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San Francisco Bay Delta

Estuary 2100 Project, Phase 2: Building Partnerships for Resilient Watersheds

Ten discrete on-the-ground projects in 4 different program areas:

  • Wetland and Watershed Restoration: restoring estuarine habitat at Yosemite Slough and subtidal and eelgrass habitat in several Bay locations, and shoreline characterization and historical change analysis of San Pablo Bay.
  • Water Quality Improvement: implementing TMDL actions for pathogens and sediment in Richardson Bay, Sonoma Creek and the Napa River, and tracking progress towards TMDL goals.
  • LID and Stormwater BMPs: constructing and monitoring tree well filters in Fremont, and analyzing stormwater diversion options in Richmond following stormwater characterization.
  • Data Management and Regional Capacity Building: creating interface for local and regional agencies to upload data into the Bay Area Aquatic Resources Inventory system

Project Facts

Recipient: San Francisco Estuary Partnership/Association of Bay Area Governments
Funding: $3,613,704 (non-federal match = $1,204,568)
Project Period: March 2010 – December 2016
Partners: California State Parks Foundation, California Coastal Conservancy, California Land Stewardship Institute, County of Marin, City of Mill Valley, Napa Resource Conservation District, Sonoma Ecology Center, Southern Sonoma Resource Conservation District, City of Fremont, City of Richmond, San Francisco Estuary Institute, North Bay Watershed Association, Marin Municipal Water District, Contra Costa County Public Works

Environmental Results Summary: Estuary 2100 Project, Phase 2: Building Partnerships for Resilient Watersheds

OUTPUTS (Activities, efforts, and/or work product during project period)

OUTCOMES (Environmental results)

SHORT-TERM
(1-5 yrs)

LONG-TERM
(5-20+yrs)

Pilot two alternate full sized tree well filter designs to both treat stormwater in an industrial area of Fremont and incorporate NPDES trash capture requirements (City of Fremont, $300,000)

Evaluate the feasibility of diverting stormwater flows from the North Richmond pump station to the nearby wastewater treatment facility for treatment prior to discharge to SF Bay and, if feasible, construction of retrofits to divert flows from the North Richmond Pump station to the treatment facility (Contra Costa County Public Works, $683,032)

Implement two projects to address the Richardson Bay Pathogen TMDL (Marin County, $614,655):

  1. Re-contouring of creek and floodplain, remove invasive and plant native species to increase infiltration, and install fencing on a tributary of Warner Creek in Boyle Park, Mill Valley and engage the local Boyle Park community through outreach events and stencil 20 storm drains in the area with “Drains to Bay”
  2. Conduct outreach on the importance of maintaining water quality to boaters living along Richardson Bay

Implement sediment TMDL projects in the Napa River watershed (Napa County Resource Conservation District, $367,500)

  1. Repair and upgrade of over four miles of eroding rural roads at critical erosion sites in the Heath Canyon watershed
  2. Develop LandSmart water quality template and resource binder and a series of corresponding workshops to facilitate compliance with a water quality regulatory program being developed in the Napa/Sonoma regions.
  3. Assessment of ~400 acres of private property and 20 site specific management plans to reduce stormwater runoff.

Implement sediment TMDL projects in the Napa River watershed (California Land Stewardship Institute, $119,000)

  1. Hold workshops for vineyards on sediment management control
  2. Provide one-on-one technical assistance to vineyard owners to develop a detailed farm conservation plan for their property, including a comprehensive sediment source inventory, road assessment and creek assessment for sediment sources and canopy cover for water temperatures

Implement sediment TMDL projects in the Sonoma Creek watershed (Sonoma Ecology Center, $363,800).

  1. Conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to up to 40 property owners or land managers and provide up to 20 site assessments to reduce sediment and pathogen delivery to Sonoma Creek
  2. Stabilize banks, slow runoff, and improve habitat at ~15 sites along Sonoma Creek
  3. Monitor Sonoma Creek ambient water quality conditions

Implement sediment TMDL projects in the southern Sonoma Creek watershed (Sonoma Resource Conservation District, $318,300).

  1. Implement a bank stabilization and erosion control project for a seasonal stream on a tributary to Sonoma Creek
  2. Conduct outreach on sediment management with landowners and assist them in preparing documents for the conditional grazing waiver.

Living Shorelines: subtidal habitat improvement and native oyster restoration (State Coastal Conservancy, $300,000)

  1. Design and implement various subtidal restoration techniques
  2. Monitor the effectiveness of each design in regard to habitat value and oyster restoration

Shoreline Change Study and Bay Area Aquatic Resources Inventory (BAARI) Accessibility Project (San Francisco Estuary Institute, $370,000)

  1. Study of short and long term erosion/accretion rates of the San Pablo Bay Shoreline
  2. Integration of a publically accessible data upload function for BAARI that will be integrated into EcoAtlas.

Treat stormwater from over 14,000 ft.² of impervious surface in an industrial area of Fremont

Treat dry weather polluted stormwater prior to discharging to SF Bay

Restore stream corridor within the Boyle Park reach of a tributary to Warner Creek, and reduce pathogens to Warner Creek and Richardson Bay

Treat over four miles of highly erosive road in Napa County and prevent approximately 4000 yd.³ of sediment prevented from reaching the Napa River

Up to 10,500 acres of agricultural land with erosion controls in place and prevent up to 50,000 metric tons of fine sediment per year from entering the Napa River

Install 3 stormwater detention structures, and revegetate 5 acres of riparian weeds and control with 2600 native plants along Sonoma Creek

Prevent approximately 5,620 cubic feet of sediment from eroding stream banks annually and prevent 21,600 gallons per year of peak runoff from reaching Sonoma Creek

Reduce sediment loading from a seasonal tributary to Sonoma Creek and increased capacity among landowners to develop plans needed to obtain grazing waivers

Create new, valuable subtidal habitat including native oyster and eelgrass beds.

Develop maps and GIS layers depicting erosion/accretion rates of San Pablo Bay

Develop a portal for groups to upload their habitat data into BAARI with SFEI reviewing data for quality control

Restore native oyster and eelgrass beds in San Francisco Bay

Ongoing restoration and management for each watershed draining to San Francisco Bay

Widespread use of LID to treat polluted stormwater and enhance aquatic ecosystems

Increase capacity of Napa County heavy equipment operators to implement best practices when performing maintenance on rural roadways

Address Napa River Watershed and Sonoma Creek Watershed Sediment TMDL goals by reducing sediment inputs in the two watersheds from stream bank erosion, rural road erosion, and erosion from peak flows

Reduce pathogen loading into Richardson Bay from tributaries

Full List of Project Summaries