managed ponds; however, these new colonies did not make up for the steep declines observed at other historical nesting sites. For future wetland restoration, retaining more managed ponds that contain islands suitable for nesting may help to limit further declines in breeding waterbird populations.

Hartman, C. A, Ackerman, J. T, Schacter, C. R, Herzog, M. P, Tarjan, L. M, Wang, Y., et al. (2021). Breeding Waterbird Populations Have Declined in South San Francisco Bay: An Assessment Over Two Decades. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 19(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2021v19iss3art4 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/16n259mc

Keywords

Pond Complex

Alviso

Eden Landing

Ravenswood

Content available here

San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, Volume 19, Issue 3

Establishing baseline conditions to inform adaptive management of South San Francisco Bay salt ponds: A comparison of waterbird abundance from the 1980s to the 2000s

admin — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:21:53 +0000

Establishing baseline conditions to inform adaptive management of South San Francisco Bay salt ponds: A comparison of waterbird abundance from the 1980s to the 2000s admin Wed, 11/22/2017 - 16:21

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

Date

2013-10-16

Summary

The 30,000 acres of wetlands within the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) provide critical habitat for over one million waterbirds annually (Page et al. 1999, Warnock et al. 2002). These wetlands consist largely of tidal marshes and open water ponds. Salt evaporator ponds have been in this landscape for over 150 years (Ver Planck 1958) and are heavily used by shorebirds, waterfowl and other wildlife species (Anderson 1970, Accurso 1992, Takekawa et al. 2001, Warnock et al. 2002). Salt ponds, and former salt ponds now managed as wildlife habitat, provide the majority of the roosting and (for some species) foraging habitat for waterbirds in the San Francisco Bay. The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (Restoration Project), of which the Refuge and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW, also CDFG) Eden Landing Ecological Reserve are a part, is implementing a large-scale plan to convert 15,100 acres of former salt ponds into tidal and managed wetland habitats (SBSPRP 2007)

Keywords

habitat restoration

tidal marshes

birds

A Sediment Budget for the Southern Reach in San Francisco Bay, CA: Implications for habitat restoration

admin — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:21:53 +0000

A Sediment Budget for the Southern Reach in San Francisco Bay, CA: Implications for habitat restoration admin Wed, 11/22/2017 - 16:21

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Gregory G. Shellenbarger

Scott A. Wright

David H. Schoellhamer

Date

2013-05-23

Summary

As a result of regional groundwater overdrafts prior to the 1970s, parts of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project project area have subsided below sea-level and will require between 29 and 45 million m3 of sediment to raise the surface of the subsided areas to elevations appropriate for tidal marsh colonization and development. Therefore, a sufficient sediment supply to the far south SFB subembayment is a critical variable for achieving restoration goals. Although both major tributaries to far south SFB have been seasonally gaged for sediment since 2004, the sediment flux at the Dumbarton Narrows, the bayward boundary of far south SFB, has not been quantified until recently. Using daily suspended-sediment flux data from the gages on Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek, combined with continuous suspended-sediment flux data at Dumbarton Narrows, we computed a sediment budget for far south SFB during Water Years 2009–2011. A Monte Carlo approach was used to quantify the uncertainty of the flux estimates. The sediment flux past Dumbarton Narrows from the north dominates the input to the subembayment. However, environmental conditions in the spring can dramatically influence the direction of springtime flux, which appears to be a dominant influence on the net annual flux. It is estimated that up to several millennia may be required for natural tributary sediments to fill the accommodation space of the subsided former salt ponds, whereas supply from the rest of the bay could fill the space in several centuries. Uncertainty in the measurement of sedimentflux is large. The results of this study reinforce the need for measurement of estuarine sediment fluxes over multiple years (multiple hydrologic conditions) to adequately detail the variability influx. Additionally, the timing of breaching events for the restoration project could be tied to annual hydrologic conditions to capitalize on increased regional sediment supply.

Keywords

habitat restoration

sediment

sediment transport