Written By
Coastal communities in Northern California experienced flooding and damage to shoreline infrastructure from a storm that coincided with a king tide last December. Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), a non-profit conservation and research organization, manages several properties in West Marin County that were damaged by the storm. The Coastal Program is partnering with ACR to restore 400 feet of shoreline in Tamales Bay and a 10-acre tidal marsh in the Lagunitas Creek Estuary at the southern end of Tamales Bay. These coastal habitats are important to Federally threatened species including Western Snowy Plovers and Coho Salmon.
In early June, Coastal Program staff visited the sites to evaluate the storm damage and consider treatment options to reduce the threat of future storms, including increasing the connectivity of tidal wetlands to the bay, removal of invasive and non-native vegetation and promotion of sand dunes and emergent wetlands. The next steps for this project will involve collaborating with civil engineers to evaluate how these restoration strategies can be integrated with an infrastructure protection plan.
The second site is a tidal marsh mostly disconnected by levees from Lagunitas Creek estuary. The Coastal Program is evaluating the existing habitat, vegetation, and hydrology to determine how to modify the levee infrastructure and overall connection of the wetlands to the Lagunitas Creek estuary. The Coastal Program will also be supporting site planning and design for the wetland and shoreline restorations.
