Tara Ledezma # 0150289
Erica Grayson # 0251576
Raeann Navarro # 0266421
04/17/11
Introduction: Wetlands in American Canyon
The wetlands were functioning ideally since the beginning of time, then the US Government decided to
allow settlers to alter the land for agriculture and financial gain.
Due to the destruction of wetlands, there are now several agencies attempting to restore them.
1. Analysis / Diagnosis: Outcome(s)

Problem: Napa Counties wetlands
declined from 18,000 acres to 4,300 acres
by mid 20th Century
Outcome: This is a long range $60 million
effort with major support from the
Department of Fish Game, the National
Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration,
Ducks Unlimited & private foundation
The consequences is there are multiple
threatened and endangered wildlife species
 Napa Plant Site Restoration Projects
consists primarily of earthwork required to
restore approximately 1340 acres of former
salt ponds to estuarine tidal marsh.
(www. ducks.org)
Federal gov’t rewarded settlers for turning
wetland into farmland in mid 19th Century.
( Napa Valley Register )
Mid 20th Century High-Salinity ponds for
solar salt production were built
( Napa Valley Register )
2. Analysis / Diagnosis: Actions / Causes
Actions- Financial Benefit
“ Imagine taking a swath of
Settlers farmed and altered
wetlands larger than the city of
Napa- some 20 sq. miles- home to a
rich diversity of aquatic & bird life .
. . Then trashing it.”
existing wetlands in the mid 19th
Century.
9000 acres of salt marsh were
converted to commercial salt
production
( Napa valley Register )
Diversified international company
Cargill sold most of its peninsula
salt ponds in 2003 for $100 million
to gov’t agencies that plan to restore
the shoreline habitats to create a
sweeping federal wildlife reserve.
( San Fransico Examiner )
3. Analysis / Diagnosis: Beliefs
The wetlands existed to serve the
people
Until recent times such devastating
environmental makeovers were
routine. Man manipulated nature for
economic gain and called it progress.
It didn’t matter that hundreds of
species were being tossed out of their
ecological niches. (Kevin Courtney,
Napa Valley Register )
4. Summary Issue
 S.F. Bay is the largest estuary system
 Restoration will benefit multiple threatened and endangered fish and wildlife
species.
 The need to shift ideologically from short term financial benefits to long term
ecologically sensitive developments.
 This can be realized in the way that society is educated about the benefits to our
ecosystem and our future.
 The Wetlands should never be vulnerable or destroyed by business developers for
financial gain.
5. Prescription / Proposal: Desired
 The public can already hunt and
Beliefs
fish in some parts of the westside
 Residents can coexist and
treasure the environment and
will have the desire to live in
harmony with the wetlands.
wetlands. On the east side, a
public trail is expected to be open
in 2011, connecting the new Green
Island wetlands to American
Canyon.
Long-term the restoring wetlands
will consist of mature tidal marsh
habitats.
(www.ducks.org)
 Green Island will have a public
parking lot and a spot where
kayaks and hand-carried boats
can be launched.
(Napa Valley Register)
6. Prescription: Desired Actions /
Beneficial Ecological Restoration
Behaviors
to the existing wetlands
Creating a major channel to promote
effective drainage.
 Creating marsh upland ecotones to
protect levees and provide species
habitats (www.ducks.org)
 They will need to partially excavate .
. . lowering the levee adjacent to the
proposed breach location to allow
overtopping at high tides, and
excavating the main tidal breach.
 Non-quantifiable socioecomic
benefits would include
improvements to fisheries,
waterfowl hunting, and other
outdoor related recreational
activities, educational benefits for
local Bay Area residents,
kayaking, walking/cycling trails.
(www.ducks.org)
7. Prescription: Desired / Planned
Outcome
Outcome: The proposed restoration
project will benefit multiple
threatened and endangered fish and
wildlife species, particularly Coho
salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon,
Delta smelt, and least tern and snowy
plover (www.ducks.org)
Costs :This is a long-range $60 million
effort, with major support from Fish
and Game, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, which
got an $8 million federal stimulus
grant, Ducks Unlimited and private
foundations. (Napa Valley Register)
8. Summary Conclusions
The Wetlands Marshland of American Canyon is
part of the largest estuary system on the
Pacific coasts of North and South America.
The Wetlands has transitioned from its origins
as an unwanted swampland , to welcomed
cattle grazing, a salt pond and is now being
restored to it’s original natural ecological
glory.
With concerted efforts to restore the one time salt pond
to its ecological purpose the Wetlands of American
Canyon have the potential to revitalize its fish and
native species populations to healthy sustainable
levels. With the expected revitalization of fish and
other species, many species will be removed from the
endangered species list. With the financial backing
of the California Department of Fish and Game and
the political support of the local area and Open
Space committee on across 1340 acres; the former
dikes salt ponds can return to a state where its’
natural cycle can continue. Additionally there is the
potential for this area to develop into a interactive
learning center to include: natural history, farming
and even possibly equestrian facilities.
Research Cited
References
1. http://stimuluswatch.org/2.0/awards/view/38955/restoring-tidal-wetlands-in-american-canyoncalifornia
ii.
2. http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/land-war-heating-over-cargill-salt-ponds
3.http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/california/american-canyon
4.http://napavalleyregister.com/article_4dcf4dea-b96f-11df-8d66-001cc4c002e0.html
iii. 5. http://www.amcanchamber.org/live-and-play/history-of-open-spaces
iv. 6. http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_b7eacd06-3801-11e0-94d5-001cc4c002e0.html
v.
7. http://www.ducks.org/california/california-bay-area-projects/restoring-tidal-wetlands-inamerican-canyon-ca
vi. 8. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
vii. 9. http://www.britannica.com
viii. 10. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/about/
i.
ix. 11. http://www.ducksunlimited.com/california/california-content/california-ducks-unlimited
12. http://www.southbayrestoration.org/pdf_files/napa/Napa%20DEIR/Draft%20EIR.pdf
xi. 13. http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/ecosystems/intertidalmudflats.htm
xii. 14. http://www.noaa.gov/about-noaa.html
xiii. 15. http://www.cargill.com/salt/
xiv. 16. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Tidal_marsh
x.