![]() ![]() Even before the restoration, the exceptional abundance of wintering and migrating shorebirds qualified Tomales Bay as a wetland of regional importance according to the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The bay is mostly subtidal, offering more waterbird habitat through the tidal cycle than most other Pacific coast estuaries do. The waters of Tomales Bay flood the northern 14.5 miles of the Olema Valley, formed by the San Andreas Fault along the central California coast, about 30 miles north of San Francisco. Point Reyes National Seashore wetlands ecologist Lorraine Parsons, the lead planner of the restoration project, puts it simply: “The Giacomini Wetlands restoration is not only restoring the historic tidal marsh, it is restoring Tomales Bay itself.” The recovery of the restoration site has quickly exceeded our expectations, and we now have evidence that the effort is profoundly benefiting the entire system. Lagunitas Creek runs along the base of the wetlands before entering the bay on the west side. Note the vestiges of the agricultural fields visible in this aerial view from February 2009. Looking northwest up the length of Tomales Bay, with Point Reyes National Seashore on the left, the ranchlands of West Marin on the right, and the recently restored Giacomini Wetlands in the foreground. But we also sought to understand the extent to which the restored wetland might enhance the rich patterns of life in the rest of Tomales Bay. We hoped birds and other wildlife would move into the recovering wetland. The mixing and circulating of these waters through the marshland restores the fundamental processes needed to promote the natural recovery of the estuary. To achieve that, the historic marsh plain was reconnected to both the bay’s saltwater tides and the area’s freshwater creeks. When the National Park Service finished removing the earthen levees in 2008, allowing tidal waters to inundate 550 acres of diked agricultural land for the first time in six decades, the goals were simple and powerful: restore the natural flow of water through the system, then stand back and let nature design the details. “The Giacomini Wetlands restoration is not only restoring the historic tidal marsh, it is restoring Tomales Bay itself.” But none of our observations has been as profound as the changes we have witnessed since tidal action was reintroduced into the Giacomini Wetlands seven years ago. Could the large flock of scoters we’re seeing today be a sign of the changes on Tomales Bay? A growing body of evidence-including a tenfold increase in the number of dabbling ducks-points to a dramatic rebound of wildlife populations in Tomales Bay following restoration of its largest tidal wetland, at the southern end of the estuary.Īs the Conservation Science Director at ACR, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with Jules Evens of Avocet Research Associates, to monitor both subtle and dramatic changes in wildlife use of habitats around the bay, for nearly three decades. As the birds take flight at a low angle off the water with a broad sheet of several hundred surf scoters, cheers arise from the team members, who have been concerned about previous declines in both species. So when veteran team member Jim White radios the other boats to announce “a couple of black scoters, male and female, coming your way!” field observers on our Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) Waterbird Survey team focus their attention, briefly, on the noteworthy pair of diving ducks. ![]() Only when we encounter a rare or spectacular seabird, or a gray whale visiting from the outer coast, do we interrupt the count to relish the moment. ![]() That’s a lot of water to cover, and the effort requires intensive focus. Our three observation boats rarely break formation as we count waterbirds along the 12-mile survey route on Tomales Bay. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |