Environmental Impact Statement - Sonoma Land Trust

California Department of Fish and Game
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Section 3.7. Agricultural Resources
GP 2020
• Objective LU-11f: Encourage conservation of undeveloped land, open
space, and agricultural lands; protection of water and soil quality; restoration
of ecosystems; and minimization or elimination of the disruption of existing
natural ecosystems and flood plains.
Agricultural Use and Farmland Designations in the
Project Area
Agricultural Use
The majority of all the Sears Point Restoration Project area is used for either
production of oat hay or livestock grazing (dry land pasture). Most of the area
south of Highway 37 is used for oat hay; the remainder consists of abandoned oat
hay fields now managed for stocked game bird hunting, a grazed area,
agricultural outbuildings, and other facilities. The part of the project area north of
Highway 37 is mostly used for livestock grazing. None of the project area is
irrigated and there is no developed irrigation water source, other than perhaps for
domestic purposes.
The areas used for oat hay and stocked game bird hunting in the project area
consist of former tidal wetland areas. In the North Bay in general, diking of the
wetlands began in the 1800s to convert the land initially for livestock grazing. By
the 1930’s, the reclamation efforts were generally complete (San Francisco Bay
Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project 1999).
The soils in the diked baylands (typically Reyes silty clay) are generally finetextured,
somewhat poorly drained, and strongly acidic, the latter characteristic
caused by oxidation of sulfide compounds that were formed as a result of the
improved drainage. Because of the wetness, acidity, and elevated salinity in the
subsoil, the Reyes soils have a narrow range of agricultural uses; in particular,
oat hay production and dry land pasture (Miller 1972; Dickson pers. comm.). Dry
land wheat can be grown with some success when biosolids have first been
applied to the area (Dickson pers. comm.). The extensive use of the diked
baylands to produce silage and the less extensive use for vineyards have also
been reported. As of 1988, there were approximately 28,000 acres of diked
baylands in the North Bay that were used for some form of agriculture (San
Francisco Bay Area Wetlands Ecosystem Goals Project 1999). This acreage is
probably now less as a result of habitat restoration projects that have been
implemented over the last 20 years.
Table 3.7-1 shows the harvested acreage of oat hay in Sonoma, Marin, and Napa
counties during 2004–20062008. The table shows wide year-to-year differences
in the harvested acreage, particularly from 2005 to 2006. The reduction in
harvested acreage from 2005 to 2006 is perhaps a result of the heavy rains and
consequent flooding in 2006 (County of Sonoma 2007c, County of Marin 2007),
rather than indicating a reduction in the extent of land dedicated to oat hay
Sears Point Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Project Final Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Impact Statement
3.7-5
April 2012