Cullinan Ranch, CA

This project will restore a 1,490 acre tidal wetland site, providing habitat for the benefit of sensitive and endangered intertidal plants, wildlife and fish species. San Francisco Bay has lost over 70 percent of its tidal wetlands which has led to population declines of various species and a reduction in the quality of the remaining habitats for shorebirds, waterfowl, and wading birds, including the endangered clapper rail. The objective is to complete the restoration in the most biologically sound manner as possible. Early in the planning of this project it was felt dredged sediments could be used to aid in the restoration of tidal wetlands; however, the team has discovered that the selective placement of dredged sediments may not be required. First, suspended sediment quantities available within the waters of San Pablo Bay may be sufficient to provide enough material for natural replenishment to occur over the 8 to 10 year project construction period. Secondly, marshes created with dredged sediments of improper grain size and soil characteristics may result in unnatural features that lead to poor hydraulic conditions and exotic species. Thus careful analyses, including costs, physical sediment characteristics, contaminant testing, appropriate mix of vegetative species, etc., must be undertaken to reduce the risks and increase the chances of successfully accomplishing the project's objective(s).

Prior to Coastal America's involvement the FWS acquired the 1,490 acre Cullinan Ranch site as part of an accelerated refuge acquisition effort under their National Refuge Program. The FWS generated a proposal to redevelop the site as a wetland complex and incorporate it into the adjacent San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. At the same time, as part of developing a long term management strategy for the placement of sediments dredged from the San Francisco Bay, the COE, EPA, and the State of California were working to identify alternative placement options under the COE general navigation authority for projects located within San Francisco Bay. Cullinan Ranch was identified as a potential alternative site where dredged sediments, subject to the concerns discussed above, might be used to restore wetland habitat.

The Coastal America process assisted by bringing the COE, the FWS, the EPA, the State, the Shell Oil Spill Litigation Settlement Trustee Committee, and the University of California together to collaborate on the resolution of the issue of providing suitable substrate material for wetland restoration, finding an acceptable placement site, developing new computer models combining sediment transport and hydrology, and creating a baseline data base that is the most reliable within the area. The collaboration has also resulted in the completion of the necessary engineering analysis, biological field assessments, and the initial development of site plans.

Sonoma Baylands Tidal Wetlands Restoration, CA

The Sonoma Baylands project was initiated by the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Sonoma Land Trust to preserve open space and restore wetlands. The Sonoma Land Trust, using funds provided by the Coastal Conservancy, purchased a large tract of former wetlands on the northern arm of San Francisco Bay that had been diked, dewatered, and used as oat hay fields for decades. The Sonoma Baylands restoration plan, developed for the Coastal Conservancy and Land Trust in 1991, recommended the use of dredged sediments to partially restore the original ground elevations on the subsided site and thus accelerate the restoration of tidal salt marsh.

Coastal America's involvement began in 1992 by initiating planning and design activities to use dredged sediments from the maintenance of the nearby Petaluma River navigation channel to restore the converted tidal wetlands. This project's goal was to assist in the restoration of a 348 acre tract of tidal wetlands within the Sonoma Baylands by coordinating efforts to demonstrate the beneficial use of dredged sediments on a 39 acre pilot site, and then transfer those lessons to the balance of the tract. Design efforts for the pilot project were initiated under the Coastal America Partnership and utilized the COE authority under Section 1135 of WRDA 1986 and were completed in 1993.

Because the project exceeded the $5 million construction limit established for Section 1135 projects and as a result of strong local environmental, economic and political support for the project, subsequent activities have been conducted under the authority of Section 106 of WRDA 1992. This legislation provides specific project authority for the COE, in cooperation with appropriate federal and state agencies, "... to restore, protect and expand the Sonoma Baylands for the purposes of preserving waterfowl, fish and other wetland dependent species of plants and animals and to provide flood control, water quality improvement and sedimentation control." Additionally, Congress also authorized the following project purposes: "... to restore tidal wetlands, provide habitat for endangered species, expand the feeding and nesting areas for waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway and demonstrate the use of suitable dredged sediments as a resource, facilitating the completion of the San Francisco Bay Area dredging projects in an environmentally sound manner." Because Section 106 of WRDA 1992 authorized sufficient funds for the entire project, official Coastal America activities were discontinued in 1993; however, the 39 acre pilot unit was incorporated into the overall project and interagency relationships, begun as part of the initial effort, are continuing. The overall project will create new habitat for fish and wildlife by restoring tidal salt marsh on subsided hay fields using dredged sediments from both the Petaluma River and Oakland Harbor navigation channels.

The estimated $8.5 million project includes the construction of peripheral and interior levees, wave barriers, and other structures, and the selective placement of dredged sediments to partially restore the site's subsided elevations. The project will be constructed in two major phases. In the first phase, the 39 acre pilot unit received 207,000 cubic yards of maintenance dredged sediments from the Petaluma River maintenance and was completed in November, 1994. Restoration of tidal action to the pilot unit is planned for late 1995. The second phase is the restoration of the remaining 309 acre main unit using about 2.5 million cubic yards of sediments dredged from the deepening of Oakland Harbor, which began in May, 1995. After the placement of dredged sediments, tidal action will be restored to the main unit and is planned for late 1996. Following the restoration of tidal action, development of the salt marsh will be completed by additional natural sediment deposition and revegetation processes.

The California State Coastal Conservancy developed the restoration plan and acquired the project lands in conjunction with the Sonoma Land Trust, using state bond funds. The COE is responsible for design, construction and monitoring of the project and is providing 75 percent of the required funding. The Coastal Conservancy, as the non-federal sponsor, is providing the balance of the costs of design, construction and monitoring of the project. The EPA, NMFS, California Department of Fish and Game, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission have continued to act as project proponents. It is anticipated that the California Department f Fish and Game will be responsible for long term management of the restored wetlands. The U.S. ecological Survey became involved in the project in 1995 using funding from the agency's San Francisco Bay and Delta Ecosystem Program.

Calcasieu River and Pass Restoration, LA

This $260,000 project created about 120 acres of tidal salt marsh utilizing dredged sediments moved from along the west side of the Calcasieu River and Pass Ship Channel in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, Louisiana. The marsh creation site was a high quality area that, as a result of salinity intrusion caused by channelization and subsidence, had severely eroded. About 20 percent of the area as deteriorated marsh and the rest was open water, one-third of which was less than one foot deep.

Planning, design and construction activities for this project utilized the COE authority under Section 1135 of WRDA 1986. The FWS provided the necessary lands, easements, and rights-of-way by virtue of the marsh creation site being on a federal refuge. The Louisiana Department of Natural resources was the non-federal sponsor pro ding 25 percent of the costs. Project costs represented the difference in costs of creating the marsh with dredged sediments from the cost of disposing the material n the more traditional manner, i.e., using a confined placement site.

Munyon Island Restoration, FL

Munyon Island lies within the John D. MacArthur State Park located in the northeastern section of lake Worth Lagoon, Palm Beach County, Florida. Historically the restoration area was part of a wetland system connecting other portions of MacArthur State Park. During the construction of the Intercoastal Waterway in the 1940-1950 time period, this area was used as a dredged sediment placement site resulting in the loss of approximately 30 acres of productive mangrove, Spartina spp. wetlands, and seagrass beds. The proposed project will utilize the authority of the COE provided by Section 1135 of WRDA 1986 to restore and enhance an additional 11 acre site adjacent to a companion project undertaken by Palm Beach County. The county's project restored over nine-acres of wetland habitat with Spartina spp. and red mangrove. Both projects will be combined resulting in a restoration effort of over 21 acres of wetland habitat. Additionally, associated upland restoration to include a 4 acre protective berm and a 3.7 acre vegetative buffer will be constructed to provide shoreline stabilization on Munyon Island. Finally, approximately 110,000 cubic yards of dredged sediments from the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway will be placed into an anoxic hole, i.e., no oxygen, north of Munyon Island to restore nine acres of submerged aquatic habitat.

Island restoration activities will include the removal of exotic vegetation and some of the excess dredged sediments to establish necessary elevations prior to planting. Additionally, tidal pools and channels will be created to increase habitat diversity and permit more efficient tidal flushing. The shoreline will also be graded to wetland elevations in preparation for planting. To date, the planting of the mangroves and other wetland species has taken place using over 200 volunteers, who have collectively donated 973 hours. Finally, the shoreline will be fortified with limestone boulder rip-rap to disperse boat and wind driven waves and protect the newly planted salt marsh vegetation from being washed out.

The Florida State Parks Department has provided the county with manpower and equipment for the removal of exotic plant species, i.e., Brazilian pepper and Australian pine. The NMFS will provide technical advise and consultation while the FWS and EPA will provide pre- and post-monitoring of habitat changes. All partners are involved in an extensive public outreach program designed to use the site as a living classroom for local schools and as a research area for local universities. Extensive local television coverage following the initiation of restoration activities has also contributed to the strong local support and enthusiasm for the project.

Technical Lessons Learned:

1. Dredged sediments, if uncontaminated and of the proper grain size, provide an ideal substrate upon which intertidal marsh systems can be established. However, great care should be exercised in determining the proper elevation as intertidal marsh vegetation is extremely sensitive to elevational changes, species composition, and the physical and chemical nature of the sediments to be used. Finally, the cost of alternative methods of restoration should be examined so that the most cost effective alternative is selected.
2. There is considerable technical uncertainty and disagreement among engineers regarding the design and construction of hydraulic dredged sediment fills to achieve narrow elevational tolerances. Electrical resistivity techniques can be used to monitor the elevation and density of submerged hydraulic fills during construction from stations on dry land and have been found to be efficient and effective.
3. In depositional environments, i.e., aquatic environments where there is an abundance of suspended sediments, it may be economically and biologically preferable to construct a successional precursor to the desired wetland, such as a tidal mudflat, and then allow the desired wetland system to develop through natural processes.
4. A review of tidal marsh restoration projects in the San Francisco Bay area using dredged sediments have demonstrated that an initial fill elevation of at least one foot below the equilibrium marsh elevation resulted in the most natural channel development. Further, the review also demonstrated there is little to no benefit to actively planting salt marsh vegetation, given that the dominant species readily colonize sites that have had their tidal action restored.

Procedural Lessons Learned:

1. The beneficial uses of dredged sediments provides unique opportunities for habitat development in coastal environments. The key is to identify the need and location for suitable substrate materials to be used during the restoration and closely coordinate these activities with maintenance dredging schedules and locations.
2. The planning, design, construction and rehabilitation of water resources infrastructure, i.e., navigation projects, flood control projects, etc., now provide opportunities for ecological restoration of wetland systems negatively impacted by the past construction and operation of older structures through the consideration of newer, more environmentally compatible designs and programs.
3. A project that meets both environment and economic needs can be exceptionally effective in attracting the support of political leaders when diverse local interests are united in a common purpose.
4. The incorporation of a pilot unit in the overall project was very beneficial, as it provided the opportunity to field test new techniques and assumptions, thereby providing an increased level of confidence in the generation of project benefits and improved knowledge for the effective management of the restored site.
5. Many of the nation's resource protection and infrastructure development laws include provisions predating the modern environmental era. Some of these provisions present hurdles or barriers to creative and collaborative environmental restoration projects. Coastal America's experience in aiding with the implementation of the Sonoma Baylands reflects what may be a new Congressional willingness to write water resources legislation that specifically defines areas for ecological restoration, utilizing the expertise of multiple federal and state agencies, thus presenting opportunities to engage in larger, regional, multi-agency collaborative environmental restoration efforts.
6. The creative use of volunteer labor and expertise can prove to be a great asset in the implementation of a proposed project and also serve as an excellent educational opportunity, in that as the volunteers help with restoration they can be educated as to the importance, function and value of wetland ecosystems.
7. To fully utilize its environmental restoration authorities, the COE needs to develop partnerships with new project sponsors beyond the COE traditional relationships with navigation and flood control interests. Potential non-federal sponsors for environmental restoration projects may need to develop new administrative processes in order to work in cooperation with the COE.

Cockroach Bay, FL

Tampa Bay, on Florida's west coast, has been significantly disturbed by development within its watershed during the past 50 years. Mineral extraction, agricultural activities, and rapid urban growth have all contributed to the loss of approximately 80 percent of the seagrasses and 45 percent of the intertidal wetlands historically present in Tampa Bay. Cockroach Bay, located along the southeastern portion of Tampa Bay, is a smaller but unfortunate example of this historical abuse and ecological decline.

Fortunately, this downward ecological trend does not have to continue. A publicly owned 651 acre site in Hillsborough County, Florida offers a unique opportunity to redress large portions of the site that has been mined, farmed, channelized, and/or invaded by exotic plant species. The ability to utilize this publicly owned land parcel, currently of obvious limited ecological value, in a restoration project has proven beneficial to the involved local government. The collaborative restoration project provides the county with an opportunity to use the collective expertise and resources of federal, state and other local agencies to improve the parcel's ecological value at a cost the county would probably have been unable to underwrite on its own.

Water and sediment sampling of Cockroach Bay has revealed pollutant loadings that appear to originate from the predominantly upstream agricultural watershed. Currently, stormwater treatment of agricultural runoff is by Best Management Practices. A 16 member alliance made up of representatives of federal, state, and local government agencies and private entities led by the South West Florida Water Management District's Surface Water Improvement and Management Program has developed a cooperative, interdisciplinary approach to solve the pollution problems on this site. The approach is comprised of three strategies, each proposing a specific habitat and/or pollution control feature, i.e., brackish and freshwater wetlands, uplands, and stormwater treatment. The restoration project has three main goals: (1) to provide habitat mosaics of differing habitat types typical of estuarine/coastal areas; (2) to improve water quality via stormwater treatment of agricultural runoff; and, (3) to restore sheetflow across the Florida peninsula into the Cockroach - Tampa Bay Estuary.

The project will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will involve developing approximately 200 acres of habitat mosaics through the modification of three mining pits and adjacent agricultural lands and the construction of specialized stormwater treatment ponds. Volunteer activities have already led to the clearing of large portions of the tract that have been invaded by exotic plants. Phase two will involve restoring approximately 300 acres of upland and freshwater transitional and high marsh habitats. The specialized stormwater treatment involves two approaches: (1) stormwater treatment or "polishing" via sediment traps and marsh filters; and, (2) a highly engineered stormwater treatment pond to capture and treat runoff from a 210 acre agricultural basin which will ultimately discharge into a downstream intertidal salt marsh complex. A three-year investigation into the effectiveness of the specialized stormwater treatment will be undertaken in anticipation of modifying local and state stormwater treatment codes and field testing this innovative method of pollution treatment.

It is estimated that the total project will cost between $2.6 -3.2 million and will result in the restructuring and replanting of 500 acres of a 651 acre site with habitat mosaics typical of coastal wetlands and uplands and will innovatively use wetlands to filter nonpoint source pollution. The project represents a combination of federal, state and local funding. EPA is providing federal grant funds under the authority of Section 319h of the Clean Water Act, while the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Southwest Florida Water Management District are providing state and local funds respectively.

Wetland Restoration/Assessment, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL

The purpose of this project is to restore wetlands altered by past Air Force actions and mosquito control activities conducted by the Brevard County Mosquito Control District. Restoration would occur by connecting impounded wetlands to the Banana River and by planting indigenous wetland plant species along the channel banks at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A monitoring phase is also included to ensure plant viability and replacement.

The Air Force is the lead federal agency on this project with funding being provided through the Legacy Program. The Legacy program was created by the 1991 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Act to "establish programs for the restoration and rehabilitation of altered or degraded habitats" for all DOD agencies. Partners with the Air Force in this restoration effort are the FWS, the COE, the St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD), and the Brevard County Mosquito Control District (BCMCD). The FWS and NMFS provided consultation and guidance on endangered species, critical habitat and project monitoring requirements under the authority of the Endangered Species Act. The COE approved and issued permits for the project under the Section 404 authority of the Clean Water Act in coordination with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and is conducting monitoring activities. The SJRWMD coordinated on issues of water quality and permits while the BCMCD coordinated on project impacts on the mosquito control program.

Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto River Basin, SC

The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto (ACE) Rivers converge at St. Helena Sound on the southern coast of South Carolina. At this location, a 10,000 acre wildlife refuge comprises part of the 35,000 acre basin representing one of the largest undeveloped complexes of wetlands and uplands along the entire Atlantic Coast. The area supports over 500 fish and wildlife species including several threatened and endangered species. In the early 1800's, the area was heavily utilized agriculturally in the form of rice plantations; however, these rice fields have now naturally converted back to wetlands and form the bulk of the refuge. By 1991, much of the key habitat in the area had been either protected or scheduled for protection through acquisition or conservation easements. Restoration and habitat enhancement activities have already occurred on many of the acquired lands.

The Coastal America partnership agencies provided funds during the 1991-1992 fiscal year, that allowed the ACE Basin Task Force to achieve additional protection and enhancement goals. Principal federal partners in the efforts are the FWS and NMFS. Non-federal partners include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine resources Department and numerous private land owners. Projects developed as a result of this funding included marsh water level management on Mary's Island, continuation of comprehensive biological inventories, and support of task force protection and coordination activities.

Technical Lessons Learned:

1. Collaborative endeavors often lead to innovative solutions because of the varied interests and talents that are brought into the problem solving arena. The use of wetlands to "polish" or treat wastewater, although not a new technology, has not been tried on this scale in Florida. The results of stormwater treatment ponds working in combination with intertidal salt marshes will be monitored carefully as to their effectiveness and suitability for transferring this technology to other locations.
2. The resiliency of some wetland systems is reflected in the knowledge that some of the ACE basin's wetland ecosystems, highly disturbed by intensive agricultural practices in the 1800's, have now reverted back to wetlands on their own, following the reestablishment of natural hydrologic conditions.

Procedural Lessons Learned:

1. The ability to utilize a publicly owned land parcel that is of limited ecological value in a restoration project can benefit the involved local government by providing an opportunity to use federal, state and local agency expertise and resources to improve the parcel's ecological value at a much reduced cost to the county than if the county pursued the project alone.
2. The Cockroach Bay project provides an excellent example of collaborative ecosystem management by multiple federal, state and local agency programs by stressing the importance of focusing upon a larger ecological problem with multiple facets, e.g., habitat degradation and nonpoint source pollution and also shows how solutions can be developed through joint efforts aimed at specific sites.

Go to Section II Table of Contents

Go to Subsection B: River System Protection and Restoration