Ranchlands Restored along Estero Americano
Projects on three Sonoma County ranches, to begin this fall, will improve water quality and restore habitat in the upper watershed of the Estero Americano. The Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (RCD) will use $250,000 awarded by the Conservancy to remove old tires, grade gullies and install riprap and other erosion control devices, install livestock exclusion fences, remove invasive species, and plant native grasses, shrubs, and trees. The work will affect about 750 acres near the town of Valley Ford. The RCD has been granted access to the ranches and the landowners have agreed to maintain the improvements.

Estero Americano, an estuary that flows into the ocean a few miles south of Bodega Bay, is one of the most naturally diverse areas on the northern California coast, rich in wildlife, migratory waterfowl, and wetland habitats. The Estero watershed is bordered by ranchland on both sides and suffers from erosion and sedimentation caused by livestock and ranch operations over the years. Restoration projects affecting 5,100 acres on eight other area ranches were funded by the Conservancy in 2002.

Wetlands Restoration, Improved Access for Humboldt Bay Area
The Conservancy has approved four grants, totaling $2,446,000, to acquire and restore wetlands in Humboldt Bay's Arcata Baylands, purchase two properties on the North Spit, and close a gap in the Coastal Trail north of the bay.

The Conservancy and the City of Arcata have worked together for many years to preserve and restore wetlands along Humboldt Bay, which is renowned for supporting many bird species and is one of California's most important stopovers for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. Arcata Baylands, a 557-acre expanse along the northern shore of the bay, contains five creeks and two estuarine sloughs that provide habitat for tidewater goby and coho, chinook, and steelhead salmon, all federally listed species. The Baylands area is zoned for agricultural use but is increasingly coming under development pressure.

With $921,000 approved by the Conservancy in June, the City will acquire 68 acres in the Jacoby Creek/Gannon Slough and McDaniel Slough areas of the Baylands, adding to the 489 acres already purchased. A portion of the funds will be used to restore or enhance 82 acres, both on the newly acquired lands and on existing City lands. Estuary channels will be expanded and reestablished via tidegate removal or modification, levees will be removed to restore floodplain and riparian forest, livestock will be fenced out and native plants installed, and ponds for waterfowl will be created. The City plans to develop guided walks, birding opportunities, photography, and nature study projects in these areas.

This purchase will bring the total acreage protected by local, state, or federal agencies in and around Humboldt Bay to more than 1,300 acres, greatly increasing habitat connectivity.

Two more Conservancy grants approved in June, totaling $825,000, will help preserve public access and restore dune-plant habitat on two pieces of property on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay. Friends of the Dunes received $525,000 to buy 38 acres of the 59-acre Stamps property in the town of Manila, south of the Ma-l'el Dunes, which were acquired by the Center for Natural Lands Management in 2003 with Conservancy funds and later transferred to the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This property provides convenient access to the beach on the North Spit. The purchase includes the Stamps family's main residence, which Friends of the Dunes plans to convert to a visitor and interpretive center.

The other grant, $300,000 for North Spit land acquisition, went to the Manila Community Services District to purchase the 54-acre Celestre property. The land will be added to the Manila Dunes Recreation Area, immediately to the south, bringing a total of 155 acres of dunes under protection for public access. The property is part of the North Spit's ancient dune system and includes open dunes, a remnant dune forest, and dune hollow wetlands. It has never been developed for residential use, but eight acres might have served an industrial function at some point. The District plans to build a trail system from the recreation area onto the Celestre property and to the ocean.

In the fourth project approved in June, the Redwood Community Action Agency will fill a gap of nearly a half-mile in the Coastal Trail just north of Humboldt Bay with the help of $700,000 from the Conservancy. The project will connect two segments of the Hammond Trail, closing the so-called “Hole in the Hammond” by constructing two new trails: a riparian interpretive path for pedestrians only along Widow White Creek, and a paved year-round trail that bypasses the creek, for bicyclists and horseback riders as well as hikers.

Malibu Lagoon Restoration to Begin
After more than 15 years of planning, the restoration of Malibu Lagoon is scheduled to begin late this year or early next year. Much of the work, funded by more than $4.1 million approved by the Conservancy in June, is designed to improve water quality and circulation in the lagoon, where stagnant water collects pollutants and promotes algal growth.

Polluted water flowing into the 31-acre lagoon from Malibu Creek has degraded habitat. During the rainy season the berm across the lagoon's mouth is sometimes breached, contaminating the water of nearby Malibu Lagoon State Beach, locally known as Surfrider Beach, which is highly popular for both surfing and swimming. Along with improvements to the lagoon itself, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Conservancy, in partnership with Heal the Bay, the City of Malibu, State Parks, and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, are working to reduce pollution in the creek.

In the first phase of work, State Parks will move the public parking lot at Malibu Lagoon State Beach closer to the park entrance, adjacent to the Pacific Coast Highway. The new parking lot will include permeable paving and a low-impact stormwater treatment system to minimize pollution from runoff, which currently flows directly into the lagoon, and an interpretive viewing area for students and other educational groups.

In the second phase, State Parks will create about two acres of wetlands on the former parking lot site, dredge silt from the lagoon to improve water circulation, create three nesting islands for birds, replace invasive plants with native species, improve a trail along the lagoon's perimeter, and install various interpretive features. The RCD will use $550,000 of the approved funds toward the final design and monitoring for both phases of work. The Conservancy received the bulk of the funding--over $3.8 million--for the restoration from the State Water Resources Control Board.

In 2003, Heal the Bay initiated a lengthy series of meetings among scientists and local residents that culminated in the development of the restoration plan that is guiding the proposed improvements. The last major restoration of the lagoon was done in 1983, when State Parks excavated three channels to reintroduce tidal flows.

Water Trail in the Works for San Francisco Bay
The walking and bicycling public has easy access to much of the San Francisco Bay shoreline, thanks to the Bay Trail. Now waterside access is about to be improved for kayakers and other boaters in small non-motorized craft. Planning is under way for the Bay Area Water Trail, mandated by the Legislature in 2005 at the urging of Bay Access, a nonprofit organization that works to protect and increase Bay access for small non-motorized boats.

The "water trail," will, in effect, be a network of designated sites ("trailheads") where people can safely launch and land. The initial trailheads will be chosen from existing launch sites; new sites will be added over time. Trailheads will be linked by signage, and a trail guidebook, maps, and other educational materials and programs will spread the word about the trail's existence, help trail users plan trips, and inform them about safety and proper behavior in sensitive wildlife areas.

A water trail plan is being developed jointly by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the Coastal Conservancy, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. BCDC will submit the plan to the Legislature in 2008. Recommendations and guidelines are now being worked out in meetings of a steering committee that represents boaters, resource managers, and groups and agencies with responsibilities for navigational safety, wildlife, and habitat. More meetings are scheduled in early 2007. Anyone wishing to attend or learn more about the Water Trail can contact Sara Polgar at (415) 352-3645 or sarap@bcdc.ca.gov.