Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project

TWP Email Bulletin
Sent 12/06

Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project - December Update

1) Did you know…
Did you know that Elkhorn Slough has lost approximately 50% of its tidal marshes since the 1930s? The Tidal Wetland Project (TWP) was originally created to facilitate a better understanding of why this extreme marsh loss has occurred and what can be done to prevent further loss in the future.

2) Elkhorn Slough Research Symposium
On Jan. 16, the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Elkhorn Slough Foundation, and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories will be hosting a unique research symposium. The purpose of the symposium is to enhance collaborations between researchers at different organizations and to share the latest findings about Elkhorn Slough ecosystems with organizations that can use this information to improve conservation strategies. There is still room available at this symposium to present a poster or just to attend. For more information or to register, go to http://www.elkhornslough.org.

3) Consultants Present their Workplan to TWP Committees
Philip Williams & Associates (PWA), the consultants hired to analyze restoration alternatives for Elkhorn Slough, recently met with TWP’s Modeling Advisory Committee, Strategic Planning Team and Science Advisory Panel. During this meeting, PWA presented their initial workplan about how they will model and predict the potential outcomes of various restoration alternatives for the Slough. If you would like to learn more about PWA’s involvement with TWP, you can access the presentations from this meeting at http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetland/science.htm#120806 or contact Barb Peichel, Tidal Wetland Project Coordinator, at (831) 728-2822 x308

4) Thanks for Walking With Us!
We’d like to thank all of you who joined us on our Community Walking Tour several weekends ago. This tour reminded us of the importance of getting outside and walking around the Slough to learn first-hand how the wetlands are changing, and we are happy that many of you were able to take the time to learn with us. Stay tuned for our next community event by checking our website’s Community Forums and Events page at http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetland/forums.htm.

5) TWP Coordinator attends the 3rd National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration
If we thought before that implementing large-scale restoration strategies for Elkhorn Slough was a daunting task to undertake, we now think it looks a little easier, especially compared with other restoration projects going on throughout the country. This past week, Tidal Wetland Project Coordinator Barb Peichel attended the National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration in New Orleans, where she learned about different wetland restoration projects occurring throughout the United States. At the conference, many interesting restoration projects were described that we will be able to learn from, including the following noteworthy projects:

Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Project
This project focuses on restoring the important mineral sediments historically delivered from the Mississippi River to Louisiana salt marshes and reducing saltwater intrusion. Sediment inputs from rivers, particularly from flooding events, are important for tidal marshes to maintain their elevation and vegetation over time. http://www.lacoast.gov/programs/DavisPond/index.htm
Galveston Bay Marsh Creation using Dredge Sediments
These projects use dredge materials to restore marsh acreage. Much was learned about how to monitor and place sediments so the marsh elevations were correct. http://www.betterbay.org/html/marshes_creating.html
Integrating Coastal Restoration with Global Change Ecology, Coastal Marsh Dieback
The U.S. Geological Survey (McKee, Cahoon) and Louisiana State University (Mendelssohn) has looked at the issue of sea level rise for coastal restoration. One of their findings suggests that sediment-slurry restoration of coastal marshes could be one method to remediate climate change impacts.
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/issues.htm, http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/staff/profiles/documents/cahoon.htm, http://www.oceanography.lsu.edu/oceanOld/faculty_bios/mendelssohn_bio.htm
Coastal/Estuarine Habitat Management: Linking Hydrodynamics, Salinity and Habitat Models for Matagorda Bay, Texas
Folks in Texas are trying their hand at integrating a hydrodynamic/salinity transport model, habitat model, and nutrient/chlorophyll A model to support the evaluation of bay health.

To find out more about this conference and the other estuary projects that were represented at it, check out http://www.estuaries.org/?id=4.

Happy Holidays! May you have an enjoyable and relaxing holiday season filled with many walks around the Slough.

The Tidal Wetland Project’s monthly email is sent out during the middle of each month and is intended to keep community members, local organizations, policy-makers, and other stakeholders up-to-date about current activities and ways to get involved with the Tidal Wetland Project. If you have any questions about items in this email or if you have suggestions of items you would like to see in future emails, please let us know! If you do not wish to receive these emails in the future, or if you only want to receive e-mail updates about upcoming Forums and events, please reply to this email to notify us.

Kind Regards,
The Tidal Wetland Project Team

Barb Peichel, Tidal Wetland Project Coordinator
(831) 728-2822 x308

Kimberly Merin, Tidal Wetlands Program Specialist
(831) 728-5939 x242

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