Bolsa Chica Wetlands

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Restoration Project

Introduction

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands is a reserve located near Huntington Beach, California, off the Pacific Coast Highway. The wetlands cover 1,200 acres and inhabit a variety of species, including Herons, Blacked Neck Stilts, and Black Skimmers. The Wetlands also inhabit a variety of unique plant life, lizards and ground squirrels.

We will be discussing the importance of maintaining the Wetlands, for the sake of the environment and the species that inhabit the Wetlands, as some of the species are almost extinct

and the battle that exists between the environmentalists and the Land Development Companies.

There is currently a proposed residential development by Hearthside Homes Company that could critically harm the habitat while adding contaminated runoff, traffic and pollution problems associated with additional housing.

There are currently eight state and federal agencies currently involved with the planning and environmental compliance processes necessary to design and obtain regulatory permits for the Restoration Project involving the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. This project will provide the best ecologically appropriate restoration for the wetland and all the combined species.

History

The Wetlands Reserve was formed through an agreement between the Amigos de Bolsa

Chica and the Signal Bolsa Corporation (Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve). The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a non-profit organization that assists the Operation of the reserve. In 1978, new culverts were installed, and allowed the wetlands to be reconnected to the ocean, which in turn, brought back the salt marsh, as it had been before. In 1989 the reserves became a freshwater marsh when access to the ocean was dike off, and the salt water was not allowed to influx (Bolsa Chica, 2004).

In 1992 the Koll Development Company proposed to build over 4,800 houses on the wetlands, and in response volunteers created The Bolsa Chica Land Trust to counter the proposed development.

In 1993, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust group sought support from the Sierra Club to oppose developing the Wetlands. The Bolsa Chica Campaign was formed and volunteers met twice weekly to strategize against Koll Development. In 1996, the Sierra Club was involved in a lawsuit with the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, which challenged the county's decision for violating the California Coastal Act by approving the Koll Company's development of the housing for the Wetlands. In 1997, the State of California purchased 900 acres of wetland from Koll Development, and in 1999, the Land Trust won the Court Appeal decision that protected the Wetlands, termed the "the Bolsa Chica Decision," stating that real estate developers could not disturb the habitat for proceeding with their projects. Hearthside Homes in 2000, tried to create a plan to build 1,265 houses on the Wetlands Mesa, and the Coastal Commission voted that the 1,265 houses would be allowed to be built on the upper bench of the Mesa, but as a tradeoff the lower bench or Wetlands could not be touched.

In 2002 Proposition 50 passed stating that the state purchases "no less than 100 acres of the Bolsa Chica Mesa." In 2004, State Lands Commission agreed to purchase 103 acres of the lower bench of the Wetlands with the contingency, that the Coastal Commission approves Heath side's plan to build 379 houses on reduced parcel of 65 acres on the upper bench.

In 2005, 118 acre portion of Bolsa Chica was purchased by the State of California for $65 million with funds from Proposition 50.

What are Wetlands?

"Generally, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (California wetland, 1998)."In addition, the term wetlands means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.

Wetlands may be covered periodically or permanently with shallow water and which includes saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, open or closed brackish water marshes, swamps, mudflats, fens, and vernal pools (California wetland, 1998). Wetlands are also places where children and biologist can go and learn about the environment, while providing a home for many types of habitat and creatures that have slowly disappeared as development erases history.

Why Should Wetlands Be Protected?

Such areas need to be protected, because as developers continue to build homes in the vicinity, many of the animals that have lived there many years are forced to move because they have no place to go. Wetlands are more than just a place for habitat; they also protect the environment in such a way that filters and cleans water, prevent soil erosion, and provide flood control among numerous other benefits (California wetland, 1998). Developers must understand and see beyond the dollar signs because as they continue construction in the area they are destroying part of history and wildlife. In addition, general public need to protect wetlands because it enhances marine habitat for the costal areas providing more resources of fish.

1) The increased quality and quantity of open water and inter-tidal mudflat habitats

would provide habitat for migratory shorebirds, seabirds, and waterfowl.

2) A healthy and diverse aquatic community of marine and estuarine invertebrates and fishes would become established in the full and muted tidal basins.

3) The full tidal basin would provide nursery habitat for the California halibut.

4) Nesting habitat for the state- and federal-listed endangered California least tern and the federal-listed threatened western snowy plover would be increased. Additionally, these areas would provide nesting habitat for a variety of other water-associated birds.

5) Cord grass habitat would expand and is expected to support nesting by the state- and federal-listed endangered light-footed clapper rail.

6) Pickle weed salt marsh habitat would be enhanced.