Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project

TWP Email Bulletin
Sent 3/07

Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project (TWP) – March 2007 Update

1) Consultants Chosen to Model Restoration Alternatives for Parsons Slough
As we mentioned last month, the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), working closely with the Elkhorn Slough Reserve and Elkhorn Slough Foundation, was seeking a consulting team to provide environmental services to develop a Parsons Slough Wetland Restoration Plan. A consulting team led by Moffatt & Nichol, in association with Wetlands and Water Resources, Far West Restoration Engineering and Chambers Group, Inc., was selected to develop this Restoration Plan. As their first task for this project, the consulting team will convene a project team meeting to establish the specific restoration goals and objectives for Parsons Slough. Their subsequent tasks will include:
• Preparing an Existing Conditions Report
• Evaluating Options for Sediment Additions to Rebuild Marsh Habitat
• Developing and Evaluating Restoration Alternatives
• Preparing a draft and final Parsons Slough Wetlands Restoration Plan

The Parsons Slough Restoration Plan is expected to be completed by January 2009, at which point our TWP team will be crossing our fingers that we have found money to carry out the restoration efforts suggested within the document. To learn more about the Parsons Slough Restoration Plan, go to http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetland/restorationprojects.htm.

2) TWP Restoration Efforts on the Web
Not only does the web address linked above take you to descriptions about the Parsons Slough Restoration Plan, but it also has information on TWP’s other restoration efforts. Check it out at http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetland/restorationprojects.htm.

3) Did you know…?
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis has been an integral tool in determining how Elkhorn Slough’s wetlands have changed throughout the last century. GIS allows researchers to compare older wetland maps with recent spatial photographs and data, which then reveals how Slough habitats were different last year, 10 years ago and even 100 years ago. GIS will also be used to guide TWP restoration planning efforts. Eric Van Dyke, Elkhorn Slough’s Geographical Ecologist, is leading efforts to use GIS analysis to explain how interactions of wetland elevation, tidal hydrology and sediment on marsh habitats will impact wetlands sustainability. To learn more about Elkhorn Slough’s use of GIS analysis, go to http://www.elkhornslough.org/research/GIS.HTM

4) TWP Featured on Local Radio Program
On March 1st, TWP Coordinator Barb Peichel was featured on KUSP Radio’s Talk of the Bay. During her radio segment, Barb discussed Elkhorn Slough’s marsh loss and habitat erosion, and how the Tidal Wetland Project is addressing these issues through its restoration planning efforts. Listen to this radio segment by going to http://www.kusp.org/shows/totb.html and clicking on the clip from March 1st. Barb’s segment starts at approximately 26:06 minutes into the audio clip.

5) Learning from Global Restoration Efforts
How can you use Christmas trees to prevent marsh loss? How has Louisiana tried to turn their brown marshes green? Find out in the Literature Review conducted by Philip Williams & Associates, which is the first step of their efforts to model various restoration alternatives for the Slough. The Literature Review describes current and past restoration projects focused on reducing marsh loss for some wetlands in England, New York and throughout Louisiana. These case studies will be used as a tool to help the TWP team learn about what restoration efforts have been undertaken in other parts of the globe that are similar to what could be done here at the Slough. The Literature Review can be downloaded at: http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetland/restoration_alternatives.htm.

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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