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Project Summary

Sonoma Baylands Tidal Wetlands Restoration

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1. Project Identification

Name Sonoma Baylands Tidal Wetlands Restoration
Region Southwest
State CA
Location  
Date of this update  

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.)

This project represents how the partnership process moved a major dredging process out of a legal and political quagmire, and led to the construction of a 338 acre marsh. Historically there had been a conflict between the Port of Oakland, and the Corps and the environmental and fishing communities over the disposal of dredge material that would come from the deepening of the Oakland Harbor. Between 1988 and 1991 a number of attempts were made to locate alternative locations, all of which were abandoned in the face of legal and political opposition.

During this period the USEPA initiated the San Francisco Bay Estuary program, and the Corps of Engineers began the Long Term Management Strategy for dredge material disposal in San Francisco Bay. Both of these initiatives examine dredge material disposal issues and alternatives, and both involve the gathering of diverse communities to discuss these issues, and provide consensus building. Also during this period the California Coastal Conservancy, and the Sonoma Bay Land Trust began an effort to preserve open space and restore wetlands. The Coastal Conservancy purchased a large tract of dyked hayfield (about 348 acres) on the northern shore of San Pablo Bay. In 1991 the consultants hired to develop a restoration plan recommended dredge material to partially restore the original ground elevations on the subsided site.

These consensus building organizations, developed strong political support for the restoration of the 348-acre Sonoma Baylands project. At the time however, the Water Resources Development Act discouraged the use of dredge material for the restoration by requiring local organization to bare 100% of the additional costs over the least cost alternative. This obstruction was overcome by a direct Congressional authorization in October 1992, implementing the Sonoma Baylands project at only a 25% local match. In addition the Water Resources Development Act was amended after this period to allow this type of coordination in other areas.

Since authorization, the Corps adopted the Conservancies restoration plan and began detailed design of the project in June 1993. The estimated $8.5 million project includes the construction of peripheral and interior levees, wave barriers, and other structures, and the selective placement of dredge material to partially restore the site's subsided elevations. The project is being constructed in two major phases. In the first phase, the 39-acre area has used about 207,000 cubic yards of maintenance dredged sediments. 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. After the placement of dredged sediments, tidal action will bring in additional sediments suspended in the bay waters to bring the wetland up to a near zero tidal elevation. The project cooperation agreement was signed by the Corps and the Conservancy in May 1994. In July of 1994 a ground breaking ceremony was held at the Oakland Harbor, where Vice President Gore represented the project as a "win-win-win-win deal and a model coalition. The project construction began in May 1995. Placement of dredged sediments in this first phase was completed in November, 1994, the second phase will continue into the fall of 1995.

Design efforts for the pilot project were initiated in 1991 under the Coastal America Partnership and utilized 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, 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." In addition to these purposes, 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 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 EPA, 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 be responsible 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.

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

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

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

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9. Project Status

Initiation date  
Completion date  
Current stage  

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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