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Project Summary

Sonoma Baylands Wetland Demonstration Project

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1. Project Identification

Name Sonoma Baylands Wetland Demonstration Project
Region Southwest
State California
Location San Francisco Bay shoreline in Sonoma County
Date of this update August 1998

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

Habitat Restoration/Protection  
Wetlands X
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk X
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)  

3. Project Description (100 words or less. Please include qualitative information, e.g. acres of habitat restored, miles of steam reopened to migration, and legislative authorization, e.g. WRDA, ISTEA, CWA/NEP, CZMA, etc.)

Through this project, a multi-interest partnership pulled a major dredging project out of a legal and political quagmire by constructing a 289-acre marsh. Dredging of Oakland Harbor to accommodate modern container ships had been stymied by disagreement regarding the disposal of dredged material. Between 1986 and 1991, several attempts were made to locate an acceptable disposal site, all of which were abandoned in the face of legal and political opposition. During this same period, the USEPA initiated the San Francisco Estuary Project (SFEP), and the Corps of Engineers began the Long Term Management Strategy (LTMS) for dredged material disposal in San Francisco Bay. Both of these initiatives examined dredged material disposal issues and alternatives, and both involved the gathering of diverse interests to discuss these issues and work toward a consensus.

At the same time, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Sonoma Land Trust began an independent effort to preserve open space and restore wetlands along the northern San Francisco Bay shoreline. The Land Trust purchased an 830-acre tract of agricultural land with Conservancy funding. In 1991, the consultants hired to develop a restoration plan for the 348-acre parcel closest to the bay recommended the use of dredged material to partially restore the original ground elevations on the subsided diked former marsh.

The proposed Sonoma Baylands project soon received strong support from most of the organizations involved in the SFEP and LTMS programs. At the time, however, Federal cost-sharing policies discouraged the use of dredged material for restoration by requiring non-Federal interests to bear all of the additional costs over the least cost disposal alternative. This obstruction was overcome by Congressional authorization of 75% Federal funding for the Sonoma Baylands project in October 1992. At the same time, Section 204 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 authorized 75% Federal funding for the construction of similar restoration projects using dredged material throughout the country.

Following Congressional authorization, the Corps adopted the Conservancy's restoration plan and began detailed design of the project in June 1993. A project cooperation agreement was signed by the Corps and the Conservancy in May 1994. In July 1994, Vice President Gore called the project as a "win-win-win-win" deal and a Aémodel coalition" at a ground breaking ceremony held at Oakland Harbor. The estimated $8.0 million project includes the construction of peripheral and interior levees, earth berm wave barriers, and other structures, and the placement of dredged material. The project was constructed in two major phases. In the first phase, a 39-acre pilot unit used 207,400 cubic yards of maintenance dredged sediments from the nearby Petaluma River navigation channel. The second phase was the restoration of the 309-acre main unit using about 1.7 million cubic yards of sediments dredged to deepen Oakland Harbor. Placement of dredged sediments in the pilot unit was completed in November 1994, and placement of sediment in the main unit was completed in November 1995. The pilot unit was opened to tidal action in January 1996 by breaching an old levee, and the main unit was opened in October 1996. Tidal action will bring in additional suspended sediments, along with plant propagules, and help complete the development of the wetland through natural processes over a 10- to 20- year period.

Design efforts for the pilot project were initiated in 1991 under the Coastal America Partnership using the COE authority under Section 1135 of WRDA 1986. However, because the project exceeded the $5 million limit established for Section 1135 projects, subsequent activities have been conducted under the authority of Section 106 of WRDA 1992, which provides specific project authority for the COE to construct the Sonoma Baylands project. Because Section 106 authorized sufficient Federal funds for the entire project, official Coastal America activities were discontinued in 1993; however, the interagency relationships begun as part of the initial effort are continuing.

The Coastal Conservancy, as the nonfederal sponsor, is providing the balance of the costs of design, construction and monitoring of the project. The USEPA, NMFS, California Department of Fish and Game, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission have continued to act as project partners. It is anticipated that the California Department of Fish and Game will assume responsibility for long term management of the restored wetlands.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

Restore a tidal salt marsh community on 289 acres of diked baylands, and increase the acreage of suitable habitat for two endangered species, the salt marsh harvest mouse and the California clapper rail, within a period of 20 years from the restoration of tidal action.

A cost-benefit study was conducted with non-monetary benefits only. Project was determined to be economically justified.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

COE Section 106, Water Resources Development Act of 1992
NOAA Endangered Species Act

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

The Coastal America Partnership promoted early Corps of Engineers involvement in the project and interagency cooperation during the planning and construction phases. Because the project was implemented on an accelerated schedule, it was able to support economic development through the Oakland Harbor deepening project, as well as meet its primary objective of restoring habitat.

9. Project Status

scheduled actual
Initiation date June 1994 June 1994
Completion date October 1997 October 1996
Current stage Construction completed. Monitoring program is in progress.

10. Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments

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This page was last updated on Saturday, 24-Jun-2000 11:48:49 EDT
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