Background
Information
According to a U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife report, California had lost approximately 67 percent of its wetlands habitat at the close of World War II (U.S. Army, 1975), and by the mid-1980's only 9 percent of its historic wetlands were remaining(Mitchell, 1992). Vast arrays of levee systems and dikes have claimed marsh wetlands for salt production, agricultural, and urban uses. The restoration of these tidal wetlands is of crucial environmental significance to provide habitat for the staging and wintering of shore birds, as well as for a number of state and federal endangered and threatened animals. A clear understanding of the marsh hydrodynamics(including the flow patterns and rates, channel sizes and locations) and water quality constituents(suspended solids concentration, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll concentration) is essential to the restoration process.
In the San Francisco Bay region, there are various areas that have been identified as locations for wetlands restoration projects. One area is the Napa/Sonoma Marsh Complex, which comprises approximately 48,000 acres and is located immediately to the north of San Pablo Bay, part of northern San Francisco Bay. The complex is bounded on the east by the Napa River, to the south by San Pablo Bay, to the west by Sonoma Creek, and with a northern extent to State Highway 12. This complex is subdivided by a system of levees and sloughs, with a major portion of this area(14,000 acres) comprised by the former salt-forming evaporator ponds. Water quality is particularly relevant as the marsh complex is located at the focal point of a number of important water quality stresses. These include the adjoining disposal site from the recently decommissioned Mare Island Naval Shipyard, discharges from the Sacramento/San Joaquin river system, and the close proximity to a number of oil refineries.
California Department
of Fish and Game
Direct e-mail to John Warner at