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THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
ITT Marsh Enhancl!!ment. _____ Pro5~ct -Progress FleQQ.r.!.
Mellibers of the Counci 1:
Report in Brief
This is an informational report ccncerning the start of
construction of the ITT Marsh Enhancement project~ No action by
Council is required.
On July 22. 1991, Council approved a contract with Munkdale
Brothers, lnc. in the amount of $549,960 to construct the ITT Marsh
Er.har .. ce1"&e.nt Project. Th~ purpose of the project is to restore
wetlands on the former ITT property, now part of the Pale Alto
Baylands. Saltwater from the Ba~t ,,;i11 be brought t.o the eastern
side o! the site to create more habitat for the endangered salt
}o!arsh Harvest Mouse and ot"her salt ma.rsh ·wildlife. "Reclaimed \ro'ater
(treated waste~ater trom the Regional Water Quality Control Plant)
will be pumped to the western side o:f the propert:t to create a
fresrl' .. 'ater pond for migratory birds and other \oI'i Id life. .All
funding for the project cor:'.o?s from the California Coastal
conservancy (CCe).
Project Statu~
construction started in early August and · .. 'ill continue through
November 1991. The work currently visible next to the Bayshore
Free .. ay is the construction of the fresh'o.'ater pond for :migratory
birds~ The project will be oper-ational in early 1992. Care is
being taken dur-inq the construction phase to .lli ni1'!1ize impact on
birds and animals. The timing of the project avoids the nesting
season for birds, including the burro',",'ing 0",'1. Construction
corridors are laid out in advance "With restoration and penalties
required if the contractcr daIr.ages .. il::tlife outside these
corridors.
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The attached Marsh Construction Fact Sheet describes the project in
further detail and .... as made available. to t.he press .... hich resulted
in the attach~d ne~5paper artic12s~ The fact sheet is available at
the Baylands Interpretive Center and the Peninsu12!l Conservation
Center.
Respectfully submitted~
/!kJ.L.-j~ /&r-{cL,,-
PHILIP BOBEL
Manager. Environmental Compliance tivision
DAVID G. ADAMS
Director of Public Works
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JUNE FLEMING
Assistant City Manager
Attachment: Marsh construction Fact Sheet
News· a~ticles
Related CMRs: 350:9; 549;9; 183:91; 362:91
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(ity ofl'alo 'Rlto
M.6.RSH CONSTRUCTION BEGINS NEAR BAVlANDS
Construction will begin in early August on the In Marsh Enhancement Project that will
inciude sattmarsh habitat for the endangered Salt Marsh HaNest Mouse and a seasonal
freshwater pond intended to support shorebirds and migratory waterfowl. The City 01
Palo Mo's propos.l!ex th~ project. which is located just east or Highway 101 on former
ITT property between the Regiooel Water Quality Control PIMt a.,d Mata~ero Creek, will
be funded by the California Coas~al Conservancy ICCC). The cost will be $1.2 million.
FreshwateLMarsh
DJrlng fan, winter and spring, a. 15·acre freshwater pond and wetland wil1 be fed with
approxima!ely O(1e minion gallons per day of high-quality reclaimed water, piped .in from
the nearby Regional Water Quality Control Plant. The pond will discharge into Matadero
Creek. at the sO!..rthem end of the site. L'l Uie summer'Jrn.e, this area will be a:!owed to
drain and dry out, mif'limjzing mosquito breeding areas and the risk of avian botu~sm_
A number of other Cal!fofnia communities, incruding Hayvvard, Arca!a and the Mountain
View Sanitary District in Contra Costa County, have developed freshwater marshes using
reclaimed watec Such beneficial uses of recfaimed water are eriCouraged by the Regional
Water Quar.'ty Control Board. Palo Alto's project is also consistent with the Bay
Conservation and Development COmmission's objectives for histor~c bay!ands.
Saltwater Marsh
The project's sattmarsh component is des;gned to conserve and enhance existi~
pickleweed habitat for the endangered Saft Marsh liarvest Mouse. The mice stm populate
a corner of the historic Saylands that was cut off aild isolated from tIdal sattwBter flows
in the 192Os.
AIl estimated 12 acres of existing sloughs and habi!at along the eastern side of the
project will be rE:connected to the south arm of Palo A:to Harbor by a pipe carrying
approximatel}' one mimon gallons of bay water per day at .... igh tides. The water will
eventuany be pumped up into Matadera Creek at the south end of the area. At least eight
inches of water wit! be ma:ntained in the marsh 'lear-round, to support 'Nild~ite popul;:.tians.
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Birdwatpbiog Eacmties
WhIle the main purpose of l~e project is to pro,ide w~dlife habita~ human recreation
opportuntties are also included in the plan. Hikiro<J and birdwatching on the wes~ sout"
and nCYth levees surrounding the new marsh win be encouraged, a:thoiJgh hiking into t'1e
marsll itserf. which could disro.Jpt nesting al....'"tivlties, will not be a!lowed. A bird observation
deck is planned for the southeast corner or the site.
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SCALE IN ~~ 'l~
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• San Jose Mercury News. Wed" Augu:st 14, 1991
P .A. ~et to re-2reate
!habitat on baylands
By CSI"clyn J1!ng
• Wn.-ury N""" Staff '9.',il",
1D about two weeks, bul1dO"t.e!"5 will begi..c s.coopiI:g
tlp mound5. of earth near the Palo AIm b.ayl.ands far
That will be one of the mast. ambitious wetldnds
I"tStoratioo pMjccts ~ver m the Bay ArP...a
The $1.2 millinc project., t.mded tJy .a C.a1i.foroia
Coastal ~'aDCy gract, w'..D mark the firs1.: efIcrt
ill the Bay Area In re-create a mar.JIland as it e.ri..~
hi.storicaIly, with hem fres.bW'.:tt.er and saJ:tw3t.:r ar
eas., according to wetlands ~
1.t's a.c eJ:dting project.," said Phil Babel, ee city'.s
envir'omneLtal compliance m.an.ager. "Anytime WE"
ear; pa,. hack to the wllat WE"ve taken out, 'iJt'e
'bave I better ch:ance :species sur,.i~·e Jor our
drildren
Tbe
Tbe other pipeline will e:.xtend from tDe harbor to
the former International Telephone and Teiegrapb
property the ci~ 'be,ught in 1977. AblJut 12 acres of
existing sloughs wiD recelye 1 million gaD.ons of bay
1) btrds and marsh We. Now, omy remna.'lls of the'
on~abund.a.nt plckleweed sW"Vive.
lnd~. 7~ percent of tlle Ray Area's wetlands ha ... e ~n destrO)IN over the jears by rampant d" ... ,I'_ merlt, Sobel sa.iti • "r
City officials bope th..i.s 'projet..1 will Slgl'A1 a rebrrtb .
of tbe old IrJ.anb. They bope it wi!l ~"'Qme once again
• habrt~t ftir the .salt ~h harvest mouse, the
CahlOT""TUa dapper rail ,v,d the salt [Il<l!"Sh yenow.
~oat -all threatened or endang~re-d 5Pf'"Cies fOWld
m greater lJumbers iLl Palo Alto tlJan elsewbere
around the bay
. With this project., Pate A.lto win join the t"Ommuru
ties. of Hayward, Ar-cCita a.n.d the MOWltain \"l€W'
SiuUtary District .in ~n tra ('.csta C()W1ty to dhelop
fresbwater ~E'S ~11l,!l rectai.-ned 'i1Oaler
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designed tD restore the oatun.! flow of salt water to a
co...rner of the bayIaOOs cut olf from tidal .saltwater
flows after a levee was btillt in the 1920-.... The project
aha will help return the fresbwater flow blocil::ed !rom
tie area by the complPllotl, o! the Bayshore FreewaJ.
h'o plpetiDes, each a q,u.arter-mil.e long. will be
buill 1».Je will ertc.nd from the Palo Alta Regi .. ma~
Vi' .iter Qu.lllty Centrol Pla..!It to a !$--acre p:lOd that
will be dug.
O\:ring raD, wicter a.n~ spring, the pond ... ill be fed
wilb I million gallon! of r@CLllined Wilter a day frcm
the water tnatroent ptant
In the surnroer-, the POnd. whid! will ofuc:harge into
MaUdero Creei, will be anowed to drai.c and dr)' out
to discourage mosqcito breedlDg and tile grow.h of
bacteria that cause <l vian botulism, • common. de.ao1y
disease in stagnant. aI"eaS around the bay. _
Califtlroia
clap~er r"il
may once
again can the
Pa!o Alto
baylands
home
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WClCi>t a day At lea..~ eight incl:es of water will be
ma.in~ed then! ye.<l.I"-lOund to support wildlife.
AMtJt 70 years. ago. the area t.eeme<:l ""lUI migrato
Set' ~!ARSH, PaQ€' J
~any, city offIcials bad hopN: to start the:
project earlie.r this summ ... r But b;olog~"ts asked the
nty to hDld of! a few more monm..c; ;0 th .. t wi~drl!i'.
whJcb IlOnnauy rrJgrates eb.e"lll'lJere OIt the er.d of
sumrne:-, would Dot be disrupted
Il"' a few yean. If OIn goes att1Jrmng to plan, th€
'i1Obole .area should be greener .il1d b;ig.'1.c.er Aquatk
plants should bt>gin to sprout. And 151ands "t,uill in tl:e
center. of the porod sJ:lOuJd bE homp to Dests fuTI of
shorl'bl...-ds and migratory wat.e:-fowl
At least, t.iat"s what's anlLcipated
·'Qwte fra.nkly we're not .s-..re wh ... t 11 It"ill]ook hh
eL!cU~' ," &:.bt:1 saJd. "~a\ua w"ill !jt"{'.ide ltia'L "
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Bird haven
construction
to begin
Restoration pl2n includes
saltlraler, frEsb\\ a :l'r areas
Abbie Jones
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}!igra:OI} bi...-ds-~gg:ir.g: t,::,. !".:.nd hab
itat in the Bay Ar?(i's dwL'lc:!lir.g marsh
land5 soot: will fmil .a lirt:e spot of lu '('.ll"';
off Bayshore FN'€way in PaJo A:ro -
Tbs woe€k. g:-ad{-rs al".d bu.!Jdc'z':-rs \I, iII
bi>gi:J: tea.ring up porr;ons of t,l;e si~e to
CrE'3'..e a salt',nlter ["-.ars.n and a 15-~\"re
.frc-~bwater pond as pa.'1of the cj,~ of Pa:o
A1to·s ma..-sh restoration prcjf'r."1: On rt,€,
funner Inte-rnational Telephor.e and.
Telegraph 51!e. Work sbould b€ co:np:C't
ed in fOll! mO'lr~;,
In tl'.e last ce-ntucy. about 7ii perc!?:'.! of
t.".E' Ea'; a."l.d ~t:; ... ~~~ ha\ eo ~n fli1cd
o';er, said Phil Bobel mana:ger of enl j.
ronmE'nlaJ com~lianreo f0r the pa!o .~~O
WatE": Ql.lality Control PLiltlt The eff,Jr!
,"'1:1 !j0t so]',;e the p:'rJblo:m of c~:i;,;;::!
hCi!)itat c;oUSt'd in pan by cLi:,jng in t.~~
1S-2.~, bl.:.t mi:;rat":.r:' b:ds a:;\! €'l'1G2"·
gerf.'d 5P"':·'-~ .~ illl:.o.':e ani" rnor", ,", ,,-.;-[\
oa5~S a·:aL.:1::~= -
~n.lS o-:.oa ~ cr';:. a sr..a~ ~·2:i of tto:'
\'i·e:!.:l::ds t:;..,l",ler""'.ICS"t L1 C_E' :.as! cc.::..:·
I:'.~ BDb€': 5;::;'::.
Tc€' 1-to 4-fr ,ct"':e€;:l fr,o",tI\"aler p'J.":(:!'
\I;W be fH:! \l, il;l 0 ne mil:lo n g:! :':.:)r: So of
tr-e.J~M ~~;astE-Ir"t-P: a dai· fr:Jt:'. tb-" Fa:o
A:w. W(iti2: Qc;a:n· C:·r,l,·"ll P~a:-.l a:id
di>chJ.!·ged m~o !"oIClt..1r!"ro Cl""E"~li.
Rough~:.· 12 aen:s of s.:l1~\'."2rf'"r n:~:s~
9.·ill b€-crE'<it8:l ~:-c·:-:: Pa:o A)c t Ct!"~Gr \\ a
t",r. I/,:hkh wjjj ~ c.1:-ri",d tho·';":l a :-,.,::
"Gr'~ cf p·ipeS .• -',1 r..,.r~ tlC.-e. abc:..:t or:e
m~liun g1ilClr_, Df .aa~"-1,\J.:"': it c!..:~. will Sf'
plp.-d In:O t:1E' s:c.ug~~ a~ . .j u:t;.";,.:i'~:;.
'pllmp?d L"'1~·) ).ra:"de;""·~, ere.:·;".
S017U:' s"i1·.l"at.f'r pTan:s SUr:~.;:b pkk:e·.,··
f"!'-:::l hJI·e su"'j\· ... d Stn~E' '.hp thb:'.-;; [If 11.~".
o",y;an.:!s. and l! s.hould:t"r w.ke ](..r::.> b~
fiJre IT'.'JrE' -:J Ul(:m sprlr.g: TO lie. 5'Jo;o1
sc.ld
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ma:;h gr"'S to pr:J\jci' ~.abLt:lt for <::.:,.
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Mond'ay. Al.!gus112. 199' -
~THE PENINSULA TIMES "!"RIBUNE
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BIRD
Continu~ frum B-1
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r:m::";"':::"3...l ProteC!k'::l Ager.C"y
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5!..:...-:: a.t""e" a 9, hal'" illt more-proj~~..s
that "f~::l to be don"." s.'i.ld. Liza
R.':!Gle. ;,rogram rr2na~er for C".i"
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