Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

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California Department of Fish and Game U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 3.5. Biological Resources Purple Needlegrass Grassland Stands of purple needlegrass, a native bunchgrass, are present in the watershed. The stands are interspersed with non-native annual grassland and wildflower fields, occurring primarily on higher floodplain terraces bordering stream corridors and on hill slopes. Associated species include California melic, milk maids, Kellogg's yampah, soaproot, royal larkspur, Douglas' microseris, California plantain, and miner's lettuce. Purple needlegrass grassland supports similar wildlife species as is described for non-native annual grasslands. Coastal Prairie Coastal prairie is grassland dominated by native perennial grasses that occurs on coastal terraces. On the Project site, this community is characterized by the dominance or occurrence of California oatgrass, western rush, sun cups, armed coyote-thistle, California buttercup, blue-eyed grass, and Kellogg’s yampah. Stands of coastal prairie occur in the watershed on alluvial fans and higher floodplain terraces and in association with wildflower fields and seeps. Coastal prairie supports similar wildlife species as is described for non-native annual grasslands. Agricultural Lands Most of the diked baylands, approximately 1,055.6 acres, is composed of agricultural fields that are planted and harvested annually for oat hay. Following the harvest, fields remain fallow until the following planting season. When fallow, the fields typically support non-native invasive plants, such as cocklebur. Cultivated fields, particularly when fallow, provide habitat values similar to grasslands, supporting small mammals, raptors, and songbirds. As noted above, approximately 94.9 acres of the agricultural land have been delineated as agricultural wetlands. Developed Lands Human-made structures present within the Project site include drainage pump stations, small out buildings, farm buildings, BPSC buildings, USFWS headquarters, power poles, and utility infrastructures. Compared to vegetated habitats, these developed areas support a low diversity of wildlife. Species commonly associated with developed areas include barn swallow, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, American crow, and European starling. Action Area Outside the Project Site Aquatic Communities Aquatic communities found in the Action area outside the Project site include subtidal aquatic (i.e., aquatic habitats that are never exposed during low tide), and intertidal aquatic (i.e., emergent wetland habitat and mudflats that are exposed Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration Project Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement 3.5-16 April 2012
California Department of Fish and Game U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 3.5. Biological Resources during low tides), habitats. Each of these is described below. A schematic of typical aquatic habitats by tide levels is provided in Figure 3.5-2. Subtidal Aquatic Habitat Subtidal aquatic habitats are areas of continuous open water that are submerged during even the lowest tide; as a result, these areas are too deep to support the types of vegetation found in emergent (i.e., occasionally exposed) wetland habitat. Phytoplankton; zooplankton; and fish, such as longfin smelt, northern anchovy, speckled sanddab, and staghorn sculpin, occupy subtidal aquatic habitat. Benthic (bottom-feeding) organisms such as worms and clams can be found in the sandy, muddy bottom. Many species of waterfowl such as mallard, common merganser, canvasback, and northern pintail and diving birds such as eared grebe, western grebe, and Clark’s grebe use subtidal aquatic habitat for resting and feeding areas. Intertidal Aquatic Habitat Intertidal aquatic habitat comprises 2 subtypes of habitat: intertidal mudflats, and coastal salt marsh. Intertidal mudflats are made up of unconsolidated, muddy bottom areas without vegetation and are present along coastal salt marshes that are outboard of the perimeter levee. Mudflats are exposed twice daily during low tide and extend to the extreme low water elevation (Figure 3.5-2). Narrow bands of mudflat are also found at the same elevations along the margins of subtidal channels in tidal wetlands. Mudflats are highly productive and support large populations of benthic organisms, including aquatic worms, crustaceans, and mollusks, which are important elements of the estuarine food web. When exposed or covered by shallow water, mudflats provide important foraging areas for migrant and wintering shorebirds such as killdeer, greater yellowlegs, and least sandpiper, wading birds such as great blue heron, great egret, and black-crowned night heron, and gulls such as ring-billed gull and mew gull. Coastal salt marsh contains persistent, rooted herbaceous vegetation dominated by cordgrass and pickleweed. The vegetation in the marsh habitat is used as direct cover and sources of food by rearing juvenile and adult fish, such as longfin smelt, Chinook salmon, and steelhead. Emergent marsh habitat, however, is within the tidal zone and drains frequently; it is therefore not used for spawning. Benthic organisms use this habitat in the same way they use intertidal mudflats. Emergent wetland habitat provides nesting, foraging, and escape cover for various songbirds such as marsh wren, song sparrow and white-crowned sparrow and foraging and cover for wading birds such as those mentioned above. Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration Project Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement 3.5-17 April 2012
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Sears Point Wetland and Watershed R
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Sears Point Wetland and Watershed R
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Contents List of Tables ...........
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California Department of Fish and G
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Executive Summary This summary prov
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Table ES-1. Summary of Impacts and
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Table ES-1. Continued Page 3 of 141
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Table 1-1. List of Local, State, an
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Table 2-2. Action Alternatives Cons
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Chapter 3 Affected Environment and
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Section 3.1 Geology, Soils, and Pal
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Section 3.2 Surface-Water Hydrology
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Section 3.3 Water Quality Introduct
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Section 3.6 Land Use and Public Uti
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Section 3.7 Agricultural Resources
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Section 3.11 Air Quality Introducti
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Section 3.12 Noise Introduction Thi
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Section 3.14 Aesthetics Introductio
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Section 3.15 Environmental Justice
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Chapter 4 Consultation and Other Re
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Sonoma Land Trust Chapter 4. Consul
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Chapter 5 Public Involvement and Sc
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Sonoma Land Trust Chapter 7. Refere
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Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

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