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Wetlands in American Canyon

Learn about the decline and restoration efforts of the wetlands in American Canyon. Discover the causes, consequences, and the desired actions for a sustainable future.

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Wetlands in American Canyon

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  1. Wetlands in American Canyon Tara Erica Raeann 04/17/11

  2. Introduction: Wetlands in American Canyon The wetlands were functioning ideally since the beginning of time, then the US Government decided to allow settlers to alter the land for agriculture and financial gain. Due to the destruction of wetlands, there are now several agencies attempting to restore them.

  3. 1. Analysis / Diagnosis: Outcome(s) • Problem: Napa Counties wetlands declined from 18,000 acres to 4,300 acres by mid 20th Century • Outcome: This is a long range $60 million effort with major support from the Department of Fish Game, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Ducks Unlimited & private foundation • The consequences is there are multiple threatened and endangered wildlife species • Napa Plant Site Restoration Projects consists primarily of earthwork required to restore approximately 1340 acres of former salt ponds to estuarine tidal marsh. (www. ducks.org) • Federal gov’t rewarded settlers for turning wetland into farmland in mid 19th Century. ( Napa Valley Register ) • Mid 20th Century High-Salinity ponds for solar salt production were built ( Napa Valley Register )

  4. 2. Analysis / Diagnosis: Actions / Causes • Actions- Financial Benefit • Settlers farmed and altered existing wetlands in the mid 19th Century. • 9000 acres of salt marsh were converted to commercial salt production • “ Imagine taking a swath of wetlands larger than the city of Napa- some 20 sq. miles- home to a rich diversity of aquatic & bird life . . . Then trashing it.” ( Napa valley Register ) • Diversified international company Cargill sold most of its peninsula salt ponds in 2003 for $100 million to gov’t agencies that plan to restore the shoreline habitats to create a sweeping federal wildlife reserve. ( San Fransico Examiner ) How What When Where Who Why?

  5. 3. Analysis / Diagnosis: Beliefs • The wetlands existed to serve the people • Until recent times such devastating environmental makeovers were routine. Man manipulated nature for economic gain and called it progress. It didn’t matter that hundreds of species were being tossed out of their ecological niches. (Kevin Courtney, Napa Valley Register )

  6. 4. Summary Issue • S.F. Bay is the largest estuary system • Restoration will benefit multiple threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species. • The need to shift ideologically from short term financial benefits to long term ecologically sensitive developments. • This can be realized in the way that society is educated about the benefits to our ecosystem and our future. • The Wetlands should never be vulnerable or destroyed by business developers for financial gain.

  7. 5. Prescription / Proposal: Desired Beliefs • Residents can coexist and treasure the environment and will have the desire to live in harmony with the wetlands. • Long-term the restoring wetlands will consist of mature tidal marsh habitats. (www.ducks.org) • The public can already hunt and fish in some parts of the westside wetlands. On the east side, a public trail is expected to be open in 2011, connecting the new Green Island wetlands to American Canyon. • Green Island will have a public parking lot and a spot where kayaks and hand-carried boats can be launched. • (Napa Valley Register) Desired Belief: The water table needs to be maintained in order for the region to sustain it’s residents Import, 1-3 examples, facts, pictures, graphs that emphasize / underscore / explain the beliefs. How What When Where Who Why?

  8. 6. Prescription: Desired Actions / Behaviors • Creating a major channel to promote effective drainage. • Creating marsh upland ecotones to protect levees and provide species habitats (www.ducks.org) • They will need to partially excavate . . . lowering the levee adjacent to the proposed breach location to allow overtopping at high tides, and excavating the main tidal breach. • Beneficial Ecological Restoration to the existing wetlands • Non-quantifiable socioecomic benefits would include improvements to fisheries, waterfowl hunting, and other outdoor related recreational activities, educational benefits for local Bay Area residents, kayaking, walking/cycling trails.(www.ducks.org)

  9. 7. Prescription: Desired / Planned Outcome Outcome: The proposed restoration project will benefit multiple threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species, particularly Coho salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, Delta smelt, and least tern and snowy plover (www.ducks.org) Costs :This is a long-range $60 million effort, with major support from Fish and Game, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which got an $8 million federal stimulus grant, Ducks Unlimited and private foundations. (Napa Valley Register)

  10. The Wetlands Marshland of American Canyon is part of the largest estuary system on the Pacific coasts of North and South America. The Wetlands has transitioned from its origins as an unwanted swampland , to welcomed cattle grazing, a salt pond and is now being restored to it’s original natural ecological glory. With concerted efforts to restore the one time salt pond to its ecological purpose the Wetlands of American Canyon have the potential to revitalize its fish and native species populations to healthy sustainable levels. With the expected revitalization of fish and other species, many species will be removed from the endangered species list. With the financial backing of the California Department of Fish and Game and the political support of the local area and Open Space committee on across 1340 acres; the former dikes salt ponds can return to a state where its’ natural cycle can continue. Additionally there is the potential for this area to develop into a interactive learning center to include: natural history, farming and even possibly equestrian facilities. 8. Summary Conclusions United States Coastal Survey Marshlines 1856San Francisco Estuary Institute

  11. Research Cited References • 1. http://stimuluswatch.org/2.0/awards/view/38955/restoring-tidal-wetlands-in-american-canyon-california • 2. http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/land-war-heating-over-cargill-salt-ponds3.http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/california/american-canyon4.http://napavalleyregister.com/article_4dcf4dea-b96f-11df-8d66-001cc4c002e0.html • 5. http://www.amcanchamber.org/live-and-play/history-of-open-spaces • 6. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_b7eacd06-3801-11e0-94d5-001cc4c002e0.html • 7. http://www.ducks.org/california/california-bay-area-projects/restoring-tidal-wetlands-in-american-canyon-ca • 8. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ • 9. http://www.britannica.com • 10. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/about/ • 11. http://www.ducksunlimited.com/california/california-content/california-ducks-unlimited • 12. http://www.southbayrestoration.org/pdf_files/napa/Napa%20DEIR/Draft%20EIR.pdf • 13. http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/ecosystems/intertidalmudflats.htm • 14. http://www.noaa.gov/about-noaa.html • 15. http://www.cargill.com/salt/ • 16. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Tidal_marsh

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