Topic Category: Revitalizing Wetlands

Seed Collection and Germination Strategies for Common Wetland and Coastal Sage Scrub Species in Southern California

There is a need for a consolidated source of information on native vegetation seed collection and germination strategies in southern California. Published literature on these methods is often experimental, species-specific, and widely scattered throughout online and print media. Planting and restoration strategies may need to be site-specific; however, similar methodological approaches are often utilized allowing… Continue reading Seed Collection and Germination Strategies for Common Wetland and Coastal Sage Scrub Species in Southern California

Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve Comprehensive 5-Year Monitoring Report, December 2015

In 2009, The Bay Foundation (TBF) partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), and Loyola Marymount University (LMU) to assess the ecological condition of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve (BWER or Reserve). The monitoring program was developed to comprehensively survey the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics needed… Continue reading Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve Comprehensive 5-Year Monitoring Report, December 2015

Urban Coast Volume 5, Issue 1 – Special Issue: State of the Bay – Dec 2015

The 2015 State of the Bay Report is a science-based comprehensive assessment of the Bay’s environmental condition. The Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program (SMBNEP) periodically conducts and makes a report on this assessment, with the goal of measuring progress in restoring the Bay’s natural habitats and resources, educating the public about the Bay’s valuable… Continue reading Urban Coast Volume 5, Issue 1 – Special Issue: State of the Bay – Dec 2015

New Zealand Mudsnail Surveys

The highly invasive New Zealand mudsnail was first reported in the Santa Monica Mountains in 2005. The snails were collected in 4 streams during bioassessment monitoring of the Malibu Creek watershed as part of a watershed-wide monitoring program1 . As of 2014, NZMS have been detected in 14 streams in the Santa Monica Mountains. The… Continue reading New Zealand Mudsnail Surveys

Regional Monitoring Report for Southern California Coastal Wetlands – December 2015

This report is organized into several sections focused on the three tiers of the USEPA monitoring program, with emphasis placed on the rigorous, Level 3 site-intensive data evaluations. For ease of interpretation and consistency, all data are presented by wetland in order from the furthest northern site (i.e. Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve) to the furthest… Continue reading Regional Monitoring Report for Southern California Coastal Wetlands – December 2015

Contemporary and Historical Hydrologic Analysis of the Ballona Creek Watershed

The current study investigates the partitioning of native and non-native water sources for the Ballona Creek Watershed—a highly urbanized system within the Los Angeles basin. The goal is to evaluate the impact of imported water on spatial and temporal hydrologic cycling and to develop conceptual models of the system as it has evolved from pre-development… Continue reading Contemporary and Historical Hydrologic Analysis of the Ballona Creek Watershed

Stratification and Loading of Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) In A Tidally Muted Urban Salt Marsh

(Abstract) Stratification and loading of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were assessed in the main tidal channel of the Ballona Wetlands, an urban salt marsh receiving muted tidal flows, to (1) determine FIB concentration versus loading within the water column at differing tidal flows, (2) identify associations of FIB with other water quality parameters, and (3)… Continue reading Stratification and Loading of Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) In A Tidally Muted Urban Salt Marsh