I

(~ 1) State of California

DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME

THE NATURAL RESOURCES

OF

PESCADERO MARSH

AND ENVIRONS

Prepared by:

Bruce G. Eliiott, Assistant Wildlife Manager

E.C. Fullerton, Director

~, 1975
J LA-ly
. ,
( ) COASTAL \vETLAND SERIES # / '3
 ACKNO\TLEDGEiIENT.3

This report has been prepared by field persoru1el of the Dep2rtne~t's

Region III Hildl He HiE'\agGment Branch and st(.~ffraembr-r s of the \Hldl ife

Hnnilgement Br anch in ::;Jcr21nento~ He:llace E~ Strohschein of the In l and

Fisheries Branch, Tom 70'.1 of the ~'larine Resources Br:,nch (Henlo P"rk), and

H,qrdens Robert Grossi (HRR) and /,1 Frush (Reg Lon III) a.ll cootri1>uted commentis

illld essential data.

James R.:lYPatton,. Roger \lerts, and .Iames S:rpouth of the enl i f orn b

Department of parks <.1..'1d Recre",tion supplied info:;:m:ltion and comments throuSh-

out the project study~' Representatives of the fol1ffiving org8niz3tio~s and

agencies also provided inforoatio~,. ~ssistance and ~dvice:

S0n Mateo county EnvirouIDental Control - G~ry Ott

Sen Ht!teo County Parks and Rec:?:(;wtion Department .Stnff

San ,t>'l,,:teocounty DepElrt:ment of Agriculture C12.ude Bridges

San Mateo County Pl~tning Pep~rtment

University of C~lifornia Agricultural E;~tensiQ, Service - Henry Scinroni

Hr'~ James Greig; a private forester~ and Hr~ Hill Lam Ar',dersoo~ retired

Department of Fish and Game Hildlife l-Ianager-Biologist a Lso provided helpful

informatioa and commentrs ,

A special note of appreciation must go to the ma~y citizens of the

community of Pescadero ~vho so patiently assisted the 'irr'iter to r'ecoas cructr a

history of the marsh for the last felv dec[.ldes~ Especii::l1y helpful Here ~!r~

Robert Bi.1l1ard~ Hr~ EdHard Ge.mpinotti, Urs~ Le.'''' Band In L, Hr. Eugene Pardini

and Hrs~ r-];)rty

Hillerl Findly, my deepest gr.,1ditude and 2.ppreci~,tio;:, to Hr.
'1.:"<"';;
Jesse Nunclett-i for his il1.v"luable D;SSj;to.:o ce dur Ing c~, very difficult pez's one I

PreparntiO'l of the report ~HS supported irl p.:;rt by P ittmD,,,,..Robertso:c

Federal ,Hd to Hildl He pr ogzems ,

,
 DRaFT
T,-;BLE 02 CONTENTS

Page.. No~
-,..
,"CKFO\lLEDGENE:;TS ------------------------

INTRODUCT!O~ _ _~ . 5

SUl-.iJ:I/,RY -----------,----------------- 8
RECO:,INE!',lDATIU';S , - 9

PESCAD~~RO l'j/,RSH AI',;D ENVIRONS ------------------ \\

Descriptio:l of ;\rec~ II

Locatif on ------------------------ 1\
History ------------------ t3
__________________ ii
Climate

Dralnagc-----~------------------ Ii
S0118-------------------15
and
Erosion

Land
Ovictership--------------------- \-7
Land
Use '2.0

Agricultural---------------------- '20

Commercial and
Residential--------------- 23
N/\TIJR.:'\.L RESaJRCES 25

HabitatInventory-------------------------- 2S
Forest ., ~_---'--- 25

'foodland --------------------.---
25
Riparinn 2G.

and GrcssliJ ...

Cultiv~teLands ads-------------,
26
'(7
COilst;a.l Scrub ----------------------

21
Lagoon .--------------------------- 28
:1-'Iz:rshland "2'1

2
 Hildlife Ecology
- . 32
Amphibicms and Reptiles --- 33
Nanun,1.1s ------------ 3~-

Birds ----------- 'S7

Hater Assoc iaced Birds ---- 3-7

Pelagic and Co.:\stal Birds 37

\laterfovil-----------------------39

'.J':1dil:'lg Birds ...

-------- Ht

Land Birds ------------------------ 45"

s ong birds _~
--------- 45

Game Birds -------- 11,6

Raptors '1(..

Horine Resources ----------~-:__---------- 4~

Ocean Fish yg
Anadromous Fish ---------------- _ 49
RESCURCE USE -----------------------.--- 5~
Recreatiooal Use ---------------- ---' 5\

Hunting ------------------ S?;>

sport Fishing ------------------------- 5Y

Ocean Fish ----------------------- S~

!;nadromous Fish .---------------------- 55

Nature Study 55

Scie::1tific and Educational Use 57

PROBLElIS N.:D USE CONFLICTS ---------------------51

Hater _
.--------------------------- 59
History ------------------------- GO
Salin ity lr,trusion .---------------------
_ ~\
 Domestic and Irrigatio<"1. 'dithdra.uals -- G-G
Hineral
Content------------- (, 1
j\gricultural Reclam,!tiOI:1. . b7

DISCUSSIO-,~ :\ND OVERVIEH ~---------------------- ~9

REFERE;'lCES --------------------------------- l \
APPE:l'ill
D\. ;, ;.. Birds of the Pescadero Harsh and Vicinity A~I

/\PPE:'-lDIX n;;' Hmn:rJk'lls of Pescadero Harsh and Vicinity r3-\

/:J?PENDIX C .;. Reptiles and Amphi b Lans of }larsh and Vicinity C \

APPENDIXD :;. Fish and Shellfish of Pcsc,;;.dero Nf!rsh and the Adjoining Ocean - \)~i

APPENDIX E '';' Flora of Pescadero }brsh and the Pesc.'ldero .Buta ...
no Drainage- E-I
APPENDIXF ';;. Bird Population Studies~ Pescadero Harsh F-\
PlATE NO. :1 San Frimcisco Peninsula Area Nap \0

PLA..T~ NO.2 Pescadero Harsh Hop._----- '2..

PL;\TE NO.3 pesc",derO-Butano Drabage \ b
PLATE NO. 4 Pescadero Harsh Soil ;\ssociatioo Hap } SS

PLATE ?W. 5 Pescadero Are,,! state and County

Parks '2 J
PL\TE NO. 6 pescndero' Area Veget,:!tion Types Nap 4~
 To surv tve , Hild animals Ileed suitable h~~bitat~ HD.bltat is of tren

defbed in ec o l.ogy textbooks as Hthe p Lace where an animal livesli But

habitat is more than just a place: It is the total of food, water, shelter

and living space bO~ld together in a compla~ inter-relationship of natural

factors~' In man's quest for progress, he has o~ countless occasODs

manipulated that envirorunental 'web in such a 1'1ayth:,t wild creD.tures hava

lost the habitat that means their surv ivat;' Thus, \"Then the opportunity arises

to protect an especially valuable portion of h:,hitat, oae that concentrates

within a small area the potential for fulfilling all the h~bitat requirements

of large numbers of a great variety of animal species, man should seize upon

the chance to do so'~' Few such opportunities to preserve quality Hildlife

envfr onment; are left to us today'~'

,
,."..)\,\ C~I

This is especially true of marshland~ 'Xhi~ is perhaps the most endangered

habitat type in C2;lifornia;~ It certainly is a most biologically productive

environment for ,vild creatures~i The combination of flowing ,vater and emergent

vegetation results in the presence of a large variety of ecological niches~'

A niche 1:3-s'im.r~ the manner is lmich each animal species lives

__ ._' ~ ~ _L."T'C-'-
within its

surroundings and the peculiar adaptations of habit and structure manifested

by that an Ima), for its niche to exclude competitor species from living there

Hmvever~ the proper niche by itself does not guDrantee the perpetuation

of a species!; The species ex istiance also depends 00. its numbers and critical

popuL:tiOtl levels depend in turn on adequate ar'e as of habit<lt~ Hany marshland

animal forms are on the r~~d to crisis due to the accelerating dis8ppearance

of their habitat 1:1 California~' ~l~~~7~/i~,mot simply go else .

\~ere if thre~tened with lwbitut loSS. They are as firmly tied to their

s
niche as a fish is to Hater'~1 :\s :mc~rshland disappe;:lrs,the remaining

habitat elsewhere cannot; be called upon to fill the gap, for it is alre<~dy

supporting the maxImum number of living creatures it can sustain'!'

It does not require an expertts eye to discern the::t Pescadero Harsh

lj.as in its past felt the heavy hand of UU1n manIpu Latr Irig its natura:i~

resources~ The presence of levees and channels are all too obvious~ Yet,

the m~rsh is one of the very few coastal marshes in Central Cclliforni~ ti1at

has not been largely rendered tL.'1suitable for wildlife by human development;!~

In same ways~ man's activity has been of benefit to certain species whose

niche requirements are better served by the kind of habitat resulting from

human endeavors~ But it is imperative to realize that such alterations do

not often bode so happily for the enviroomental enhancement; of a mazsh

hnbitot':'

In this review of the marsh and its naturnl resources, ene must also

keep in mind the need to appreciate and incorporate into our thinking fu'ld

planning those surrounding portions of the watershed thBt are the true

sources of sustenance for the marsh~; other coastal wetlands discussed in

this Department of Fish and Game Hetlands Series have dealt with areas so

directly influenced by ocean tidal factors that tidal rythmn is one of their

most dominant influents'~" Pescadero j'1arsh

has its brackish portions~ but much

of the water that created it came directly as freshwater runoff from the

surround lng uplands:' Th is marsh then, on a much greater scale than its tidal

counterparts is more than a sum of its own biological components~; rts

character and health are strongly influ~lced by the nature and condition

of the upstream drainage that ~ourishes the ID2rsh with annual pre~ipitation

runoff; For that reason, this report will give strong emphasis to these
upstream areas that gave Genesis to and co~tinue to sustain this uniquely

important biological ar ea on the San Fr,mcisco peninsul<J.~:

f )( ,

This report is number 3::~~~~:'

in a series of pC1pers enumerating the

values of Californiats coastal wetlands~ The Dep~rtrnent of Fish and Game

enjoys the responsibility of protecting the fish and wildlife reSources

of California';' The purpose of this inventory by the Dep'lrtment is to

assist private citizenst plan.'1ers, 2dministrators and others concerned

with the use and development of coasuaI i1etlands and their environ's:;' The

report attempts to summarize resource and recreational characteristics and

potentials for the marsh and its surroundings, indicates areas of concern

and recommaTlds possible courses of action for the future:"

7
 Pescadero Harsh is ..an extensive CO(lstal wetL'"'.ndthclt covers more

chan 500 acr-es in San 1-13teo COU!1tybetlyeen San Fr,'!.ci.cisco and S ZT,ta Cruz.

The marsh is the end product of the Pescadero-Butano Creeks system, a

diversified watershed of more than 60 square miles descending from the

crest of the Santa Cruz }1ountdns~ The marsh is sur-rounded arid enriched

by the close proximity of a variety of rel~tively unspoiled habitats,

including redwood forest, 'I"7oodland,.extensive riparian li'odli1nd,expanses

of grassland and coastal scrub and a border of dunes ~nd oce2n be2ch.

The n."turul resources of this are a are diverse, ancl:-,constitute a

challenge to meaSure and enumerate. The WC"lter 3.reas, beaches, mudflats

and marshlands "Ire all prime suppliers of food and other ecological :1.eeds

for a 'tvide variety of wild1ife~ Hammals and rept iles are common in the

marsh, but it is waterfowl ~.d shorebirds that are especially attracted

to such environs~ Although most of these latter bird species are rnigr~~t5

which stop in the marsh during spring and autumn to reet and feed, many

are resident here~' The latter include some of california's more attractive

forms such as herons and egrets which breed here in 2. small rookery~ Over

180 species of birds, 50 species of mammals, 33 species of amphibia~s and

rept iles sh-ire their surroundings with the marsh and its related dr-a In.age ;

The v2riety of wildlife is made possible not only through the v~ried

contours of the land itself, but more directly as the result of the rich

vegetational diversity encompassed in the drahwge. OVer 380 species of

p l.antis have been ident if i ed in this study from the mar sh and its immed iate

surroundings and there are surely many more not listed in the appendiX.
 The creek system supporting the marsh plays host to the most import~~t

s aImon end steelhead fishery 0:1 the Scm Francisco Pen Inau l a north of the

San Lorenzo river in S-:mta Cruz countY~>;>Alter2ti0:ls of the marsh .':nd its

trlbut,-:lry streams in the past for agricultur::11 reclaimc:,tion, high~"ay bridge

'-......... ." .-.'-/"-'

construction, and water diversions have t2ken their toll of this fish

r esour-ce , but the opportunity and a challenge to enhance the fishery ex istrs;

Much of the land throughout the drainage ~bove the marsh remains in

private ownership and continues to be utilized for harvest of forest

products and ;>.grictHturI11 cr ops ; Portions of the mersh itself have been

reclaimed for the latter purpose and ;,11 of its immediate surroundings 6re

serving as farm or graz ing Land , Howevertt the northwestern portion of the

mar sh and adjoining beachf r ont; are in state oYT:1sership -md the State and

County have sign if icant park ho ld ings in key 2:reas of the watershed.

Negotio.tions are currently being schedUled to ette~t to acquire zdditional

marshland acres for enlargement of the present State Marshland Reserve!

:\t present, the restricted size of the St:lte-mmed portions of the

marsh preclude these wetlands from enjoying their ultim~te potenti~l for

meeting the very real demands of public recreational use ; Exp<msion of

the public are~ Rnd associated granter access will permit the abundant

biologic:ll, education and scientific values of the marshland to be utilized

to the ir fullest with less d:mger of adverse impc:ct upon the wildlife resource~

It is these latter attractions of bi ol og LceL, educ.it i one I and scie:ltific

Uses thnt $re of most importancefor ill':n's

use of the .:J.ret:l. The present
U e
level of eq'1lJ.<G-i t"lG>h~n by schools a:1d n;~tur:'.l
history groups attests to the

fish, ,olildlife, p Lant; ,:l:,d esthetic allure that the marsh projects to hikers,

rwture students, biologists and simply those who enjoy be Ing outidocrs ,
 ,,\ moder.it;e degree of hurrt Iug and f ish Ing recre-tio:-'.c<1 opportunities

still exist ia these sur-r ound Ings , In. the past" Hc~terfm-71hunting has

been very popular in the m,:rshland: Sport fishing for s aIrnon and s t ee Lhe.id

is still a pr Ime attrCi.ction with ILy ,\reCl ;mglers in wbter" erid the ne:1rby

beaches end rocky he'2ldL:::1ds attr"1ct f bf ish and shellf ish enthus i2sts from

far and wide~

The future of the marsh will be botih directly and indirectly dfected

by man t s act ivi ties in the Pesc n.dero-But-Juo w:::tershed ~ Deter:w.bat ion to <:\J

mdn.tab qu:ll1ty standi1rds for logging crid .1gricultur31 pn:cti-ees to preve"t

silti1tion, contrr ol of developne!"'..t through z onIrig and other reguli!tions to

preven.t un"H'ise permanent alteratior, of existi;"',g valuable wildlife habitat"

and developmer:.t of a ~,r-:ter management; progr2Il1 to gunr.:mtee equit':1bIe

distribution of the tp,ter resource ,'lre 2.11 imper."tive for the hellth~nd

survtve t of the 'tvetlands 0t the foot of the dr:1Li2ge~ Excessive diversion

of vater for development" agricultural irrig~tio~ and other upstrer.m dem~~ds

must not be permitted without consider"1tio!1 of the needs of the 'i-retLnds~

stud i es wi 11 hcva to be completed to eva Iuate how' much 'i'T(~ter vrU1 be needed

to meet ~ll the diverse needs of the wdtershed 2nd how best to meet these

requireroEll".ts without cnus mg deterimental effects on the others~:

Upstre~1m development can also have potentially dire effects, of

co~:t{!mi:l,-:tio'1. and pollution~ Loca l p,"'!st flood-drought cycle history has

alre::ldy presented n, view of the pernicious effects th;t b.st1.I1CeS of extremes

of w1ter f10H C~'. have in this reg"rd~' It is alre'1dy c:pp7.rEmt at our vrese"t

level of study thJ.t a defiaite need for incre'sLtg the circul:,tio" f10>-1.md

subsequent f Iuah irig act; i on of WHter throughout the marsh is necessary to

enhcnce its prese.'lt c ond It; i on fOl'1,rard to its true pote:,ti"l.

 In light of the btens i fy h:3 pub l Ic demand a:id need for wild life

recre,tio,<",l 8.re.-:8 in \-7hich 0:,0 C~L!pL;y, le:,~r:~'~:!dr e l ax , the ch.::rge

to protect and enhmce the natur'11 resources of this ,re; becomes a maj or

ch~~lle:~ge~ There ,o,re thre"ts to the Ll''rshL};,d '5 btegrity ,'1:::.d he',lth thJ.t

Hill h.rve to be stud led <l:,d rerned ies proposed bef are this import<~'it god

is ;:.::chieved, but the achievement is more th:!;" ~wrth the 'lttempt~ The

natrur a l resources of Pescade:rt>i'larsh iTC too ve Iutb l e Clot to make th",t

effort~
 The present high va Iue vmd potential for anh.aricement; of the fish"

,;rlldlife, recrei'.tion,d" and educetr Lone I va lues of Pesc~,dero ~'krsh are

Irid Lsputiab Le ; A g l ance at the hclbitat mep and an Irwent ory of the Hildlife

and pl:::nt species found in arid about this vi Luabl.e h:::bit:,t coni Lrms th~~t

the marsh is the most important coastal wet12.''cd 0,'1 the San Fr:mciscQ

Pe:linsulil~ The public hc s been-..emphatic in recent ye.rrs cbout; their cancer"

reg"rding the preserve.tion. of such ;,re::s2.S Pesc<,dero N~'rsh. Due to past

t:.gricultural recHlim'itio!l efforts,. portions of the or i.gIn eI mar-sh h sva

alre;:dy d isappe.:-red. In order to forestall t,ny add ition~ll loss or deterio .

r2tion of existing marshland quality, the Department of Fish and Game

submits the fol1~;ring recommendatia1s:

r, A "latershed management p l an be prepared for the Pesc3dero-But'-lno

dz-aIn.age system thet Hi 11 provide f or the preserv2.t ion. rna intenanca,

enhancement ond proper utilization of all its natural resources~

Such a plan should include not only w2.ter storage designs to maintain

qua.Hty H~tter in sufficient quantity to provide for existing

agricultural, residential, commercial and recreational needs in the

w~tershed above the marsh. but nlso concern itself with these

additional cQ\'.sider,o;tions!

A~ Des ign methods of regul8,t ing water relef.lse throughout the ye2r

nt levels suitable to maintre In the native an cdr-omcus fishery

Rnd provide quality w~ter for improved circul~tion and flushing

2ction Ifithin the m~rsh. This will probably require a review of

ol1strearn d.ims thc:t ,-lOuld i:-,hibit f ish movement.

B. Implement a progrB11l of enhancement; for tributaries of Pesc<'ldero ----.~

9a
 productive cond itio:" for ",n:-dromous fish t.hrough stream

cle;\r:,nce arid h,:blt "t improvement. This would comp l.ement;

existing regulntions relc,ted to the prevention of er os Lon

and sed imentatioo through logging, road constrrucc Ion and

housing development.

C. Initiate Co! water quality monItror Ing program in .md about

the immedi~te ViCL,ity of the marsh to study w2ter table

fluctuations, salinity gradients, and 'W2ter flow pattenns

in order to prevent d'~2ge to the marsh and its surroundings

through excessive s::dinity intrusion, both subsurf ace :md tidal~

2~ Design and implement A.specific management; plan for the St,1te .owned

port i oris of the m3rsh, '"h i ch inc lude levee and \r"ter coo trol

men ipuV,tion potentiHls for Incr exsed flushing and circulation of

'wlter, thus In cr-eas Ing h,'lbitat values for nestbg "H.)terfowl~

Ex:!mi;-;<athe cond Lt I or.s engendered by the presence of the cof f er-d am

at the mouth of pesciCdero Creek end explore the fe,-:>.sibility of

removing the drun and perhaps ,~lteri"g the creek entir ence in such a

manner that flushing action wi 11 be improved end excess iw sand

<1.:1d silt deposition precluded~ There are sever a L alter:-tative

des igns av.3.i Llble.

3. Preclude further development of existing mar sh l and ou.t:side the

\~~ Q-YO "Zo"'.~
present St.':te boundar Ies by,cquisitiof11 of such pr oper-tr ies ; Since

the prese;.,t study m.ikes elcT th:;:t recrc1tional, scientific "nd

public educ(\tion uses of these resources are most; "ppropri_~,te for

should be ,:,.djusted so as to ericour cge Lmdow"ers within the

 'immedL,te v i c In Itiy of the marsh to develop their property in lnys

th,lt f;\re most compat Ib Le \-7ith ,,~tural resource use. This most

likely wouf.d prove to be ;:griculture.

4~ Hithb the "cquired Stc~te-Ol{:1ed.~.nd open need por't i ons of the m2.rsh

P"
(whLch should conc Inue to be de s Lgn.itied :, )(Elserve), a series of

policy a ims should be considered which include but are r ot; 'co:lfhed

to the following:

,~,. ,\ctively promote educiltimldl use of the marsh trhr-ough acces s

designs imd bstructionol f',cilities th:lt ar e compatr Ib l e with

the breeding ~\nd h.',bit;~t requireme:lts of the 10c:',1 vildlife~

This woul d Invo lve eV.bor;;tio::1 of the prese..'1t tr~1.il and exhibit

system within the guidelines postuldted by Biaford (1972). The

l<~tter includes b.stcllLltio~t of exhibits and Cr.!11s in such mannez

that avoid intrusion Intro .nterfov71 breeding ,-,re2s, the heron

rookery, cert~in prime wildflower ~re2S and the Indian midden site~

B. Provide :.ldequa.te resident st<lffL-;g for o:,...site educi!tioll':11 presEnt ..

<.. ations'~d to monitor public use to prevent vind aI iSI:l~ ;\n ide:!l

be OC! the Pard i:1 i property overlook Ing the marsh from the south

b~nk of Pesc~dero Creek;

c. In it i:!te ,'::'1. intens ive rese,'.rch inventory. including habit,,:t rnapp Lng

of'-plant and animal resources withi;1 the mar-sh; ,\ctively promote

[lover:1ment'ge:'>cies 'nd priv,~te citize:1s so th,:t quantit:!tive

published materi:l rel,".ted to the marsh m.iy become ,!v-:iltble~

The l;~tter would be of bvc1u ble .:id I:, identifyL'g similer v!lues

I:'. other uetl;r,ds r:lo:ig C:,l iforni", '$ cO"stli"e 1:, the future~

9c
 Plate 1

..o
.
--
S

I
S~'" 11..,. Co. M.",o.;-a\ P;. \<
, tSt ..
~ P<!.te.,.l.~e C"'"l~ CoO.P~"'\.c
Pe.h\1J ..:i\:.1Iol;. P~.. k
Ii e..t;),",o $hb P;,,..I.t

San Franc\sco Peninsula Adopted from San l-1ateo

Co~ Dept. of P~rks
10 and Recre,!tion
 THE PESCADERO
H\RSn ENVIRONS

Description of Area

pescadero l-Llrshis a co.istia L 'Hetland located in irestern San H,".teoCounty

\~
approximately 35 miles sm~h of San Fr~ncisco (Plate 1). ~t lies at ~nd
_-'-~L __ L_r_ or _ L 'L"'~. __ ~ ._ r o. - ,_ -.

//~-b~t the conf Iuerice of Butiano and Pescadero Creeks where the L,tter stream

f Lows acr oss the ii"idth of pesc.:.c1ero 2t.~te 2c. -ch I: to tl!G Pacific Ocean;

The m~rsh is irregu12r in general outline (Plate 2), but averages about ane-

third of a mile in width and exte!,ds east:'\7ard from the str<!:ld and Highway 0,1e

for a dista:1ce of more than a roiler /'1t this pOin,t, there is sn inconspicuous

blending with the ~gricultur~l land th2t friDges the marshes e~stern boundary

and separates it from the small community of Pesc2dero which is 2bout two

;
, Jirmilas In Land from the ocean:~';
\;. ..-- 1~
.
\ ( ~-~ Pe~~sh is the only extensive wetland al.ong the coast of the

\ Snn Francisco PeninsUla and the combination of its reLltively undeve l.oped

m1d ecologically varied surroundings plus its strategic location 2djacent to

the ocean make it one of the most impo:rt.mt and v",lu:,ble coastal H'etlands in

. ~entralC!.1ifornia!
JJ (J \.,!,~)
I,'" 7\) Host of the wetland [I.rea is composed of fresh or brac1dsh-water hnbittlt~

but there is some tidal influence th~t affects the sh~11ow lagoon in the

vicinity of the highway br!dge'~\ The combination of ~-1inter storm surf and

incre,sed stre"mflow from heavy precipita.tion upstre,.un usucllly breaks the

sandbar at the mouth of the creek and tempor,~',rily converts the lagoon. into
'('"" , .....
To the iaJ!;t <:nd north, strat,d~ co.istr xl scrub and grnssli'.nd plant

cormnunities dominate, while on the east <'ud s outihe.ist; the lc-~p..dsc2.peblends

attractively into the soft cootours of the iJooded foothills arid forested

heights of the S:'nb: Cruz. Hountains:-' Scrub and .:!;;ricultur<ll La.id cover the

southern f Lmk of the Ilk!rsh'~'

\1
 Plate '2

.
~ -
:;..
-.
~ ".
.:=:s
.. .

N<> -\:),
'v M;>~.r~

~~~ 'v
L,., ...
'l,'"

.~:~'$.
~ ---"""""'""",-

--' / DcH=-
.,.. M"' .. 'I-t .:>V.

Pescacier-o

\'2
 The occurence of shell middens i'1ithb the confines of the preS8!lt

State owned portion of the mar-ah attest to abor Ig In a l, residency on the l;'l."1d

for a protr<lcted period prior to the Drrival of European man in CllifornL1.~

~;)--::t;: ."

HO\vever~ the record of ~~"e4r tenure and Ufe style is little h't1.OWIl and much

of their culture is b~sed on surmise, "hile the histo~J of ~~~Jr use of the

Pescadero area is lost to us due to a Lack of tlay written record~'

In 1769; Portol<f and his party passed through S2n Hateo County while

searching for Honterey B:oy, marking the first recorded visit to the are,' by

the vangunrd of the New Horld '5 Euz'opean colonizers'!' Early in the 1800's

most of the area \Vas sUbdivided Int;o Nexica..'1 land gr;.lflts and the names of

some of these e<lrly grtmt.:s still figure prominently in the lexicop. of local

names and the titles of conmmnities and natural features in San H;;;teo County~'

The arriVi.ll of the first Americ<~ll settlers in the e~rly 1840's resulted In

the founding of Pescadero and SpanishtO'im (V.ltter known as Half Noon Bay)~1

At the time California attahed Statehood, most of pres:B.Llt-day Srin Hateo

county ,:ras part of San Francisco county~' lm 1856 State legislative bill

providbg for consolidation of the $,,:0. Francisco and county government

incide~tial1y provided for the establishment of San MRteo as ~ separnte

counti~' The county formed by this measure 1:tC1S enlarGed in 1868 by anne-xing

the coastal territory between Sn~ Gregorio Creek (the drainage immediately

north of the Pesc'ldero H,',tershed) and the existing San i>klteoSenta Cruz

County lL,e~ Thus, Pesc(!ciero Harsh and its appr-ox Irnatie Ly sixty square mile

i',bout 1885, Ttd Ln Q.:o.d portuguese immigrants began to rapidly settle

the Pescadero D.red By the turn of the century, their talents for groH'ing

specia,lty crops resulted in d thriving agriculturc,l economy; This growth

pz'omptied the co.nstruction of the Oce'~:lsho.re Railroe.d L-~1906,. w-hich pLnned

to. lbk San Francisco. w'ith Silrlt,c; Cruz to. the south, but the r,':ils never

appr-o.iched closer tha;:"l 1\t"it",s Creek about eight miles to the north of

Pescadero:' .Uthough subsequent; events neur er to San Fr.:mcisco resulted in

spdrts of growth and develo.pme...'1t in no.rthern. SoL'. :'iateo County, compara.tively

little change h2S come to. the "tree. surroundL:g the Pescadero drabige";' l'iuch

of this is due to. the L,terpositio.'.1 of the rugged S<Jnta Cruz Hountd'1$

between the coastal <"'.re.':!

r::nd the intense development beyond near San Francisco.

Bi1yf The travelers vista t(xky a Loo.gHightT2.Y One is a som...ule::t, P2stor,:il

scene featur4ng CUltivnted co.i1stal terraces, ~lternateing with p,~sture and

coas tia l, scrub, punctruatred here and there by homes }nd small farITlS~

Climate
-........ .

The climate of the area is characterized by a winter se~son (October.

April) th~t features alternate l~terv~ls of ccol, gloriously sunlit days

and short periods of storms which blOWing in from the pacifiC Oce an may extiend

for three or found d2.Ys~; These disturbances are often marked by hecwy precipi .

tatioo and gale-force winds':!" The total seasonal precipitation ranges from

about 20 inches annua I mean near the coast to more than 50 inches (occes Lonel.Ly

up to 70 inches) near the crest of the mountai;:s~: Orographic lifting imposed

by mountra In terrain charncteristics accounts for this sharp rainf~,ll c1ine~;

Although r~1in is very uncommon during the surmner montihs., the presence of dense

coastal fog during the e,~rly morning and evening hours produces humidity

cond iti Ions th;:t compens atres for a l<~cl"of vern a l precipitittioo-; l.t times

along the imnediate coast and over pescadero ~L"rsh, the summer fog remai:s

unbr-oken throughout periods of several days on erid;

11'1'0 important tributl1I"J streams contribute to the Pesc:,dero !'1a,rsh after

\4
 draining a 63~8 square mile 2r0:1 on the western f Lanks of the Sa0ta Cruz

!:ojOU.1tClhs.. The drnin;)ge is dominated (}1. the north by the 50 square mile

Pesc3dero Creek system, inc1ud ing Pesc'ldero Creek and its two most importicnt;

tribut.?ries, Bradley and Hoas In ge r Creeks! Their combined runoff var i es

between 700 and 850 (lcre feet me.in annu.tI flow per square mile of the upper

drainage~ Butran o Creek supplies O"!pproximatelY the same amount of water flow

through the marsh area, but its drainage are~ is co~siderably smDller~ The
2v':'l'""'''Ie
c ombIn edj armua I runoff of both streams is over ::)'1,200 .icz a feet~ The flow

pattern is ~~estward from the mou.t!tains a Long Pescadero Creel< and northwest

along Butano Creek (Plate 3)~

After the first sign if ie,.mt runoff flows in November (4090 acre feet

Elverage), precipitation peaks in In::uary (7890 acre feet average) and begins

to fall back to November levels ~,gdn by mid~larch in an iwaraga ya::ld Host

ava112ble precipltatiQ' thus is restricted to winter m~lths and the m2rsh

receives almost al1 of its infloW' t"uter during this time~ Of course, the

data above pertain, to average runoffs; fluctuaticns f r ora these rne.ms CM

W\:'iZL-
be extreme~ During a period of 64 ye3rs when d~t~ ~ gathered from the

Pescadero gauging st~tion, runoff tot21s in acre feet varied from a high of

81, 600 (1911) to a 1mV'3,300 (1913)~ In the last two decodes, variations

have gone from as high as 74,790 acre feet in 1958 down to 4000 acre feet in

1961~ Since there are no facil ities for storing water in quentity on this

watershed, such r~~off as exists during a rainy seaSml is the only signifi-

cant; annua I ~V'~ter thc;t is r1v~il;.,ble to those portions of the marsh still

und iked Clod open to flood ing from Pesc(!dero and Buta '0 Creelw~

.Erpsio~
. ~nd Soils

Although major pcrti Ic-is of both wi1tersheds -"re protected from eommercill

use by the presence of St.::te ..md County pdrl<s, there is (--\s Ign If' Icen t; level

lS
 PlaTe 3

'\/
~

. J
, \. '

"' \. f
..

,
I

\..--..r-\ Perh'l~""'o\t Sl.".'i""

l - n
] \",h'f"l'I\ltth;' S\.
u~

mer !I '(HUll
o

Adopted from Forest Resources of San N:::teo County, Planning Dept.~ 1971
 of second-growth timber logging nearby carrying 2 potential threat of

stre:!m channel disrpptlon and s ilt,".'.tio:1~ To d,'1te, the 10c:'.1 county s:)fe.-
---.}V- ~ 'i
guards for timber oper:\tlo;ls hcve been sufficient to pr eventx unacceptab Le

problems -t.arrlQj'e] op~ The natur.:cl cover and soil compos Ic Ion in und i strur-bad

';1'e<1.5 is sufflcie;lt to cope with the bigh winter precii?it~ltion leve1s~

/\t higher elevations, the redwood and Douglas-fir forests dre not char actrer Iaed

by a he2VY ground cover, but the co~ifers themselves ebsorb much of the rain-

fall for their own use', Local soil trypes "re Hugo-Buti.mo soil ass oc ict Iona

with br~Ynish moderately deep to deep soils (Plate 4)~ Lobitas-Santa Lucia-

G."zos soils are present at mid-elevations on the mountain s l.opes of steeper

pitch!' These are a grayish brmvnt very shal1~v to deep soils overlaying

sedimentary rocks in forest situations'!' Hhere the soil is shallow under the

woodland. the latter fe2tures B multiMstorieci shrub and ground-cover layer

th."lt prevents excessive runoff dO'lIDstref1m!'

The soil types in the IDf!rshitself and aLong the riparian slopes are

part of the Tunitas-Loc~iOod association which ~re grayish or brownish deep

soils of alluvium from various rocks~

LiIt'olD OHNERSHIP

The distribution of Land parcels in and ~lrcund the pesc:~dero dz a In age

system consists of both private and public ownersh Ip; The latter is repre.

sencad by parks owned by the State of C,9.lI f orn ie and San Bateo councy, The

latter CIW::1S the large 5~700 acr e pescadero Creek County Park in the middle

portion of the pescndero Creek drdno.ge (Plate 5)~ Just 'Hest of this

holding there is the smal Le'r 315 acre S:O.[1!'-i2teo Councy Nemoric,l Perl<

(t~lthough close nt hand on the m.~~p.ncDon',ld county P,",rk is actually north

of Deer P:lrl< Ridge in the StEt Gregorio Creel~ drab"1ge) ~

The Stilte of Cal if or a i a'ilso h is import'''.nt 10c"!.1p ".rcels under its

\7
 Pescadero Marj\, Soi) Assoc\a'1:\O~.3
(key (n.. to How\\o\, p~,.,.)
vdop t ed from U~S. Dep'lrtment of /Igriculture, Soil Conserv.:1tion Service N.:lp
 -..
N/\NE

Ad Active dune l&~d

BaB2 Baywood sandy loam,. gently sloping, eroded

BaC2 Baynoed sandy loa...
>lJ s lop Ing , eroded
BaD2 Ba~"ood sandy loam,. moderately steep, eroded
BdA Botalla loam, nearly level, imperfectly drained
ndB Batelia loam, gently sloping, imperfectly drained
BfB Botella loam, ne':irly level and gently s Iop Ing, poorly dreined
var i ant;

ef COf!st:al Beach
C1D2 Colma LO~l,moderately steep, eroded
ClE2 Colma loam, steep,. eroded
ClF2 Colma loan, very steep, eroded
emD2 Colma sandy loa.m, moderately steep, ez-od ed
CmE2 Colma s~~dy loam, steep, eroded
CmF2 Colma sandy loam, very steep, eroded
Cm?3 Colma sandy loam, steep and very steep, severly eroded
CoA Coquille lo~~, nearly level,. saline
erA Corralitos lo?Jny-sa~d,nearly level, imperfectly drained
CsB Corralitos a.indy loam" gently sloping
CyA corralitos sandy loam" over clay, nearly level, imperfectly drained

Due2 Dublin clay, sloping" eroded

DwB Dublin clay, gently sloping, imperfectly drained

EhC2 Elkhorn sandy loam" sloping" eroded

EhD2 Elkhorn sa,dy loam, moderately steep, eroded
EtCa Elkhorn sandy loam, thick surface, slopL,g~ eroded

GpE2 Gazos loam, steep~ eroded

GbF2 Gazos Loam, very steep;' eroded
GoF3 Gazos and lobitos soils, steep and very steep, severely eroded
Gv7 Gull ied land (Tierra and i-latsonvi11e soil materials)

1-1Ixed alluvial land

Rb Rough broken land

Sl~\ Soquel loam, nearly level

Sm; Soquel loam~ nearly level, imperfectly drained
SoA Soquel~lmam, over clay, ne~rly level
SrA Soquel loam, over clay, nearly level, poorly drained

Ta Terrace escarpments
TeC2 Tierr,'~loam, sloping, eroded
TeE2 Tierrc. loam, steep, eroded
TmD2 Tierra sandy 103m, mooer;!tely steep, eroded

HmC2 H;"Jtsonville Lo.un, sloping, eroded

~<lr'J)2 1-lDtsonville lO.Tm, moder"ltely steep, er-oded
HsC2 Hntsonville sandy loam" sloping, eroded
HsD2 \L~tsonvi11e sandy lO:lm, moder,~.telysteep, eroded

19
mmership and concr-ol, ButtH'.O State park lies:lt the upper end of ButA"-O

Creek and encoIDpesses 2,186 Qcres~ Adjoi~ing the County-o~ed pesc~dero

Creek PZlrk is 1.740 ""cre portol,'\ St"te P<:,rk~ /\11 the aforementio:ied cou-rty

(,nd State parks ]re almost exclusively in woodland or forest h"bit.',t and

are well ups tir-eorn in the drain.:lge~

A very different type of setting exists rit the Stnte Beach ;md Reserve

near the mouth of Pesc.:'tdero Creek~ Pesc;\dero St,'te Beach encompasses 290

acres and is formed of two distinct ecological entities~ The portion west

of Highw~y One is 80 acres of beach flanked ml the inshore side by a line

of tall, partially vegetated s~nd d~~es~ Across the highway from these

taller dunes is a 210 acre parcel of lower dunes and marshland~ This latter
i)

area is classified as a stateAieserve and includes somewhat less tha~ half

of the totill wetLmd area in Pescadero 1'1

arsh~ Purchase of add ition.almarsh .

Land acr-eage is being n.egot iated as of tilis writing;

other government holdings in the drain2ge i~clude two inmate facilities

near portola p,~rl<, a r.d tlvo refuse d Lspos aI sites, a. h i ghway mdntena:tce base

and a Stc.te Division of Forestry fire station ~ the south side of Pescadero

Road opposite the marshr

The remaining land mmership i" the drainage is priv<,te and rcmges from

small home lots to agricultural p ar-ceLs of several hundred c~cres in the lower

re3ches and timber plantations of somewhat smaller extent at the higher

elevations~ Very few of these parcels are available to the general public

even for limited recreational use~

L'I[m USE

For discussion purposes , Loon I <\griculture can be divided into timber

'0 'I~ 'A r '. r

harvest (forestry), food-crop farming and f1oriculture~

"2.0
 N

<D PUC'U~f"C> Stal.f' 'Bo~4 ;J~.( Rct,f~e

(i).S;,,,,, tht4"o Co'oM\'1 M~-o .
~'a\ Pa..-k
@) . P"..J c: ..llf.
e CO". ~'1 Pal"'W:-

p~'r-r.o\a St~-t.. P;}~k

(J) t3".ta\>\o S-t.tt. 'P.Ol ..""

@ S ~'M Me 'Do't'l,*\ol POl~k

21
 H.'~rvest of s ec ond-vgrowtih redwood and Doubl as -f Lr tinber in the

mounticIn ous portio;,s of the draLvge h1S expanded very s Lowl.y over the

p:!st feH ye.'!rs L~ spite of the il"tcre:"sing damand for tImber pr oduct.s ;:

l":;ost Loco I timber harvest app l t c nz Lo.rs project <!verage maximum cuts of

150 to 200 c.cr'es and there "re usu'lly t;>"o or three such h.irvest; permIts

gr:'nted per ye;.;r~ This results In .:; average armu al cut of 3 to 3~5 million

board feet~ Slace most of the permit ar'e.is :1'e m.in.iged as sust<:tined-yicld

tree farms,. h;-~rvest levels :'re ,1nticipated to re!il.'in subst:'ntLllly the s ame

in the future~ poter,:ti'll problems th:t these c'nG other ,:,gricultur;;il

operat; ions CLG1 pose for the marsh nnd its snv Lr ons will be considered

The m<~jor .'.lgricultura.l use of the foothills i!:1d COdstc-:.lterrilce in

colonial times wns muinly for c:'ttle raising,and there is still much of

the foothill grassland ':rea in use for grilzing beef iy:1Ct dairy cettle., and
-:

Truck ~!nd field crop production has under-gone D shift in emph.is Ls

durbg the lust few dec"des~ Origbally oriented tow".,rd filling the table

been to capitalize o~ the gr~~ing n2tion~1 demand for such specinlty crops

as Brussels sprouts iJnd artichokes~ The 13tter crops 2re p~rticular1y well

suited to the soil and c Hm.rt ic conditions of the immedfate coasti; The

oco.ionn c importrE\Ce of these veget2bles is inc! iC.~ted by the f;!ct th<~t Sa"

N:,teo county's contribution to the C.UfornL" Brussels sprouts production

averages ,',bout 1+3percent of the St"te total :1:1d this sh.rre is as sumed to

r emeIn co.:::.strmt for the next four decddes~ .\rtichokes ,ore ;, gourmet item

and br Ing high r0t:'il prices on the consumer DI:!rket~ Other food coops such
 ~,rtichokes as rot::t:ional crops; serving both to rest and rejuvenate the

soil and in the case of barleY!t to control c lubr'oot; disease associated

with long-term Brussels sprouts production~

In recent years, floriculture 11'.,sbecome ::m incre.}sirrgly importa::tt

industry nec,r Pesc"'-derol Sever,)l f ieldflower oper.:ltions In ,"":,(d.Toundthclt

community have Inrge ccrei:'ges devoted to str:nv-flOl.er prcd.uction~ If the

demand for this product accelerates in the future, the 10c;,1 are:, could

expvnd production to F.:ccomodittethe dem.md by cultiv::cting the terr.::ce L:nd

. above the al1uvisl f Locdp LaIrr;

- ...<:.C"m""E.,...c:~"a\ 2'hCt R(O:;l'lck .h':l.l
In spite of the name pesc.;,dero (which tr(1.;.cslr'ted from Spanish mearis

IIfis1f.ery!~nll) there is no 1.oc,,1 cornmercial itldustry in the dr,c;inage directly

reL.lted to fishing! The feiv bus inesses in Pescadero provide services for

the local ~es idents plus the sCdtterL,g of tour ists and beach vis itors that

find their w,w in from the main highwa.y~

ResldentL:.l development is nlmost exclusively confined to in and ar ound

Pescadero and, on an even lesser sCGle, '.ct Loma Har~' Even if the existbg

r ood system were improved beyond its present cop.Jcity; the d istiance and

terrab to be traversed in onder to re::ch the job marl'.:et on the Bays Ide of

the Sant,'l Cruz Nount",i~ls 'would deter nll but the most determbed commutier,

The possibility of extensive second-home or retirement community developme~t

loc"\11y has ;:>.pparently been ret,,roed by z onIug l!:'egulatlo:.1s, c l Imatie conditions,

and d Lstran ce from ur-ban are:s~ The potentbl exp.ms Lon of tourist c,ctivities

may provide some L1Cre;\sed need for s erv Ices ; but coast; 1 i:1e d eve Lopment;

restrictions Hill pr obcb Iy inhibit c~ly dram.,:tic grO"lrt:h of such needs for at

Le.isf the very ne '~r future.

Pesc,~dero Narsh

?y
 D r~Z
rL\TURAL RESOURCES

The dr:,inage system th"t supports Pesc,',dero r;arsh with life-giving

\-l2ter covers l1e,:,r1y 38~400 ccr es , Less th::n a trhous.md acres hus bee"

conve'rtred to commercL:! and res idential development (farming excluded) ,'1:;1d

most of this is concentiratred at Pesc,:dero and Lorna. .t>Lr, communities \'lith a

combined population of only a feH hundred pe opl e; Thus'.bout 37,500 acreS

of the Pescndero ..Butano \-7:'1tershed ret;:dn some degree of f ish and wildl ife

V.'.llue~ The follOlving Invent ory of the m,::;jor wildlife h'"bitrc:t tyPes

recognized in this study include forest,~wood12nd, rip~rin", cultivated

/~ checl~-list of c omm0"; a .d scientific n omes of m,,~,y of the more abundant;

or conspicuous pbnts found in the study arca. is ,:lppended (Appendix E)~-

4;.' PI",t(' <;.> \..c\,C.!d:.,:'" ~"'<> ~(->f>,.,"'I"""'''-t'L' loc;;.tl.; .. <,J~ ge"C::v-..\ ...-t.ype.s
\,t(;~l~'\;,t,<>
.......
\1 F0.E..~s.t (W'"\~; !;,l,ioC CA~,;)"1"7"le
Y ,} p'''' '"l.~)
.~
:,/'
X'.::- '. Hith the excepc i on of t: few prominent gr assy bald pe:ks~ ,:[lruost all of

the Pescadero Drain;,ge i>'~ the S ,mt.:; Cruz l-!Ountdi'IS highbnds over 1000 feet
~ i".

elev2tioi is covered by forested Land, I deep c,:l:'.yo,:s, sm.:.dl redwood scands

may extend downward to nenr sea level~ ,\lthough few remnants of the or'Lg In eL

virgin timber Ca.n be found outside of St,.,te .md COU!1.ty parks, there still

exist locally ext ens ive stail.ds of second"'growth redwood and Douglas f ir'l'

Other them huckleberry and numerous fern species, understory veget"tion is

c.
ge:-p:-;'lllY1bsent beneotrh the pure redt-Tood stands; but in formerly logged (~rca.$

t(moill~;' m,',drone an.d bW Lmrel mhgle ,v!th <l well .

developed shrub layer under

the soft1wods nnd serve to hold sol1 Inyers in pLace on the often precipitous

slopes~

-Ho(xll,:'.~ld
.. , . -
Port lons of the foothills are cover-ed with ope:. wood13:,d composed ;~lmost

entirely of live oaks he;wily festoot',ed ,1ith be,rd Lichens ; Usue Ll.y there is
an ~SSOCi2ted shrub l~yer of elderberry, bl~ckberry, gooseberry 2nd coffee.

berry and occ as LonaLl.y :'. grove of introduced No terey pines. The tree cover

is often widely dispersed and preseclts :;, srvannah atmospher-e, i-Ulere cO'lsti.l1

scrub ,'tdjoins the ~'ToodLt;'d, the L,terf:.:ce betneen the tHO h 'bit:s results in

an ock forest "rith a de,':se, a Iraos t; impenetr:ible understory! Such wood1" d

thickets provide e~t;:cel1et esc"'pe cover for wildlife! In most wocrlla:ld area

i1here livestock gr;;.zLg is COCl,st<lnt, the under-scory is gener,lly reduced or

absent; except ,mere tributdry H:tercourses cut down. the hills ides~ Here the

oak woodLund merges l,to the rip",ri",-, woodLrr.d th~,t fringes the stre';msides'~

p.iE'lrian .'

Beyond the rn2U':sh, both Buc.ano and Pesc'ldero Creeks fe:'!ture lush riverine

or ripilrLm ioloooland along their channel margins~' Cotto';'woods. sycamore,

oaks, maples,. box. eldert alders arid sever,'l i-ril1O\-1 species crowd t..i1.e stre,.:m-

ba:"\k, acthtg as a rl,,tu2;'nl eros Lo.: control and providii.g exoel Lent; wildlife \

hOlbit,.,t'!' This rip ',rian veget<.::tion represe"ts the 0;',1y bro~\d-le::ved;lrbore:ll

veget,>tiol bet"i-ree;: the strandli'e<,:,d the HoodL,nd foothillsl'1.d .is such

serves .is an natural corridor for uildlife mov lng hetweea the L,tter dre;,cs!'

.9.u1t iv,:;ted bad.s and Gx:rss1.'i <I;~

Huch of the Land innnedL:.taly surroundin.g the n,;rsh .:md on the cOlst:~l

terr.:.ce is ,L1 some fO:J:J;l of agricultur:ll use, either cu1tiv'3ted or used for

livestocl, gra.z bg~' The pr-oductr io of Brussels sprouts (!.nd "rtichol~es

domin."te the f ood crops pL::nted~' ,\ bur'ge o i Ing f inldflOi'1er in.dustry has come

i,to beLg durb.g the 1Clst few ye'!rs 0,."1. the alluvium close to the 10c:':1

creek ch: .:~;nels:: The V;1.1ueof such h~bitdt for most Hildlife is mi;im"ll,

eXG,';'r.:-t phere brushy margbs provide cover for brushr.rbb Itrs and .:.:few bird

species ~ The surround i.nS gr,':ssl'''-.ds on Lmd too steep for eff icient crop
numbers of sheep are ~"lso l""lsed for Hool and me t products. 1\ few gr"ss-

Land birds are found here,. and deer gr"ze the grl.ssl~':lds L, 11'i ',ter~

r-1uch of this ,''lgricultural ;:',d livestock pr oductr i on li1:;:d is bordered

~\ ,
by vrindbred<s formed of btroduced ~calyPtus trees. ,\It.hough the trees are

u~1.palat;:ble .is f orcge bcc ause of their oils,. many :mim::ls, especL~lly cert,".b,

birds such c,s h:n-rks i~:~dherons utilize the..'il for nesting and roosting purposas ,

a:i.d hUlnmil,gbirds sip neetnr from the hLosaoms ,

Co[\st~ll Scrub
.
1~xte,'sive areas of this habitat \rhic..1-t
have es ccped remov,~l to accomodatie

.r::.griculture re!Uain in the 10'l1'er-', r'e.vches of the co..at e I foot..~i11s and around

lmp~netr,,,ble to mct;,,'i" Hany ;::gricultural pastures hcve their perimeters bordered

'With this scrub 'Hhich serves as :,n excellent source of food ~'i!d shelter for

m.iny a"im".ls~' Certgin species like the nrentit and the brushrabbit are

found almost nowhere else but: hi this h",bit~,t tyPe~' Co','stc:l bl::ck~t:dl deer

Coast,,,1
t
Str;"nd

Forming (). conspicuous border on the w'estern side of the marsh,. the

backgz'ound for the adj o In Irig Hetl:',,,~dsr Visiting botanists from other pdrts

of the ,'\merica::. Hest, accustiomed to lupine 'is ,:~sm;.l11 Hild flO'i.er, gnze in

astion Ishment; at lUpi.,es th.::t grow here L~,to ,,1 Lar ge bushy shrub; ConsiderL:.g

th:t the connnunity is hosed 0;:. <:: sand substr,~te,'n .rmaz Irig Iy L:rge v,:riety

of veget.:ltion appeoz-s In the dune portion of t:.l-tis eommu.:lity.

1.7
 Th:lt prt of the str::;',d be'ch subjected to the ebb .ind f101.; of the

tides serves ,-::.S the ill jor for:rri;-:,g gr-ound for sever,'l ~,mter ,::ssoci.~ted

bird spcc Ies ; During migri::tio , their :-tU1bers miy exceed s eve rc L tihous and

to the be.rch I!1i1e ,<".d~t such times r.1 y of them spill L',Vnd to feed on

the muddy m.rgbs of the L: goo: ';d the cr'eek cho..ne Ls within the m,-Jrsh.
n,~ In.t.;:r
1'.flA..Gis cspech111y true duri::s the return migr tio i '.mid suranez 'rhe_-, the

beeches .r'e subjected to he V'J hUr:J::, use pressure.

The dunes behind the be.vch pLy host to :! lesser TIlL.1Jberof bird spec ies ,

but 3. few s oagb Lrds cr e res ident here :,;-,dnumerous land bird migr~.;,ts follow

the lbe of dune veget c. tion southw-'-'rd in the <,utw:L'l~ The dunes :".d their

associ .1tcd low scrub veget;ltiol1 support L::rge popul.;tio:-,s of brt.tshrc:bbits

and sever'll rodent f orms i'ThiGh in turn,.ttr-,ct r.umezous r.::ptors tht prey on

ther;i~

Durhg raos c of the yer, the mouth of Pesc:dero Creel~ <.'Lt the oce.:n ts

edge is bl ccked by d scnd b rr brou~ht in.to pl vce by bcomi:'.g tides. Thus,

s e a Wtlter is precluded from directly enteri::1g the creek and W, tars withia

are itt lArge p'1rt the residue of precipit.:~tior. runoff from .winter r:: b.s

over the In Land dral;~"'ge system: Duri:"g stormy weo.ther, water flow incre2ses

dr,lm.'ltlcally and on occ as ion overflo<:] :'Iormd cherma l perimeters flooding the

surrounding marshland and floodpL:b~The fL.:;.1 st.::ges of. such ,';0oo.i:;8, .'
' ". '. r " ..' '. ~: ." ~ _ ',,: .". '. _ ,"'

cocb I od ,dth h i gh tides or stern $u~:';:s l;~ 1- resvlt Ll b:t'ief, but qu 'ntit .'.

tively si[;l"',ific n t; intrusio s of se i"it2r ito the ll~'.oo".'re .: e st of the

hiG'h::.7lf'Y br Idge , Duri g such per i od s of f Lcod i <:;, the 1.1[;001 is tr:'r.sforr.:ed

Int;o ~, brr-ck l sh estu:'ry "",ct suf f Ic i ent; s:;lt,-T ter is L:.troducect i .t;o portions

of the surrounding mcr'sh l aud to m-ke c o-d i c Lons ;,5 s~:lbe .is <my tid~'.l r.lclrsh.
 Certai.l species of m<"rir:e invertebr:;tes ~:djusted to the resulting s.li:~ity

cond Itr i.or.s mz'y e stiab l i sh themselves briefly in bottom sed Imant s "Tith the

1:,goo:~until freshwater inflDl-1 reduces the s',l1nity gr,J.dient bel ow their

toler'H1ce LeveLs,

Prior to the construction. of the modern hight..-;::.y bridge, co:,ditio;,s

b the lagoon were reported quite different th,"1;l. those existing tod[ty~'

.vccouncs of local residents indic,:lte th"1t the channel under the prese'olt

L~goO:1.,].,'5 [It least tvelve feet deep nerr the bridge (up to 18 feet deep

in a few mid chan-ie I loc;~tiol\s),:,d deep i'li1ter extended Hell b.ick to'",{.\rd

the community of pesc~dero~' The result WGS not ~11y intense scou~i~g of

sediment Lo.ads out into the ocecn , but regUlar s',lt:w,;ter bflow on. bcombg

tides!' Today, the Lagoo .....averages two to four feet deep and it extends

only a few hundred feet beyond the bridge~"

During constrrucc Ioo of the bridge, ,3 tempor,"\ry cofferdr.:m of large

bOUlders W3S instnl1ed ab~tt 80 feet west of the sp~~~' Upon completi~1 of

the bridge~ the tempore.ry d cm WaS left in p Laoe Ll:"ld silt bricked up behind

the structure effectively reducing current flow and this ....

E!3!'el:y in turn

resulted in the deposition of still more si1t~'

Me,rshl,ind

Nc")rshland surrounds the juncture of But,no ,T'd Pesci::dero Creeks~ Due

to levee and chcnne Hng efforts,. the n~"1tureof different por-e i ons of this

wetland is vi1~ied~' Except in the driest yec',rs,. someil",terflrn-1 meanders

through the chn:,nels of both creeks and nour Ishas :1Umerous tlqu:'ttic pLmt

species LnoIud In g catt-'.ils, but.rush and true rush, sedges and pla:'t,dns
c
~.;'hich flouJish b. profusio in s'hrl.Lows ..~ d c:l0'lg the banks , Some of the

overflm.;' lands .ibove the ch anrie L are dry during the li,te summer; and e:lrly
 \
North po~d, looking northeast from the Coast Highw~y
No "",,, e- w"" \ '0 A

!'lorthE3.!'sh,. looking northw.c'rd tow,"rd the Hero" rookery

N<:1"'n,.: N", 16

Depc:rtnent of Fish and G:~mcphot cs by Bruce Elliott" .\pril 1974

 autiumn montihs before the r:ti y sevso : commences. The ,c:qUc,tic veget,:,tion

then presents c. dormant "spect~ but in its pl .ce scores of flowering

her bs , forbs (md :;rasses appe"r in s citrcer-ed sp Lishea of bright color.

Those poru i ons of the m"rsh closest to the euc.t lytrus tree grove OG.

r I" At~e,;u,o~ ')

the north side of -the m:\rsh/ c-lmost"h7::Ys retd'~ standing "'y,~ter and indeed

the chmne Ls pardlel t:o the levee ill,'W run eight feet or more deep during

the dryest portion of the summer, This :,'re' is f,vored for nestIng by

locally breeding u;terfowl~

The: orth Pond appe::\rs to be fed entirely by runoff i>11ter from the

surrounding s Lope, The w1.ter i! the pond is quite s.'llb.e!: Emergent>;:

veget,-;-tio. is composed mostly of hcllophytes/ coif Ined to the Irnmed it).te

edge of the po:~d.,.Ld e: :t'.~th~ peeX' ~::lil;:y~ Btill, ttla::y sUimming birds

.fte utiliZe the i.')re,:"for lo:::flng during winter mor.chs nd ruddy ducks; coots;

E'''\''\H4~
A tot:;1 of about; 210 acr'es of the t.65 acres of~m,~rsh1c;nd prc6e:'.t is in.

governr;rz.;nt ownership as a State Reserve~' The reserve LnoLudes the North

POcld and Dll the m~\rshltl;ld north of the bank of Pescadero Creek~ plus a few
c" G,..~..,Po,.1
"cresftne,."r the junctio:. pobt of Pescadero 2nd But,'~no Creeks'~'

Further upstire nm t()T17ard the cultlv':ted Lands Hest of Pescedero,. there

i',re privately owned fields th:lt were periodic,~lly flooded to provide -;'1'.~ter-

fowl h:'lbiblt for duck hunti:1g~ U,tU rece :tly,1 c01TIr.1ercL\l hunti: g club
IJPI~.><I
m'~).".ged ,":'bout 20 '!cres of marsh :,~ndl,,2 m:.:r:;;in:-:l-1~n-El acr'es for g come bird

shooti,~g, but the club has now gone out of bus bess: i\nother priv.Jte club

s ide of the Pesc.';doro High,,,,y .ind the south b.tn lc of But:] 0 Creek, but this

property supports little hunting pressure.

3\
 Uildl ife Ecology

The wetlai~ds i:t Pesc,idero~re unique on the So'!,. Fr-a.ic Lsc o Peni:1sul~.

'lthough but, tiny fr:,ction the size of the expms Ive estu;cry of S.:~\

Fr.l'lcisco B.::y, Pescddero l-LJrsh contr-I .s a v.ir Ietiy of 'Ivildlife th,t riv:11s

its estu,:lrbe counterpdrt across the pen In su La; Inc Iud Iig the ups t re am

drni2;ge system, this wetLmd e,;sily sur-p as s es in vriety the humber of

"!limnl species occuring 11 the B.;ylilnds~ The mar-sh is vital to the co.it Inued

ex istiance of a s ig,l1f Ic.mt; number; of its res ident <mIrna I species <:ud it

serves !!s ~\ crucidly importa:,t link in the d imin LshIug ch a In of Hetb:~ds

c Loug the coasn; Ench of these wetland Ihks c1re very Impcrticnt; to the

survival of migrt'ting and over-wi::tering Inter as s oc l atied bird species and

other res ident an imaIs.

Over 182 bird species hnve been observed in the innnedi:)te vici:-:ity of

the m':rsh (see /\ppe.~dix l\ for c~ list of species noted Ll the ffi<'rsh) and uTI

additio'.,<11 two score spec ies could be added by inc Iud ing woodLind and forest

birds from higher elev,ltions~ S01:19 of the species reported from the m',:rsh

:~re rare or c asua I vis itors, or merely tr;;ms ients moving to and from ad

joining h,bitats~ Although these btter forms 'l.re sometimes not directly

dependent on the marsh, they may be stro.."1g1y influenced by the r Ip.ir Lan or

c oas tie I scrub ~ldjoln ing It~ However, aImos t; all of the W.'lter as s oc Latied

birds, either commonor rare do depe1d directly on the marsh for their food

and other envf r onmentr.a l rieeds ,

The Impor tiance of Pescadero 1'-1>,rsh

sterns in no sffif)ll degree from its

str;~tegic Loe at; ion ;;~t the foot of an ec ol og Icn l.l.y v;'.ried w.:!.tershed .i.td its

proximity to the oce an ;' The presence of the oce in be ach .md its tremendous

c apnc ity to provide hvertebrnte adds ..\ dimens ion of food

h~~bit;.,t ~\V, ibbl1 ity
th'lt i\l'Ou!d be Lack in g in il m.rr sh l.end of s Imi Ler' d iraens Lo.is , but located ir:

a:'~ inl:~nd .C,red~ The juxt:pos ttion of :' wide number of h:;1bit:~t types and

the ccomp.my lng v,'riety of niches provides tH"1 expms ive setting for the

accomod.rt i o. of l~rge popu l nt Lo-.s of many s pac Las, Such sp cn '"Old scope

is often essentinl for the preserv;,tion of the survival of ,': spcc i es ,

/,$ '1 result of the phenomenon of migr:tio;" bird popu l.vt Ions demonstr.te

sign if icnnt se"iSOrt,ll v::,rL1tio:1s~ ,\lthough there dre some wnter "ssocLted

birds th"1t remlin in the mcr sh throughout the year "s res ide8.ts (herons,

egrets, bitterns) many other w.1ding birds such ,15 s andp Iper s L'.ndplovers go

further north to breed and their occurence in the maz-sh ".nd the ddjoining

beaches is sharply se as ono L; This migr:.:tion peak is most !1otice::;ble in

early spring when there is D brief" hurried inflow of species movi~g north-

bound to answer the reproductive urge~ Hid-summer brings a: more leisurely

return: south th,\t cont; Inues ClS a trickle throughout the .r.utumn ae.is on;'

Indeed? raany of these tundr';,-breedbg waders find the environ.s of the m,:1rsh

so [)ttr<,ctive for the ir envirO:1;:nental :'eeds th"t they oven"Lter here~ To

ascertain numbez s and distribution of such .innue I p"ltterns" D monthly

survey of the (~bund<lnce of bird species w"s conducted from July 1971 to

June 1972 b a portio-, of the marsh. Results of th?t study i~ppedr Iri

'ppendix G~

.'"mphibi,s.ns ,:\ d Rapt iles

d , II I ~

T~e thirty three species of amphibians"'nd reptiles found locally

"------
constitutes;-'riextriwrdl~1,;,riiy rich f':lun'.{~ This works out tp a species of

frog; to"d" snake or 1Izard for every two miles of the sixty squ('.re mile

~vatershed. Such 0; 'He,:11thof species no doubt derives in large p,'lrt from

33
 precipit:ltion r,:te dt the higher elevi!tions.. L1rge .nnountis of moisture :~re

of special importance for the presence of ,'mphibiil'~S~

On a w-:rm spring night, the freshw;ter ere :,s of the mC\rsh-,nd ripc;rian

echo with the spl;lshing of turtles slipping from dr ift~-lOod Int;o the d.irk

'laterS,. irhile to:>ds belch,. frogs cr-oak arid grunt,. and from the ne,,:t:by

veget,tion ;:lo.g the wooded stre.,rob -nks , treefrogs trill 1 Ike .",hoard of

L'sects~ D:!rk,ess and the,ccomp:![c.ying high nocturnal humidity under the

forest CclDQPy bri.:"lgs s ave r o I saL~m,mder species out from under moist d~,ylight

hiding pl',ces, while the quieter pools "long the stre~~mcourses shelter cl

plethor;, of c:ewts end tiger SiU,HIF:nder l;rvde~

morn i g
Nid . i'~ d the w:,rmth of the sun reve ill as mcny 8S e igt:h species

of lizards. responding to the growing discomfort of the day's heflt by doing

little pushups. a sort of cool ing pushup exercise that replaces pantiIng in

unrm-hlooded "mimals~ Scattered throughout a v<1riety of reptilian niches,

no less th]n thirteen species of sn akes may be sunning or hunt irig , Garter

snakes arid gopher snakes prowl their respective beatrs in the m2rsh and its

surroundings seeking food or ffi2tes, while the woodlands and forest above

fe,'!ture other distinctive species including the be::utiful bL'ck, yellow nd

red-ringed C,~1ifor;-lin mountia f: kIng sn':~ke. The coast;.,1 scrub is the 10c;1

ce:lter of distribution for the western rnttlesn;\ke!' The fate of the Sa:...

Frnncisco garter snake is of m\jor importaace 1:l ,:ny considert,tion of reptiles

in Cc:1ifornia~ This species, cons idered to be enda.'.gered bec.iusa of declining

h:bit("l.t~ is known to occur only in .1 fe1. wetl:nd ,.~re:s in the San Fra,',cisco

pen i 5uhJ~ One of the reported loc(,:tio:o.s is the Pesc"dero dr<:irwge~

\
 M-~""'''''''';:,\S

Fifty species of m"ffi."lJ:,ls hrve been reported f nom the 'Htershed (see

.vppeid Ix B for d complete list bg), ".\11 but <~ few of them observed .,t o.ie

time or another within the m.rr-s h itself ~ Prior to the silting L of the

old estulry, h:.:rbor 8e:,18 pr obab Iy ventured into the stre:'ill channel ne.rr

the higmv~)Ybridge ( " reef used s .:~m[~jor Ith;lulLgli spot lies a short

d ist,::','<ce south of the creek mouth); today they ar e conf Ined to the surf line

a Long the be cch ,

:\lthough we often use the. term tterrestbl t to separate Vnd memmo

ls

from the ir mar ine c ountierp.u-cs , the former term is somewh,t misleading.

Iadeed, the most conspicuous mamma

I visitors to these environs are usually

observed in clear view- .in flight above the mor-sh , There ,lre l10 less than

14 species of b.:<ts known to occur in the vicinity of the wdtershed~ As

noctur a1 COuc1terp;crts of the dny-flying swifts imd sW.'lllows. the bilts t21ke

over from their fenthered compatrr-Locs il.t dusk and as sume the 'night shift'

portion of nuture's misquito control progr2m~

/\ species most intim~tely connected 'Vlith the marsh and its upstream

riparian is the be.wer~ LOCt,,1 numbers of these rodents .;!re 101-7, but on

OCC,JS ion their presence becomes notic<ible (uucomf or-t ably so) as their dams

beck up w,,,ter into cultiv.Jted "rtichoke f ields~ ,,\lSOt their inclination to

"Hn.nder bto these s,'me fields in sei'.rch of <lrtichoke stia Lks and fruits for

food and dnm building mdteria,l does not ende:)r them to the local f.'rmers who

L:ck ;lpprec!:".t:ion of the be;;ver's gourmet inclinations. i'.t such times, the

offending onim~!ls hcve been tr,-,.pped .md removed to other portions of the

Other smaller heroivorous m.immi

Ls livi: g throughout the entire dr"ir\(.'tge

system include tree s qu i r re Ls v-nd ch ipmunks Ll the forest ,. d woodLmds; moles,

3s
ground squirrels and pocket ~ophers in bur r ows aLong the levees as vell as

in the surrounding grass Londs nd scrub , .'\~ldnumer-ous species of mice-:nd

other smt'.ll rodents filUng a Imost; every conce Ivabt e bIo l og l c a I n iche ,

" feVi' jackrabbits .md an abu d a.ice of brushr.ibb ira occur in the scrub ;'~".d

The blackt:,il deer is the only common big game mmmna.l~ It is found in

all port 10:1s of the dr<.:inage,. except 0:1. the be.sch , Deer p.re often observed

at dusk moving out into the drier portior:s of the marsh to feed~

The major natural prede.tor of deer is the mountiaIn lio:i, but numbers

of this big cat have been sh,~rply reduced in recent times. Bohcnt,. striped

and spotted skunk, weasel,. r,lccoon, coyote and grtiy fox :<re 0.11 frequent

viSitors to the marsh; w"mderi;'ig in. from their woodland and acrubf and centers

of abundan ce; BAdgers ~re more common in the gr;lssb~;ds, but occ.~.slon.~lly

venture b.to the wetle::-:.dsto exploit the ground squirrelcoDcentr.stio[".s in

the Levee s ;' R;:rely, ,,",ringt::.il lewes its S1g:1 b rocky are,o).s of the upper

woodland and recently,;, pine m'lrten was observed b Butr-mo Str.:,te P:,rkt the

first observ-,tion of the species in this dr"i:1<.1ge in hdf Cl century~

I:,troduced exotic rnonmal s are the ubiquitious oposswn, t:o:t:'Wo.y r.:,t "Ltd

house mice near dwellings arid dump sites, 2Tld an occ as Lona l white fnllow deer

that drifts in over Deer parl' Ridge from the adjohing S,m Gregorio7:-Creek

watershed where they were introduced into Pomponio Canyon sever2l1 ye~'lrs ag o;

t-Lny of these mammals nre game Em imt:ls and deer especially are subjected

to limited Loce I hunting pressurd~\ll these ,L: im,;ls provide pleasure for

tourists, hikers ,',nd n ture enthus L~sts pvs s ing through the ;'re,l <:.;,dthese

wild cre'tures're tin htegrel p.~rt of the local ecosyscem,

3b
Birds-
.......
Dill ike m~'mm::ls which t:re ofte;, secretive ;md cre:'tures of d_irkeabg

hours, birds ar'e usually diurn.,:l, noisy and conspicuously ',darned in

bright co l or s v-nd p2tterns~ Such tr~,its combIued with f as c Inatr i.ng h:;:blts,

beh:cvior arid ch,;11enging sporting ch,:!r',cterist ies h,c':vem~',debirds of gre,~t

interest and attractiveness to n,,~ture enthusiasts ,:;nd sportsmen'clike~

Not nIl tIle bird species observed in the marsh live here thoughout the

ye(\r. The v .st; majority (~re migr -~:i1ts,either 'V7intering Loci Ll.y or as in the

c asa of most of the u,:d ing birds, merely t r.ins iet;,t visitors useing the mar sh

,'1S a resthg p Lace during their ~":\"Ui;l migrc;.tiorc odyssey bet~r1een the tundr"l

and southern hemisphere wintering gr-ounds',

Pe12gic and Co~stnl Birds

Most of the true pel~gic species, those birds living ~ll but the breed.

ing por t Lo.cs of their lives far out over the oce.m , seldom come to the

Pesc<:cdero str,md of their own volition'. The stro;".g gale wbds of wbter will

often blow storm ~'7<dfs before the l;re'~ther front t01:"i~rdshore where they may

collide with headbnds or be drO\med in the roiling surf~ Be;lchw,::lk surveys

:.:long the str:~nd during the wbter of 1972 reve/lled the presence of numer-ous

species thiit succumbed to such n':~tur;-~l"lccidents~ The victims included Loons ,

petr?ls, she;\rw::ters [md v:,rious .vlc Id s , especi~l1y nntrres, gui1lemots nd

C!ul<1ets ~

,'lnother group of birds th,;t .r-e more frequent visitors to the surflbe

[!re the inshore species such v.s pelie, .ris , cormcr cntis , grebes~ gulls r:nd terns ~

'0[, irnpo:l:'t:-:"tt roostL:.g Z1re' for pel:'gic dod Br d't cormor ..:. ts is s itu,'lted

.'\ short d ist -nce south of the creek ent ruice :end the Ltter species ,'rG
 Dunes and coastal scrub, aLong 'i1estern border of the marsh
10t:pT1v" l'Ub, II A

The present day 1<:800.:1, ,dth s Hted beach (v iew southe2~st\v,'\rd)

t-J~1'~T'''':N/!... ~

Department of Fish and G~mephotos by Bruce Elliott, ;\pril 1974

frequently seen i~1.shore throughout the ye r~ pelicns:re loc.l spmmer' nd

.iutiumn visitors, while most of the c ommon, .'rctic, and red-thro:,ted 100"5,

horned .i.id Hest:ern grebes::nd ~';)'.y of the gUllcmd tern spec Ie s vrre wi::ter

vis i t ors; However, Cn sp L'.n ter s'ppe'r here only L summer ,';.d resident

Forsterts terns c~ppare!1tlybreed :it times h the m.rsh~

\J ",terf owl

Of the four m::jol' migr,;)tion routes used by North',meric.' .. 'iV:,terfO"

...
l on

their ,:,luual trek to Cl d from their :wrthern breeding gr ou.ids , the Plcific

Flyw.',yserves "s the major venue of pas s ege for those birds p as s i ng b.to

and through Califer' i;l~ \lthough the cooperrt Ive efforts of pr Ivvt;e cons ar

v,1tion groups fmd both the U.S. ,~id Can d I .n govermet1ts hrve resulted L, the

preserv::tlon of huge tr'cts of breeding h'bit:.t ba In g preserved and protected

in the northLmd, there h ...s been /( dr,'stic reduction in v1intering gr-ound

~1et1:~ndswithin the United st.;tes,,' HetL.-,d're ".5 in Cal Lfozu 1.' tILt once

covezed v.Imost; 5 million :'cres in extent .;:;.rereduced to=d:.ty to less th,.t~\

500 tihousand ",cres~ S i ce the surviv',l of a species depends not 0:', the most

abundant; factor in its list of living reqUirements, but r:,ther 0' th"t which

is ai/!;-::il:tble b minim:!1 qu"ntities, cO("tbued reduction of C:,lifor':',i::l wetL. ds

will simply foreclose conditio~s to ove~vinter successfully for ID0ny birds

produced fUrther north~ Thus tve see th?t the most; critic;:l spect; of the

vi"bility of the w'terfm"l poput atr Io..s tht use this migr,ltio p,th<I1':Y is

not reI '~ted to the breed bg are's, but depends 0;: the conti:".ued ex l sc.mce

of sufficient npproprL'te hbitt like Pesc'dero N'rsh On the i"Lterirtg

portio, of the flyt'r,y~

. 0 less th ',', 27 species of w:,terfowl h ve been reported from the mir-sh

but: of course not:11 of these spec Ies ,re "lw"ys found here. Sw:'ns :'ppe r
 L,frequently' -nrid most geese occur only '.$ c asutI winter v i s Itior-s ; The most

commo'.Iy observed forms :..re v.rieties of the C':,'d, goose ., d the ',,"hite

fro:''cted goose. Br:nt s ometr imes rest on North Pond dUril1g .b.ter storms,

when they ,Ire often joined by ind ividu."!.ls of the three species of scoters,

specialized mollusk-feed ing ducks USU111y found i:~ the surf zone ;,:,d beycnd ,

The depth of r:orth Po:,d ;,od the Lagoo.i 111,ewi3e proves attractive to

some of the divbg ducks such cos gOldeneye, bufflehed'nd s c.sup , ,-,11 of

which {~re commonwinter visitors'!' They,re occ:,SiO;ullly joined by redhe;ds,

c"~1v.,sb~,cks <3:1d r Ing-uecked ducks which :!Te less frequent here 'llong the

little ruddy ducks 'ivith their suucy cocked ..up tdls ."re present here through_

out the ye'1!;' and h';tch the ir ycun~ from 'irell conoe.: led nests hidden amidst

the emerge ,nt veget tlo, 1

0':; the edge of the po.id , R<:rely, ct rner'g a: ser drops

i:: to fo!"c'ge from the pond or the ne'~rby creek channel, especi"lly when the

latter is flooded by :l high t:ide~

The most numer-ous of the w2terfowl groups to ut.ilize the m',rsh '"ra the

puddle ducks', TheSe species do n otr dlve for food, but forc:ge i" Sh,;:l1O"tl

w2ter by tipping tail-up ~~d r~aching dO'~1with their long nec~s to retreive

food items within rec:ch on the bottom~ Hc:l1rds, g;:d~vel1s, a:,d some of the

c lnnsmo. te';l breed here .md m':!,y individuals of these species are prese:.l.t

here th:::.'cughout the ye~rr

It is in autiumn '~'.\d t.;thter hQ'lvvert.that the reig::"'. of the yTo!terfowl comes

into its O\JLl~ ,'\bout the middle of'ugust the first pint,'ilsmd shovelers

begi:< to nrrlve In smil groups .121d by Lte September hundr4's,. occ1sio,,::11y

.).J~
thous~\Dds of the l,tter speciest-joined by uidgeon, commo. (greenwi 'g) te;~l

40
 These h o.vrxls of ,(-],:terfoHl :::11 co'~verge 0 the f l ooded l:'.:ds a Lor.g Pes c-der o

Ro::d ':nd behind the Pesc,:cdero Creek levee to :Eeed,~~d fill the sky overhe -d

~vith courting flights. Higeo .nd geese find the flooded 'gricultur"l L:,'1d

ne\r the Pescadero Road especLlly ,"ttr ct Ive ,

It is the v'riety of co~ditins Hithin the 10c"'.1 ~Jetl;:nds th:'.t permits

the m:rsh to pLoY host to such ," diversity of w,:terfowl spec Ies , eich with

its 0~F., peculiar feedbg <end living requirements~ Beeruse there ere no

other ,';~re,:{sin the v ic ir, ity of such size ,~.d h:bit'lt diversity; the .
1aterIowl

wh',ter ing ,~t PesC,:1dero do :-,ot commute to 'L,d fro to alter:-u:te feeding sites

the CO.'.lst~ ,\ttempts to obtai ~'.ccuri'te counts of ducks end other VT:;terfm'71

in the marsh during \1bter pe.ik periods is frustrated by the Lack of acces s

into the protected Reserve th~\t is the center of wd:erfmo/'l abund ence;'

flocks of several hundred birds rising from the co.icea l I g vegt;lt~,tiol"l in one

pDrt of the m,lrsh shortly [(fter "nother 1.Jrge "ggreg"t:ion h-.s settled into

a differe:l.t: loc.\t:io"L Estim'tes of 3500 pintdls and shovelers during

Febru "'!'Y of 1972 i:"l the North ~'L:~rshwere pr obnbty too low.

HC1ding Birds

As their namas implies; birds in this group obt;:b their aqu;,tic food

be Low the surf oce , Their most stril<i~g ::dlpt:;tio:1S for this for,-:gi:":g mode

<~re Loig legs .,~':d comp"!.?t:ively long, often odd Lywahaped bills~' The la.tter

;1re used to probe in mud, s'nd or clumps of vegetC!tio:l for food items such

,::5 i:';sects, mollusks ar.d crust:'ce.:;::s~ .\11 these w::ders C(l;, SHim if pressed,

but only the ph:lnropes'nd occsion-:lly the boldly p,tter::ed stiltSl;'.d

 P\atc b

LEGEND
CONIFER - including
r edwood ,
Douglas-fir,. Bishop
Pine, ~,obcone Pine,.
Monterey Pine and
Ho,:1terey Cypress ~

BRQ\DLEiW - including
Hadrone,
Tanoak,. Live Olk,
California Buckeye,.
Bay, Big Leaf Maple,
Oregon Ash and
Eucalyptus~

- SHRUBS - Includin~
Scrub OcU<
Chnmise, Manzani~a,
Verba Santa,.
and poison-oak~
Ceonothus,

o GRASS " Various annual

and perennial
grassy species,

CULTIV/,TED . Land under-

cultivation,
irrigated, pasture,
f a Ll.ow land and ur oan
are;,lS
;.

Pcscade'rQ j~r'e2. Vt?~eta1:1on Types

',c!opted f r om Forest Rcsourc~ 0: Sa;c ~ii\teo Ccunt;l~ PLnnb,z Dept~, 1971
 .vocet;s do so ,',5 prt of their for<:gi;:~g.!ctiYitY~

Nost of the 30 \-7.d Lr.g species ::.oted :-re rnigr .tory tr. :.lsients,
1 poetr LciLl.y

known ;,,8 the l1,vind b i rd s!' ~ They prruae with us to rest arid feed 0'. the mudb:rs

~:"d bech siids en route to summer or wi~"\ter quartier-s , I-1m-revert some i::dividu~)ls

do oVerHi-ter h sigCiific.,nt numbers,nd the killdeer plover is reside;,t,

breedbg 01'1 levee tops~

The co sts ide Locrc l on of Pescdero L.rsh is especL".lly import C1t fo!'

these sm. 11 ere- trur es , Shorebird m!gr-tion routes ,"dhe:'.rmuch more closely

to the coastline then do the waterfm.;l flYl-r;!.Ys nd thus the exist:'rtce of this

wetL:1.d h.~bit:lt is cruci :1 for their ecological needs dur mg the rigors of

migr,~t i or(~

i\ ...other i1:lport,xt group of w1ders -,re the conspicuous ,-:nd :ttr~c~ive

her-ovs iLtd egrets~ No less them six L,rge .<l.nd imposif",g species of this group
.'-;
occur. The egrets ;lppe"r in snwll number's ,:'.S visitors,. ~7hi1e the night heron

15 spor"dic in occure::ce, nesting one ye 'r, abs ent; the next~ The gre:~t blue

herons h rve tr,:dition "11y nested in (~ sm 11 color'S i" the euc.d.yptrus grove

borderi'g the North ;\"hrsh for dec'des. Orr comme::ted on their presence (1942)

ev!':ced thi~t the colony ~ns lost \men a wbter storm tore ,,11 the old rlest

pbtforms from the treetops, but during the spring of 1974 at least nL'e

nestb.g p,drs iv-ere in ;:ttenda:1ce~ ':.15large ,'1 populi.1tio'l of this species ,}S

h;IS ever been recorded here~ Gre:~t blue her-ons '-l.re more prone tlvt:l other

he r or.s to forage for prey in drier loc:'.tions'u,d the predilection of the

species for sm::ll rnamma

Ls and reptiles led it in the p;;st i,to up l.and portio),s

of the Leer I huntb:; club l-"'.::.dswhere seYer',l birds were shot .ind ltil1ed~

NOHth -.'t: hunters az-e ;-!oted less frequently in the m'rsh, such depred~;tio:1S

43
 m'y hopefully occu~ less often.

The /meric<'cl bittern is:' very unusu 1 her oa , \5 it is usuvl.Ly

difficult to find c:.d observe, the bird is c'gerly sought 'fter by n"ture

e~,thusL"sts~' Opportunities to view' these shy cre-,tures is pexhaps better

'!':d dur Irig the sprL:s s eas o : the courtig birds st;;;,G out conspicuously

-bove the short ID".rsh veget 'tio:'"~

'lmost intermedi.:::te b ell 'r:eter and habits between. Haders and vwterfO';V'l

,e(re the rdls~ The ,\meric:'n coot, the L,rgest species in the group nppe ezs

li!~e a duck in cert':lin ways.;. It s~'7imsbouyvntr l y ,'nd feeds on open W',:~ter,

often:!.ssocL::tbg freely with the HterfOl:-il it so resembles in. h.1bits~'

Coots ",re present in thern;\rsh in some numbers throughout the ye'r, but in

Hinter the popul ati i on level m.iy SOilr,t times to sever',l thous:!;''.d bl rcls ;

coots ,'!.re veget,,\ria~\s and ,-,re often bund :,nt in the low'er flooded fields

adjoining cultivated lend 17here they sometimes m.ike :, nuisance of thernselves

by for:::ging on the nC'iV'ly p l.an tied xo . cr ops,

r,,"" 1-

'Nrree other r'lils are occ,)sio'vlly found in the m'"rsh~' Th:,t they r e

not observed more frequently is 3 result of their very secretive h~bits~

Skulkig in the emergent veget.-:tion, the g"ll Iriu l e looks like a more

colorful C'~(d shyer) vers 10 of the coot, nhile the extremely timid sora
.. ':
t" .' ,.-.,

a.id Virgi ,L TrJils /. ~re seldom observed w'i"ter vis itors, often noted only

by their distinctive c oL'l notras ;

The primitive duck-like greoos :t'c divers th,t prefer deeper w<'ter

th,n r:'ils.. The pied bill grebe is ., ye r-lo:',g resident th ,t usu.vl Iy re cts
-...,.- ','

to di: intruder by submergbg s Lowl.y out.-ofsight like ., submar Ine , Only V

June ,",hen the paz-ent; birds're tr{~sport i ': their little oddly ..striped.
chicks 'piggy b:lcl<t betY7een crossed wLg cover t s , do the birds take refuge

by s'i'7immh~ s Lowl.y ,:W'1y~ The other three grebe species drc uL,ter vis itors

and usually occur Ll the deeper m;lrsh:'re,'cs or beyond the surf 1ine~

Song Birds

Of the 182 species of birds recorded in the m:',rsh, many "re w::terfoi-11

or 'l-7.::d1:-18 birds. The 1""d birds noted are usua l l.y visitors from ,-djoLing

h,-.bit;.,ts or r.llgrCl-ts pccss j.: IT throu::;h to other c1 imes~ However, there ",re

some 11ndbirds which ",:ce resident or linked d il~ect1y to the m.ir'sh for ffi':lY

of their r-e sds , S\;rifts and swrllorrs, which breed In up l ond "re",s, for'Oge

over \olctLmds for flying i:)sects vrhich :'re prob bly .:"v,:il;,~ble b gre::ter

numbers here th'I'l in "djoinbg drier h,,';bit,ts. Kwens':,L1d j"Ys from the

coast"l cliffs and forest come to for',ge a l.oag the strecanb,mks, e spec Lcl.Iy

dur-Ing periods of r::pid H',-ter level decline i,rhe~l m:'!lY food org;,rHsms ,"re

exposed to view. ConunO!:' yell(mthro"ts, marsh wrens .md song sporrrn'ls ,',re

highly dependent 0;1 marsh conditions ror their primary h::bit<~t~ and bL:cl~

phoebes .md many species of finches depend greatly on the food items,

insect and seed respectively, produced in z,bundc:nce in the I-Tetl~nd comnl.lnity~"

Some of these S'\1:1e species'lnd other rel:~ted to them occupy correspond-

b,g niches in every h:'!bltat type 1-1 the dr;,in?ge~ There is often .J. differe:"t,

but closely .reL1ted species within i: sbgle group merely substituting for

fmother ,::5 one h':bit,;t is rep1;,lCed by new ld::.d. For x;mple, long billed

mar-sh wre;,s flourish b the m::.rsh, but are repl':ced i~~s czub l and by Beuickts

i.;rel ~ The 1;:tter 1": t:urn is replaced b cert: in woodLrnd s itu,tio!:s by

migr tory house ,vrens, whi ch i : turn give ir:,y i:o, the forest to the secretive

winter \7ren~ Thus, the v riety of bird life throughout the drdn ge is
 simply a reflection of the 'He:,lth ,';,d diversity of n i ches ~"itht, the

h,!bitat spectrum present~

G:me Birds
','

The Loci I hunter is ::ot/'~lithout up lcnd g .me birds to hol.d his ,'Cttent.ioll ~

Hhile mour:,Lg doves'!"e not present b, the i:)btt.Tld,~lce one might anticipate in

:, Harmer" dryer cUm'te, there :"re sufficient nunber s to entice the shooter

:~field~ The larger, f,',ster ba;,d .t.'1iled pigeon is often common in the forest

and over cosstic I gr'Jin fields b the'\utumn~ VnLley quail ',re ,.:bund,:~\t in

:"11 h :bit':ts (they ::<re even corrmon a l o g the bushy levee-tops) ~\ttempts

Hithb rece::'..t years to i',troduce wild turkey and red-legged chukar- partridge

. hrve failed~ app.-lrently due to ': L:ck of suit.:lble clim"tic cond Itif ons for

reproduct i 0.-", , but :l few' rin.g ..

necked phe:'s~mts c..n still be found; a legacy

from the d ays of the hunting club ;"t Rollbg I-lills. Thus,"l limited mount;

of up L'md g,.~mebird shootbg does occur o.nd provides d moder.'.te amount; of

ilpproprL1tive recre::tio,~ for the Hir'.g shootier-,

Birds of Prey

The birds of prey or r"ptors~ through their fierce ::speet erid drf.;m:?tic

m,mCler of susto.ining themselves h.we captrured the im;;gin3.tion of 3112;1 prior to

recorded history and he in tUl"'.:! on frequent occns i on his :~ttempted to c::pture

them either Hi th a gUrt. f,cc1cone'r 's noose ore more re cent ly ~{ith i;\ C:'$ler,.~~'

Some r,~,ptor species'n:e ooc0mi':;g r,re due to both direct .md bdirect human

pressures ,l:,d there is ,",te:'ld':'.cy for the birds to be f ound most re:.:1dily in

remote ,(ref:S where their prey species ,ere most'bund:'!'lt. This is usUlly

where there is h',bit;,t diversity '~d .:: Lrck of hum.r-, disturb;l"ce~ The

L:tter requireme:1ts pezhrps exp L: Ir.s the comp 'J:"'tive r bund . ::nce of species

,:rnd indivldU:"l numbers of r':ptors in the Pesc::.dero .Butian o w.,tershed~

 There ,::.re :",inc species of diurt1"'l rptors i,1 the w,;tershed.. The

trurkey vulture is', s c vvengar <ad is e spe cI 'lly common duri ,g the spri g

vihe';1 the sheep '.{re dr oppirig their 1:.:mbsL the surr-oundt.ig gr(:~ssl,'\ds

The r odent; .
devour Ing , bl:o'ld"'whged sOolrL1g h~,.;rks or buteos :'.1'e most

common Iy represented by the ubiquitous redtail Ipwl~, but .> fel" red .
shouldered

h,1\,lcs breed Loci l l.y in. Ute rip''1riO!'\~ ":umbers of the L,tter species ilrc

reported in decline in C~:1ifor:d.:>.. Roush-legged haut<s occnsiol'allY1ppe:~r

h~ ~rinter e.;,d dur' ing SOEle Invns ion YC:,1's t may be the most .ibund.mt; buteo

h the dr(;l.ina.ge!' Duri:"'S the vlL,ter of 1973 74, 47 ind ividu",ls of this

species Here counted 1": the marsh iclt or.e ti!'Je~

Dur iig migr;,tion, the scrubL:::\ds <.udm.rrsh pl cy host to the Llst flyL,g,

stealthy .,'!ccipiters, h~l-1ks th,.,t prey more 0:'. STILel1 birds th"H 0.'.1 m.::mma.ls~-

OUr only 10C01 f')lco:'~ is the gentle little 'meric:::;: kestr.\l or sp"rrow

haw'k "\.o,hich ca,tr:'ry to its Vtter name fcvor-s mice'~,d L".sects in its diet~

U'su"dly the most ccmmo ly observed r:!ptor b the m!:t'sh is the mir sh

h:lrrier~ These 1:~rge gr':ceful birds qu.rrcer the ,\letlmds. the adjobi":1g

gr as s Lmds and open scrub sei'lrching for rodents;' .:\srIilD.1Y i~S three p,lirs

hcve been found nesting si1!lult:m.eously in the drier pr ocf o.rs of the m;-,rsh.

their nests pl~ced directly on the gr~l,d fa open view~:

Regret:.~bly, the be';utiful little Hhite .

tail kine comes to the m::.rsh

less and less frequently~'; Never common, it iz: :.' conspicuous and inoffensive

cre:,ture s ~ve to the mice it feeds upon, There is evidence to indic.:te th,~t

indiscrimb'"te shootbg W'oS r'cspo sible for the de'lth of the last birds

observed here in 1972~

/11 the varied 'iches exp Lortred by diurnal r2ptors ~:re covered in the

hours of d '~rk es s by their md count orpe rtis , The g!'<'!:lt hor-:ed, b~)r.'.::,d

47
 ~;llOrt-e:lred onl s c'll.occur il\ the m.rrsh (the latter onl y i:, "Tl;lter :'5 .:1

visitor)'; The hored 0';'71s occur i':, ;;:J.;nostever.y h;.1bit~.t froj" the forest

to the be:'ch: n:ld neir the m ir sh prefer to roost i'''~ the eucalyptus grove

[roc) whi ch they rorelY out; .fter d:crk to prey 0: '.'lythi:;g of i: size up to

i~ d LcludLg redt:il h'llks~ B'm owls, de'izens of ",b, d oied bui Id I gs

orid hollOlr tree scumps , select smc:ller ro:lents for their tte'1tions~

rOUt' other species of owls occupy different niches in other h:,bit.,ts~

On infrequent occps:io;c, ,:\" 1'inv:sion ye'.r;' cen bring the possibility of ,1

s':!.O\ry O'H'l to the shorefront duries ;' ~'Iost 0":'71::; "ere seldom observed by the

aver:::ge person du:e to the birds' n octiurn al h'2bits, but the short-ec:red

0111 often hunts over the open m.iz-sh on cloudy d,ys~"il.d the little pygmy

0\-11 of the HoodVnd and forest is 2f iei;d durbg ,,11 but the brightest

periods of dQylight~

l'l"1'i:,e Resources

9_C6"" Fi.sh

F ish resources off Pescadero 13eac.1-t include ~...~vide variety of shellf ish

arid f.bfish (See Append Ix F for a complete listi .g of species reported from

this area)~' FL:.fish species include surfperch, jacksmelt, croakers, st::'rry

flounder,. sole, sharks a.vd rt':.ys~ The rocky he,d!a .ds (':;-,dreefs to the south

of the creek mouth <~ttract blennies, eels, z-ockfish, cabez.on , lingcod and

several Id,',ds of edible mollust~s Li.cluding a.b3.1(x1e.

Hhcn the e"trance to the cr-eek 'W:'~S much wider and deeper, ~,J,1d the present

lagoo', 'l(T,~S more lil~e .:1 true estu,~ry, it is rc,sQ;.l'.ble to suppose tht cert-:in

of those species (most; cert:!i;' ly the floUc,de1') rezuL1'lyascended the w,~ter-

course and prob:~bly used the z'djoi., iilg rnttdfLts ,~d other port io>~s of the

r;r,rsh to S1''''\\'1. Tod'y~ SCUlpin ~:..:d stic~(lc:b"ck ;~rc k~m,,: tosce,(j the s cr e.un
"7he~1,dnter storm H1ters force through the s , <db:~r .;~,d open the c;:,cel( to

the OCG.:". It is :.~t such ti::JC tht :!.~i'drOClOUS fish'scelt the river to

"dro;;r:as Fish

pesc"dero Creek~-,d its tribut'ry But, 0 Crcel~ '\-rith steelhe "d r'u. of

;'1:' es t irn ted 1500 fish "", 'u.':lly is the 1 rgest"ld most importT:t . ;':dromous

fishery strem in S"n Hateo COU1ty~ Its ;,e,:rest riy-,l is the S '!t) Lore .zo

R.iver 60 miles south in s~ t:! Cruz councy; Pesc"dero Creek itself is .rbout;

25 miles Loug .md its BUt3.10 Creek tribut.:-ry\!covers ,!;, .".ddition",l 25 mi1es~

(L~cludLg Little Bucen o Creel~.~). The upper' portio:s of the dr<.,L:t,ge

I

are co :sidered to be good s:,;lmo,~d sP:,;W;lLlg i1rens~ Hith gr<:vels predominating

ne ar the head~1i:ters~ and,', boulder gr ave I mixture in the middle course!

Closer to the marsh, the st:re,:mflm? lessens, there is more s :~ndmixed "lith

in the p:>st to Irrcz-e ase the silver 5<:1;10:1 popul:,tio~1 <'rtifici:lly, but t..'fte

success of these ventures is not obvious~

ent ire stream sys tem is min im:! 1. There is c; poten.t ial pr obLera of tempor,'ry

d Iver's Lon dvrns blocking p.assage durig the summer se~,so, but to d atre most

of these obstructio.:s,re removed during the 'l'ibter fish run,

 \
HarshLe1!~1developed for private duck hunting club ---"~
N(:"l,:>,'Y<l N"",_ 2'\A

-Flooded cz-opLond des igned to ,-::.ttract .,.;.'!terfoul (n err Pesc,ldero Road)

N~'l"T'''~ We., \ SA

Department of fish and Game photos by Druce Elliott~ ,\pril 1974

so
 RESOURCE USE

Recrez,tiov!l Use

The deve l.opment; p\tter::l of S -in Hateo Countiy h.is resulted iel .:

dichotomous human dlstributio)~ The intensely developed estern h~l1f of

the County "ith its co,ti~inous urb.in spr"~'Tl up to (and in some CC1SeSt Lito)

Sa:~. Fr:' cisco B;1.Ycontre.1st::> sh.::'rply \'lith the rur~:l atmosphere of the lTestern

h'llf of the County 0- the ocean~ For the reside:.l.ts of the bustling mctropol':'

ital c.-;st councv, the ::Jttr-.:ctio_'s of the open sp vce resource v"lues of the

CQ,':st>.l {'.rea are irresistible as weekend and holiday visitor levels Hell

1972 arid certdnly r;u y of these visitors utilized the nnrsh trdl system for

ptlrt or all of their visit~ T:.':ble1 sumnar iaes t....'euser days for the vc:rious

St:~te .md County ParI< Visitor Tetells

1972~73

p(rk Tot': 1 User D::ys

pesc2dero Creek Cou~ty Park l~l~03

S.q" Hateo County HemorLd ~cirk 211;651
BUtdI1Q state P~rk 35,177
Portola State Pdrl< 65,967
Pesc~dero Be~ch State Bei~ch ~Qd
PReserve 433~315
Total 747~513

One ca.i observe from rcvieHing the above figures that ovet: three-qu2rters

of D. mIllion. vis itors ccme to pLoy, le."r;, arid reL!x ic": the Pes ci.>.dero-Butan.0

watershed b o.re ye,:lTs' time~ /\11 L":.dic.,tions c.re that this demand can on Ly

incre~!se '''cd this is bei.-.3::r:tic i.pated n.:d oncour.iged by p,::rk p Lannez-s arid

2dmbistr,ter3'~ HO"!:-7Cvcr;
such ;:~nilcre.,se c::::,only be .iccomod atred if the

presr;nt resources ,1re m'.l;~:lgcd and protected so (2S to preserve ,)~d enhance them~:

SI
 The urb2:l1 orisin of most of th~se visitors is Importo.:lt to keep i'~i mi"i1d~

for the masses of people tho,t fill the benches nd parks [lrc overHh~lmi:1s1y

from other loc"tions; loc,::1 rcsidc;t populatiols are quite smt:ll~

Natur:-ll resources ere utili~ed in two cO:ltr~stin3", but compleme.:ct::ry .-nys~

N1.ture stude:,ts. hil.;:ers, e cmpers , p i c.t Lckez-s and photrogr-aphe'rs all m.ike use

or a',im;:\l rosources~ Hunters ."ud f i shermen h.rrvest; d portio. of the W'ildlife

surplus for coc sumpti i on,

The unique cO:'1std climate stro .gly governs the scope and timing of Locel

evening fog a~d cold ~ir temper2tures i~hibits all but the h2rdiest be~ch

enthusiasts:r' Only during the period from late July through October is the
\
fog concltions usually absent [~'1.d even then the cold w.o").ter temperatures end

c:-:tremely Iv2/GrdoUs surf conditions limit be ach use for swimming and other

\~dter cont~ct activities~\ Hm~ver, the beaches ~~d dunes experience much

hildng~ picnickbg aud sun;'bOlthing activity durbg this peri<xt"~

/~ppropri,~~tive users such as fisherrn.e.~ and hunters are restricted i:1

their ;::.ctivit.ies ;\ot 0: ly by ,>"eather cO;"1ditio"s~ but by In.L'1ting and fishing

season regulo.tio:,s!' Nost hunter activity ed to Llt.a summer and

is confi: ....

fishing is governed by tid"l co"ditio;'~s~ Surf fishing, of course continues

.'.
;:11 year.

Dur Ing the pGriods',:of prime ne:,ther cond Iz io.is for beach end pcz'k

users~ most sportsmen ure either in~ctive or utilizing h~bit~t types not
\.": ,-

be Irvg used for .hui1.ti:;:"Ig: ...or.-fl&hint:(~' /\$ an example., the portions of the

m=rah owned by the St~,te aud protected as a State Reserve border 0:1 priv:c<tely

52
 owned p zrce l s occas iO;l.Ql1y used by duck hU::1ters. HovTOver, the period of peak

recreatio:: Use in the ffi.crsh by hikers and D'.ture enthus iasts does not cor res

pond >-lith w!terfmJl huntbg ae as on, Lil~ei'Ti::ie,dur ing the eurly deer hunting

11idely dispersed in the cooler HOod1[1' .d _,;1d coastal scrub

on priv2.te V.nd
n", ,...~/,'.,,, .: be "1,"~: 1:r~~" ,:,~\~
"! 9" z'-;~ ~.' ,~

ne;\rer to the oce.~n': Thus~ .;'ppropri.,ttve and nO;',"'2pproprii:ltlve uses of the

dre.l ,Jge system jiOiI 5i1WH:tJ1 @n5iI"~' .,. and h~ve positive v::lue for public recre::tion~'
\

E$.~:;~~~;~;=~':'~;/~.~.!!-i;:-.~;B/ l'{n,1t:t'ilimQ<OWf ..teH::ehl~OtEd tid eM",h-\!'a:4ht!ie pL _,1.10'

Hunti.JJ.

Deer hunti. g is the most import1nt approprLtive use b the Pesc:;\dero

drdm:ge~: The reported leg;,1 1<111for the entire drainage is quite s111:111

comp.vred to other .:~,re:~s of s iroiler size e lse~mere~' :\bout one third of the

25 to 30 hunter tag returzls uuu."lly fran San nateo CQt4'1tyi'-1. rece:lt yea.rs

in the 1.:.~te1950's, to:) times this number of deer "rere killed in the county

and a larger perc::r'.t<'.ge ot"them came from the Pesc2dero are,~~' But '11th a

shift in agricultur,:cl emphasis from f1.2-:< productio. to specic.1ity crops, a

deer habit::t of lesser qu:ll ity came bto be ing and there is nothing to indiC2te

a revers,~l of that trei,.d! The pres!.E!E\ttot:']l D"nu'll hu::1ting use for deer is

estimccted nt about; 900 user days'~; Non-protected lrildlife such as bobcctis and

coyotes are aLso hunted, but there are '10 figures nvailable to gu,"!gethe level

of use." Prob,:~bly it does not exceed the amount of time spent; hU:lti.lg deer~

thterfo}-11 ar.d upl:md g<l.me bird huntbg h.is dec l Incd abruptly I:: the

l,nst fe'i-T ye.'.\rs~ "combination of ecorromic conditions ccnd conflicts with the

:3tatc R~.:-servei:, the Ti1~lrshHere und.cubtiab Iy contributory i:t Lxge p':,rt for.

53
 il (.
(/II'J..-

; ..
/
~.L/~:;~.

rf} (,)
I
/~J..)
):. '/..
,(>{ /J-I'....(..u...UJ tit-I'"
tel;' .s- -etC ((I-V-

/ j
/IU.--'-~<-{~

Wj~o.-I .W

-.
.' .

L''!""
f .~ .
, .~
( )..7".
\ \

t \ ...'.
\. "

I , \
 this dec1ine~ Until rece::tly c.l privately ..ow;\ed phe.:s,;:nt club operc!ted

a Lo.ig the eastern. boundrry of the marsh .';:1d visitors to the est,:cblishme.:t

ofta,,- exce.ided their huntL"g goa Ls to Ir.c Iude 'IV'.:lterfoo;.;rl and snipe hunting

~7ithin the privately-owned section of the m;;:rsh~ TexL.:y, only one smel Ler

duck club remains 101 operaticxl and its lnmter use is restricted~; There are

n o figures availc:ble to estim<:1te the economic co:\tribution thd: hunters

",.-. ' . ~. ~
(' ;';
passed al to the locel co~~ity in~terms of fees ~nd services~ but 2. 1965 '

economic survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Hildlife Service estim2.ted

'I'12terfO'lrl huntrezs spent; ;,bout $(j~74 per man d[!y;.~~

~A"l C;'.t.~ ,,,,'t ~~~
~, ,"

Local ic"lterest 1'1 upL:d g2J.l1e shootLg is :01: highly developed~'

Brushr~bbits'~ squirrels; ba. d-tailed pigeo.';, qua i L and .;l, few- doves are

prese::,.t and Qr'L at 1e3.s1: one occas Lon indepe.:',dent efforts to intorduce '1'li1d

tur~y and chukar "Tere made~ but were unsucces sf'uk.; The pote::LtL:l,~for .,
t,,:>~,,.,,~~,,,"..l,,h
..\.,,,, -l'>-.. .t:;, il":> t:,...,
d~\-ele~rtle-A: is very good~)

lath growing public se"timent toward t:otd protection of the m,;rsh;

there is probably little possibility for an increase in 1-mter0'\-11 ht.L.'1.tL."1g

locally~ On the obher h ..

;nd; both deer nnd up l.and gr.Jl1e hunting have a good

potentinl for signific~,;"t enhen cemenc tmder proper managemen.t; end educeti i.on

about the sports' recreational values~

S eo....-\: F\~hiVl"'1
Ocean Fish

Fish resources a Long the ocean front C,".:1 be broadly divided into t'lro

clnssificntim'i.8: finfish .rnd shellfish~' Sports f Lshezme.. ai'gling from the

beach seek surfperch" ji:lcl<smelt~ c:t'oakers, st:~rry flott:\ders, sole, sharks

and r:;.ys~'> The rocky pro.nF:tories provide a ch.mce for cubez o-; lingcod nd

rockfish~: ll~ke pol er s" t;y for bl.e.m tes .oLd eels, 'while 10iil' tides attr;'2ct

those looki':g for octopus and seaHeeds, plus :~ number of species of mot.Lusks
 a;,d cruscuce.i: s~ Sed ur chfns , various sm.:!ll rock cr.~'bs. mussels, turban

sn,':ils; limpets and cockles <,re ,':11 pursued by people during 10\-7 tides, but

it is the lure of red rmd bb.ck ab::lo;,e th,!t t?ttr~ct the most D.ttention~

Sever.-:! 'rocky po i ntis ;.md reefs nc''rby offer good fishir,g for these ar.d other

m,'-crLe del-icaciesr

Anadromous Fish

.\.n.:1dromousfish include stiee Iheod ar.d salmon~ Fishing for these species

generates a treme:'..dous amouht of entihus Lasm arnong Pen insula anglers ~ From the

begLnig of the flshbg seas on b L:ovember until its conclusion in February,

the ccmb Inat Ion of good we,,ther and apprOpri::te 'V7ater cond Icf ons th,1t will

provoke a good fish run will bring eQger Gimrocis out to prefered a~gling

10c<:1:10::,sne:'r the creek mouth~: Here; ,:11: times elbO'l,i';;'to-elbow, they will

compete for the ettentio::1 of some of the most exciting game fish in _~rneric.'m

''ii\1ters:~' Due to local we2ther cOldltio{'.s, those prefcred ide~,l d.,",ys are r,-,re

at this aeas on of the year and the best estbu;:',te is th::t about 16 fishing

d3YS a yec\r 'ire re.i',lly fa.vor;\ble for 3rtglers~~ Of the estim<~ted 1500 steelite.Jd

trout and s much smaller number of s a Imon that .is cend the w,'<tershed, successful

fishermen take approximately 200 salno~ a~d 400 steelheact annually~'

Mature . S.tud;::

If present use of the rn:~rshV"d is :!;,y indic.:tion, the best potenti'''l~ use

of the ;:.re:: would be as l.l :.:ature reserve ",tld educ:~tloni11 f.:::.ci1itY~-; Even

under contiernpor.rry condtr ions tzhen only a sm..,ll portion. of the tot.~l Dlarshlar~d

area is :-:vai12ble for public ac ces s , there is ehte,:sive non-appropri,;\tlve use

cfthe state Reserve portio:- of the wetLnds!' The rece.:tly 1 .cre,:sed I. terest

in e.wirolU"Uental corice r ~s by a S ig:: if ica'1I: segme:-:t of the public has prompted

e real L:.crei'se h the time spent af i.ebd enjoyL:g nt:.ture study, md<!ing

55
 scenery.

Of cour se , outdoor enthus iasts have long"ppreciated the ecologic,: 1

v,:'lues of our dlilndlbg 1i7etLnd h.:lbit~\t and field excur s t o.is by loc,11

cO:lserv,,,,tion. groups to the F.k~rsh continue to be scheduled regularly

throughout the ye:.,r~' Sever.:ll Ioed chaptier-s of the N~tio;'2.1 !,udubon Society,

Sierre, Club, the Sant,:l Cru2; Bird Club, and merabezs of the N,"~tio:i1l Hild1ife

Feder')tion all p,lrtlcip.)te if'. orgClr,ized f iG:ld trips to enjoy the mnrsh~:

How'ever, it is likely that the greeter number of people Hho enjoy the mar-sh

excur s io:,~ On t11most a y d;!y; under. the most ar duous HG<,ther cond Iz ions ;

i:'.dividu',ls d.d sm;.;l! groups of people ca.. be observed lr.:t'.derL1.g ".l10ng the

trail system esti7.blished by the Dep"'rtment of Parks il d Be,c,ches, usu~olly

with f ield g Lasse s or c?mer,s ebout their r.ecks , enjoying an exper Ie.ice

'tIith plants and N1.im21s~

It should be emphas ized that expan.s Lon of the present State Reserve

and concurrent careful design of acces s 2~"~d

trcnsit routes would eF~sily

permit a ffiOlny-folci increase in 110'.1-?ppropri<ltive USe w:ithcut undue deteri .

mental effect 0':-' wildl ife and veget<,tio,,'~ Huch of the most; interesting

m"rshlClnd is currently not i?ccessi bl e due to its retentia.l 1:, priVate

OI?tlership. If ad vl~ this f;"ctor is over ccme, the potentbl for ~'.O;1-

.:1pproprL',tive wildlife use of Pesc,::clero H"rsh would easily make it the most

inport.:mt vrildlife::rea bet'ween S,r; Fr;:;ncisco :.~f!d Noss Landing in No'.':terey

County. such .e.quisitio"'l efforts would repay sig:';iric;':,t recreC'tio:i~l

benefits to, ldrge s8gment of the pubf Ic , .\130, due to the s eas on.il p:ttter,:

of wildl i fc d i strr Ibuc ion throughout the year In the m.sz-sh (the pr'evo l.ence of

56
 L,rge numbers of il~,terfowl during the llbter monchs is .o:n ex;:raple); there
;j.
could be d potcnti~11 for e ccnoml c uplift ~ the service i:1dustry in Pesc:.,oero

duri',',g the Hi.etcr period Hhen clgricultur:l iL,d ba.ich recreatio;, use is 10\Test~

Scic'tific ad Educ~tlo'~l Use

Each of the preceeding Co:'st,;l Uetl,nd Series reports h.is e:mphi~sized

v"llues :ere perh':2ps the most v:;lu:ble L1cet of th::t nre" 's n"tur~l resource

potentiut~ Often this view is reinforced by notfLlg the proximity of the

v7et1<'::nd to d populated urb;u, <'re[~:)0.d educ::tio:ul institutions~ Thus ,~tfirst

gL~lce 0;10 might doubt t..lte comp.;Jrt)tive va Iue of Pesc~tdero l'i2.rsh and its

surrounding envir~lS for simllQr purposes. Yet, it is obvious 2fter 2 single

d.;1Yafield here during the school year th,:t l1othi:-'.g could be further from the

truth~'

pr eventied dilution of most of its ecologic.1l values;' Hi~the m:?rsh and for

a short d i st>; ce nround it, there occurs::! v,lriety of h'::.bit~ts~ ,,,.11represen.ted

bl oLogLc.vL htegrlty .ind dist:i:~ctness~' This lfe'lth of variety is almost

unique b the B'Y .'-re:" nhere so much of the origbal habit2t has been dr.:\Sti

cnlly altered by humcm use~

."Ictu."lly this physic:~l isoLt io.: is soo.el1h:,t deceptive; Few Hest B;,y

COU1!flU:l.ities-~: re more thL',m hours' drive c-."i',,;y:md the sune is true for

co.istrcI S.'mta Crvz County to the s ouch, 1'he University of C:!liforl'.L~ c.impuses

,.t s~" Fzv: c Is co , Berkeley .md Sa .. t:, cruz,. C'l St,~te HdYiv.:rd and S.2n Jose
":1#
StD.te~ St.:-.n..F.:ordUniversity,. College of S,:m ['1.~teo,~C.;bri110, Hest V'dley and

De .vnz: ConmlUlity Colleges .rre ell with!"":. e"sy r ..mge of c~\ d2lY's field study

57
L1 the m:J.rsh~ ,H1 of these i'stitutions offer pr ogr-ams or courses i:',

Zool03Y <:,1d \Hldl ife Ecology~ Bot,] ty .i.rd Pl::~:t Ecolo8Y~ Env i ro 'ment:: 1

studies end ma.iy other rel,ted sub jeccs , The ju."Xt'.:positio\ of fresh and

br:.ickish-water m\rshL1.~ld offers a tremendous bLoLogLc.e I v:.:riety i~, iill the

drorementioned subjects for field rese'~rch and investig'"ltio.l a;.,d the

surrounding h;:lbitc.t type spectrum on Ly enhcn ces those opportiun Iti Ies ,

In addition to the use by un ivars ity ,:nd college stucients1> the marsh

currc,,tly enjoys 0:0 of the highest d:'S use r"ltios of ,my ni.\tur,11 area in

the st.'\te for the ecology tr.2hi':g of gr.:lde school and high school strudencs ;

I'\. .7\pro:;r';m conducted by sever:)l counc Ies , including N,~rb, Contr~ Cost')

arid Seen Jonquil', Counties, ':ll di:Y student field trips to the marsh are

schedUled during the regula.r school yea.r in order to expose these. stiudentis

to <1:' appreci"tiol of th~l ,":.<.'.tur:)l resources of their Sb1te! The vnriety ,"'TId

rexiy Hccessibility of the n,'.tur,l resources in pesc.:::dero Hi:rsh md>;e such an

,
outin.g c:a especially enjoy~~ble'~::d reW:lrding o-e ,
 PR03LEl'JS _\ND USE COnFLICTS

In the fin<:l an<:l~-uetlands by definiti'~- require VTater.. All

uildlife habitats need some amount of Hater if they az-e to remain viable- ..

even the most barren desert has some source of prec ip itat i on or ground

'vater available, no matter how irregular in amount or frequency of occurence~

But wetla~ds require vater in qU~ltity, of good quality and of depend~ble

distribution~ The succes s i ona I process that usually spells the death of a

marsh Involves either the termination of water flow into the marsh sOIDe1Vhere
~~',\\...,..,
outs ide its boundaries or siltatian;\to such a degree that ,rater levels are

disap~ted and dryer conditions prornpt.~non aquatic vegetation to make a

foothold and eventaal1y ~plant the hydrophytes~ Pescadero Marsh is no

d lfferent from any other 'Hetland in this respect. The marsh exists simply

because of the combination of terrain features, soil types. climate and

location at the foot of a watershed that provide the requiren~nts for the

~tion of a netland~ , '

~uW-::1~"" n~4- '.. '_ ..s.
\s1'.~l-b.... t( :1"

{'r~ ~---::~\ll
,1)# .'"
evidence indicetes that ground water
-----
derived from the percolation

of su~f~ee runoff Dnd later surfacing fUrther along the pescadero-Butano

drainage makes no significant contribution to waterflow into the marsh~

Only a few local irrigation and domestic wells depend on such a water source

and their potenti~l for develop~~nt is considered limited (U. S. Dept~ of

/\gI'iculture~ 1959)~ A few naturol springs near the head of Honsinger Creek

provide n mo~est annual flm. to this sDall tributary of Pescadero Creek. but

the flow has little do~mstream influence beyond the local riparian vegetation~

Almost all siBDificont waterfl~" in the pescadero-Butano dr~in~ge system

results from annual precipitation runoff. The restriction of such runoff

into the marsh during the relatively short period of Hinter rains means th"~t
0:: lO~J fl O~7 ,~i'd r-cdu cao:l s ilt-c:.',rry in": c:~p ~:Ci ry , th t 5 i1t::t i o.~!,h the 10'.iCl"

~--
FloodL;c
~ ......

conb in e to produce .:, "7.:~terflml p~ttGr.n. l.': hir~h i?recipit,~tio,'. yee.rs; the

thore have been six ae r i oas floods i.:l. this Ct:t" ,:.: uith ',i:~tcrfl0i7s as h ir.h 2.S

9,l~OO cubic feet per' s e cond \Thicb c2l\scd D.S L;uch ,-,$ $335,000 dolL:rs worth

of property damaC;c. L:'. the P2S t ~ such yolw"Jcs of Hater des ce.id h.; the

:stre,,:ncourSG served to flush out the rL'.rshLll,1d 2:1d scour the estu.c~ry

channe I a.s Holl as open the sand bC:T ~~tthe cr oek nouch, :;~uch f 10008 ".ro

p,-:1rt of the n.2tu:t"i'l1 GcoIo;jY of the ::rc,\ and coz-tra inLy cont r Ibucod to the

or i g Inc I form and e::tent of pesc.:!dcTo 1".'2rsh. fi

'(

',10:1;:: cbout; 1800J 2i]c-::1 '3 efforts to exp l oIt; the ;:1,:tur21 resources 0::
')
tho drni,~~o b03~n to effect chan~es in tho f~ce of the l~~d in several ways. !
I
/
T,~to""
__ _.~...;:a 'c'-"_" 1 or',,-
,.iy,.., ',"e-_.' i ~
'\L. "'.of v ir.c,:, iu reduood ',:-/, TlOtl
,~,
r, 1..'" .c i" -i'o t!1'"
I,: "..
oJ . ".:.. J... ~- .J. .. f _v~ ~t h i '~l'1 " "G
or" J., /~~c~"
o /
..
\.-.,~

resulted louer O~1c\ of the: ~!'.tershccl:l:-.d \

,....
_ ..~_--'n

portialS of tho n~rGh ~car pcsc0dcro bc~a~ to silt in. .Lchou=h the P::'.C0 of

the ce~tury with the

bO
 ceas at i on of heavy Iumber Ing activity, a i1eH attempt by man to chcnge the

mar-sh for his u/ses came bto be Irig ;

, Throughout the first haLf of the present century, var-Ious portions of

the marsh underwent; reclanlation for ,'"(gricultur2l

use. tlt first us/ing

manua I labor and horse-drmm equiprr.ent and later with power-ed machinery,

a nc~"ork of ditches and dikes were constructed over the years that were

desi~~ed to prevent recurrent flooding of the land while utilizing the

annual freshwdter runoff to deposit silt mld provide flushing action over

the reclaimed are~s through an ingenious system of intakes and spil1~13Ys~

Along the IJunc:i~tti property on the northeast corner of the marsh, the

entire stream channel \Vas diverted about Rmmd Hill and an extensive slough

system turned into prime agricultural land~ A similer process was repeated

closer to Pescadero and along the Pes ccder-o Road by other local landOl-mers

during the 1930's and on into the early 1950"s~ ,\t OJ.'"1e time~ the Land

adjoining the south bank of Bubano Creek was dry enough to support a race

track and a baseball field~ However, due to design probler~ with the

origb1al reclamation i-1ork~intensive seepage developed and the latter were

abandoned~' Presently, the land is flooded cropland serving as a private duck

club.

Such local Ho.tcr r.ar,ipulotia::s have not been uithout effect on n.::.ter

qua Ld t.y , The cl oeuro of west ar eas of "1;~rshl':,~ldf r on the tr.Jd.itio0.Ql c ir cu-

lrltior't p>S.ttGT'~1 !:'risultcd i:-l 50;:112 serious cleteri!:lc:ltC!l effects. LOiJIlerC is

this mcre ev i d ent; th:'t~l Fith re8<'~rd to the ;;orth PO;:1cl. Prior to the 1940s,

hi;:;h 81..11.:'1,10r tidos uould often overt op the s,,:'.dbo.r bLockIng tho nouch of the
uould flow throU(?;1'1 the area currently occupied by Forth Pond and l';orth

l'iarsh and even intrude uell up Int;o the pcscildero Ch[ln:1el~ but oventrua l Ly

wouLd undergo nixing with freshv7;~ter fron runof f and be flushed back out

into the oce nn vrith the next winter runoff flrn1'. H01;yeVer~in the mid-1940's

levees and ditches uere constructed elong the s ouchern bounder i05 of both

the pUld and the m~rsh for the ultimate purpose of agrh~Jltur0l reclamation~

:",lthouzh terrain features precluded the successful dr a In Ing of Eorth poo.d"

some success iyas achieved at North Narsh and f or a time the land ,.25 dry

onouf)! to raise red oats and barley in this area. Later, when DJrket

cond Ic Loas made this unprofItable, the vei.ture \Ji;,S abandoned to nature and

r~ioff water from the adjoining slopes begin to refill the arc3~ Also, srune

fresh w'ater was pumped in;;(~' to enhance the ar e a for waterfOHl hunc Ing ,

However, throughout the next; 1:1V'0decades other i~.i&eul!!l! e~ ocean tides

over-topping the sand bar ~e:tT!"i:':!ft ~ M~ saltwater into the marsh an.d

over the levee tops~ But with the dikes in place, flushing 2ctl~, was

greatly inhibited and the Hater remaining behind the levees remained quite

br2ckish~ Today, sqlinity levels of 3 to 13 parts per thousand have been

recorded in these tv10 fluvial ar-aas, In ,'!dditioo, the presence of high

levels of water st.md ing throughout the year behind the impoundment banks

have apparently prompted saline water intrusion from belm? co~tributing

further to the brackish nature of ~he Hater.

f

Compounding these cond~tions are two additia1al fnctors: the existance )'1 ':
I',
of a coff8rd,~ left over from construction of the modern highway bridge,

and reduced upstream water flmV'. During the constructial of the high~"ay

bridge in 1939, a temporary cofferd~m was constructed in the stre<~ ch~~el

betHecm the ocean and the present bridge. The dam was constructed of large

(;2
 Ocl~ . .;: 17-,(

N~<I"">.X \Vr, l

North Harsh f ol l ov Ing 1962 flood

Richard H. Sciarolli

I 1

North Harsh tioday impounded behind d Ikes

Department of fish ~nd Game photo by Bruce Elliott

April 197L~
(Note to editor - negdtive for Sciaroni photo is borro~red and should be
well cared for and returned to Elliott)

63
 G (t~t..,s\2.e
Yll::j"'\ ......C ~
-
10

- ....~-... ~:
E'~

Lagoon and confluence of Pescadero and Butano Creeks during Flood of 1962
Richard H. Sciaroni

Same area as shmm above today. Note intensive silting in of former lagoon.

Department of F ish and Game photo by Bruce Ell iatt, ,\pril 1974
(Note to Editor - negntive for Sciaroni photo is borrowed and should be
well cared for and returned to Elliott)
boulders and pilings driven irlto the s and , Upon compLeti l on of the bridge,

the d,:1:1 'iV.1S not re;noved~ Throughout the subsequent 19L~O's, it was noted by

local residents th.clt this structure cre3.ted such an obstruction in the strr e am

channe I tlv{t outrsraz-d wnterflov IVClS markedly reduced in both volume W1d

velocity with the result that f Luehi.ng action in the marsh was severely

reduced 2nd silt loalds built up rapidly behind the dam. DurL~S the flood

of 1962, the dc~ so impeded stre21~low that water b~cked up over the entire

marsh, overf' l owing levees and flood ing previously reclaimed la .

rid along

Pescadero and Butano Creek (see photos O!1 pp , 63 and 64). Fc Ll.ovirtg the

flood, the origin31 bridge CQ,tractor returned and cut off the tops of the

pilings (2nd rebuilt the d~maged levees), but did not remove the boulders~

Toony, the silt layers behind this obstructioo has set: so firmly th.:lt there

is doubt if suff icient stre;.nnf1mv velocity could be mustrcz-ed to wash this

silt out of the lagoon. The lagoon ;7hich"'.:lasonce ten to eighteen feet

deep in its deeper chf~,ael is now about two to three feet deep. Also, many

traditional fishing holes in Pescadero Creek that were known by old time

residents to contain large schools of spawning fish in pre-dam years are

completelY silted ino Finally, the d~ also serves to cause scmd lOAding

along the oce,U\ side ca~'ied in by tid~?ater~ This has extended the beach

outward forming a natural dike at the creek Jnouth~ This problem of blockage

at the creek mouth is so serious that for years now local residents have had

to take en'thmoving machinery to the creek mouth prior to the annual rD.iny

seasm1 and carve 2 ch2nnel through the bar to prevent another reoccurence of

the d~n3ge resulting from the 1962 flood~ Such actions have in the past
-'?r.-4.:."'~.
.,;r"W'~

resulted in conflicts bet,'leen the loc,'!lcitizens end the parks and .,.Ba;;loQhes

Department personnel due to l;lck of coordination and misunderst,:mdingsl

reg~rding the intent ~nd res~lts of such work.

 v'fC'"d.FT

The degr$d~tion of marsh habit~t is not only the result of impeded

c ircu Lstr Lon , Reduced f10H"volume is also p Lcy Ing an importcmt role in this

pr ob Iem, Until the !nst decade, ,"nter ,.;rithdrawi1ls

v1ere restricted to very

light domestic use and agricultural irrigation purposes. During yeRrs of

low rainfall, there were periods ~vhen farmers had to cut dm1n somewh2t, but

the situation w~s seldom criticnl over any sustained period. However, about

1955 a rap Id ly incre"isbg d emend for W.:lterin upstream areas began to

develop. Although some of this resulted from temporary dams cnd offstream

storage to provide domestic water and fire protection reserveS for an exw

panding numtr of residences, a great part of the new demand came from the

increasing recreatio.,al traffic in the State ~nd county parks~ With more

than a third of a million visitors annu811y to the parks~ it W2S inevitable

that w2ter demand from all quarters would begin to exceed supply~ The

requirements of modest agricultural expansion into fieldf1~xer production

accounted for little of the increased loLlteruithdratHI. Since current

development p lans call for drmn~~ticall:9:;increasedrecreF.ltionaluse in the

parks, this i.ll1 in turn increase water demand for recreational users.

Also, ~s such development increases, the attraction for second.homes could

grOW" and this too would make further demands for water~

Not only will Hater quantIty be affected, but it is likely that Iyater

qual ity ..
.;illsuffer as well~ Results of constant monitoring of Hater

quality by the county Environmental He2lth Department reve21s no signifi~

c~nt indicQtion of &~y co.,tamination of the water supplY in the drainage at

this time (pers. co:mm~)~ This also applies to indications of serious

pollution or contaminntion from agriCUltural pestiCides or herbicides.

 This is of much importz:nce to the b l ol.ogist for the effects of a.::1Y
of the

aforementioned effluents could prove to have deliterious effects O~ the

mar sh and its wildlife if they ~.,.,ereto exist.

'J!'~':'Li,"
". ,.' ;L"<" \

h,c.thly samples of >rater quality In Pes cade ro Creek from 1963 indicate

",:::\ ",:::'Sthat mlner a I content or hardness Is sotlsfactory for agriculture1 use although

"' ~ it woul d be preferable to sorccn it for domestic purposes. In terms of its

", ?';.)\ biological qualtiy for the marsh, the mineral content is 2cceptable~
HOHever~ there are indici1tions(J past and present~ that things could

become more se r I ous; During 1961, at t..1-1eend of a record four year drought,

contamination of locnl wnter supplies at pescadero became a grim ren1ity.

Lowered water tables resulted in contamination of 10c21 home tlells and

irrigation water, when available, wns polluted~ Local farmers point out

that with the kinds of soils present in many downstream areas, there is a

press ing need for quality u2ter~ Poor soils ~'lill often respond well to good

i-1"lter, but local farmers state th,';1t of late the qual ity of the water they

are receiving from upstre,~ is becoming more ~nd more deficient in quality.

Needless to say~ the marshl~~d h~bitat at the foot of this chain of users

is on the bottom of any ~ priority list in terms of receiving quality or

quantities of precious WAter.

~ ', .1

w~fu=~"' ~~-~
Dj \rW~;\gricultural Reclamation P~\e.
I.?{

~r~ ' The potential of further loss of valu~ble wildlife land in an agricul-
.,\'l

tural are8 is 2117~'YS intimately linked to the recbmation potential of

such l.:lnds for crop cultivation~ This involves considerations of soils,

topography, wc~ter availability and marlcet conditions. :\150, one would

consider other potential competitive uses for the hdbit,.t.

An extens ive Btudy by the Dep~rtment of U[lter Resources in 1966

'7
 ind icated th,:lt most of the land uith appr-opr iate soil types for specialty

crop-f'anning W3S [llrea.dy in full pr-cducti i on, :',lthough some exp ens i on of ~

other crops such as f LeLdfLower-s \"."lS possible if t~ppropriate Lrr i gatr ion

c,;p,',city was also deve l oped , Soil types [;re ger.erally pcor , but y10uld

produce with qU2~Y water~ Irrigation is not feasible on steep slopes

due to drain"1ge and there are restrictions on the use of mechanical

equipment~ Although data is scarce, projections made in 1966 indicate

that the total of irrigated l~!1d in use then w~s 879 acres ~nd that the

total potential of irrigated land in the entire drainage WdS 1,789 ncres~

This ttvo-fo1d Incr e-ise depends ent irely on further w:ter development.

Existing ~"ater suppl ies cannot long sustain local a.grlcultural needs,

upstream recreational demands, and m~rsh vit~lity requirements~

It is obvious fro:m the lorc;oing d i s cus s i on 0:: the past [!;"d cont en-

por~ry pr'ob l.ezss relc:.tccl to uneven nr,tur,:,'J. H:ctGr distributio:1, s i l.t at i on

2m1 flood. ing, I,rater ipul,\t 10'.1 prcct ices,

:;!12~ erid Gamest 1C <md ,,<::ricultura1

';!<1ter USC conf 1 icts tlv~t there is apress L:g: Deed for .::.masce r plan to

provide 2ciequ2te 'ilater quality for 211 the d i ver-se uses mdstL1G in the

pesce.dero-r.ut~mo m~tershcd. '}ithout the f ormul at i on of a, spec if ic uater

f or Hater use C2,1< onl y be ult innt21y dcteri;:)cnt.:::1 to ~rildl ife vc Iues in and

ar-ound the mar'sh, a:1d to the f(!\C\droc10usfisherY' in the ~r:tershcd t r Ibu-

i O~::..~
Li)_s.:..tJ..<s....;:..~cl..lE_s2...Y..S'.Le..s:..t~~~S:.,c~t_e.r

It is <.~lGO
:,pp,~rIlet tlL~t suit,:1blc i::ctio:l.s ;,TO .::eccss;,ry to re3tore
 \:ithi::l the U:l;l;Sh Hill cvcntrua.l Iy result i:.I the loss of au iti.ab Lo vegct::.tioll

It is ?p)roci(-:.tcd tlvt the cur r ont; 12.c1, 0:: :~:ta.tc control over tihoso

to the c;:.isthg Reserve ;>reas, 11,'-5 to da t o .1.:K,dodove Lopraent; of e. [e"sible

Darsh-'i-Tide n.:n."'\;:;eGent pLl:l next; to i:JpoSS i b l e , It fbllm'Ts tht'.t u:;.lGSS the

State can acquire contrr-o l or opcr,:\tio::al i'.lfluc"ce over tho UsC! of such Lar.d ,

there can be no c oDprohcn5 i ve ,-let Land protect i on p Lzm , 'J.'ho strO::l,-:;pr obc b i 1 i ty

th::t cur rent; ccco oml o coid i t Lons "(,ill provide stro:.'8 impetrus for further en~

cr ouchaent; by 28r Lcu l t ur c I dove Lopnont; int;o these cri t i ca I buffer :::.ro'::5, makes

a:, effort Llt l'lc1cl usc dctcrtJi:-i.<lt i o.; a rie ce sa ity if the v i ab i I ity of: the v!.:;:"sh

In ac'.ditio;:, to ~"habit~:t lJ.);.,:'<:;erilent p l an for the St:~tc Reserve, thero

ar e other pr-ob l.eras in the "v.:r8h th.:t be;'cr cons i dcz-at I on and act i oa , /;t presG::\t,

one of the n12jor r ecs oas for .c: de:;ree of public apat hy tOHC!.rd support of StD.tc
. "
.
~.I -;'; -;

pr ogr ams to protect such ciritic21 a::-ens as ~)esc<:dero i;,,'.rsh results fron 2. vLack

of public i1ppreciCltio!1 of I'letland va Iuos , There should be mor-e tha'"l IJere

e~1coura::,;ome!ltby ~;tilte .~gencies t:o~:ard public acoos s unde r controlled conditions

i:ltO the cur-rent; trail system.

112:bit.:\t '~Cld ;rildlifc ivvcnt.or-y is corro l ct;e ,::',6 tlBt :.10 fUrther i nves t i ..
~,tio~1

h. th is ro:;arcl 1:3 .vo ccs sur-y to support the ;:~:"rshl"'~,d educ.-t; ion p:ro:;r:~7.:j.

"
i , 0 t'111!1~!,
. could be furthe:c f r on the t,;,uttI. , list of p l cnt;s tuc1 0..:1 ir;:.:~ls docs

::ot serve to oxpL~ t, tIle cJ.y~J;l~:ics D:1C~ iEtor-relationships of a Hilel He

c ommmIt y, There is t: press L,;-' :.10ed for rnor e study of the intc:rplo.y betwee:>.

InmJled;::e ::lcquircd Hill .'lssist L, the prep,:'r::tio:, of a suit'lble hab i t at

efforts to preserve and protect this importcut part of our uidlife hc:cita:ce

in C3.1iforn.ia.
 DISCUSSICJ:: ;\ND OVERVI.D}

In the proceed ing pages, the Dep'~rtme::t of Fish and G'.1mehas responded

to its initial responsibility to present a prelimin;,lry assessment of the

sig:1ificant Th"ltural resource vil1ues of Pesc"dero ~L;rsh and its environs .

He have attempted to enu,'Uer,:1te the Hildlife and its habitC',t, reCllizbg full
-----
nell th;;t much r-emalns to be learned about det,".i1s of numbers and distribu-

tr i on of pl cn t s ar.d an Imol s throu,:hout the different portions of the Pescadero-

Butran o dr2.in')ge~ There h cs "Iso been an effort to point out SOIne of the

present a~d impending points of coaflict be~leen the perpetuation of these

".

resources and certain hum~l needs~ U pon vmaLys is, J~ becomes .:lpparent that
e "''''\\':'''1(j to
the conflicts do not Indic:'.O::an. irresolvClble d ilemm-', but rather a ro4.ttQ;;~
c<>..
'r.,,\\y
c.:',j;'"ofu{plal1\~ and coopera~ in the use and deve l.opment; of t..1-temost

critical elements of a.ll--"r.c',ter and LoceI land use.

Orioe the needs of proper water use and development in the drainD.ge are

understood and appreciated by those th,-lt are i~1 pos Itr i oos to plan and effect

careful, studied development. the requirements of both man and wildlife in

the vXein.ity of the mar-sh can be s oti i sf led and the maj or source of potential

conflict ,rill have been conquered.

There is D. press ing need for such under strend Ing and subsequent actr i cn ,

In recent ye:-:rs, the people of C;,l Hornia helve made it eminently clear that

they are determined to protect their coastRl resources~' Their determination

to do so is baaed on many cO'1siderations~ As public understa.11uing of

aco l og i cc I reLltiO'.1Ships has gr own clur ing the lest decilde, appreciatiO;:-, of

the potential value of marshl'~nd b. r,101ctary v.i lue as Importr.:nt nursery

gr-ounds for many f ozrns of ve Iu.rb Le .md des ire ~ble commerc LaI l7l.c;.ri:1e pr oductis

h.:1S grmm. C;~lifor;) ia"s 11:'\'e also come to recogn lze less t,.l;'tgible,. but no
 less iI:1port:;nt benef its from their re;;l1in bg 'l-7ildlHe and Hild l,,~nds as nell.

Under the acceleratin8 pressures of modern life, people in ever exp2.ndin3

numbers are seeking out places ~n1ere they ~,y g~irr 3 respite from such

stresses arid relax nmidst: n atrur a I ViSt.1S uncluttered ~Yith 1v.81-':: .

.>."1 :,rtif,;!cts.

The enjoyment of pr ImoL hebltctt and the 'Hild cre':tures that live there h25

become <:1:1 import~'!1t recre::tio!1al 80al of <1 sigiiific,~,~t segne:1t of the public.

But the places where they may do this have dHindled to d rer:n1o:mt, especially

mf;mr;gement of Pesc~;dero ~.hrsh and its env Ir ons is a respoc<sibilit-] thGt cermet;

be ignored~

The Depar'trment; of Fish ond Gccme11,::salso Clttempted to stress here b.

that more tihan mere ~ of rn.::rshLnd ~~cre;lge is necessdry to 'lchieve

.v~~'Qiyt
".
{1
(, ' preservati<X1. of the marsh , The retention of this velu ab l.e h::coitat int2ct
'-{t.S
depends On management planni~g and prompt responsible impleme~t~tial of such

pla~ning if the m~rsh is to be c~1se~ed.

The Depclrtment feels th:,t developme;1t ne:r Pesc:ldero ):,hrsh can be

accomplished to accomod2te loc21 i~tercsts without ultimate destructio~ of

the marsh resources. C,;',reful

p Lann Ing and rn.ttual respect for the needs of

both ma~ ~nd wildlife c~n serve to enh~nce the qU21ity of life for both

Hi).dlife and its human ne ighbors~ The Depa:r;tme,.,t is e~lger to ass 1st in any

,fny pos s Ible, county and LocaI agencies, gove rnmentrs and pr Ivut;e parties in

those pr-ogr-ams that would effectively provide protectio:1 and enhcn cement; for

70
 Binford~ Laurence C~~ 1972. Recrnrrmend~tions for the preservation and

f'f?"" utiliz2tion of Pescadero f.1arsh, ~5anNateo County. Cal df orn La Acadomy

, )/1 r7'
r .o.;v' ''-. of Sciences, San Francisco. 7 pp and map'
II I . ,
pj}{ . Burt, Hillam H~ and Ri.cher-d P. Grossenheider, 1964. A field guide to the
. .W't
r("' p~ v
[\ r ft..i:tl~":'I( ,,\ mamma
Ls, Haught
a on.
~lffli
1 n
C
ompany,
B t
OS on.
. 234 pp-

California Department of \{ater Resources" 1966~ Coastal San Nateo County

Investigations~ 322 pp., plus plates and maps~

Grinnell, Joseph and Alden H. Niller, 1944. The distribution of the birds

of California. Pacific Coast Avifauna, i:~27. Berkeley. 608 pp ,

Orr, Robert T., 1942~ A study of the birds of the Big Basin Region of

California~ The American Midland Naturalist 27(2)!273~337.

Small, Arnold, 1974~ The birds of CeLi f orn Ia ; Hinchester press, Ne~'I'
York.

310 pp';'

Stebbins, Robert c.;" 1966~ A field guide to Hestern reptiles and amphIb Lans;

Houghton rIifflin Company~ Boston ~ 289 pp ,

Thomas, John Hunter", 1971~' Flora of the Santa cruz f.1ountains~ Stanford

University Press, Stanford~ 434 pp.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, 1959. Soils of

San Mateo County. 2 pp., plUS 24 plates and 2 maps.

University of California, Agricultur~l Extension Service, 19S6~' Agriculture,

population increase, and water problems in Sa~Mateo county. S2~ M~teo.

18 pp~ plus appendix.

"7\
 Cr.J,t f !/(.I/.j ,1.-0 j"
Y "

"":1 7';"' ~
" . _ ..:.,..1. I-

P opu l at; ion peak,

liumbez' Ll.",cl ~ .ontih
(1971-1072)

CO:W,l'IO~l Loon
,;. ...
]j

Horned Grebe ~. '}j

;.: 8 ~:ov.
Eared Grobe PodicCDS ~igricollis

Pied-billed Grebe Pod i lY,-,lbus Dod i cenS ..

.:...,..,~:
S ..ov ,

Br-own Pel icen Pelec2nus occidcntalis "', ')./

Double~crcstcd Co~~orant Phc:.lacrocQj~a}~auritus '" ~I

":7.'.
Grec:.t Blue Hero"'l ,';rde.:l horod ia,s i-~~ 6 .-",p::".

Green Heron Butorides vircsecns

7');',
", !::./
Great ;~gret Ccsr.lcrmlius albus '1
h !:/
n
Egretta thula "', 4 ,pr.

B1ad;-cro~,med I:izht Heron l!yct ieor-ax nyct iCOrD.:-: "',

0
!!./
"1--;..r

,\meriean Bittern Bot"~urus lent iginosus

.:........ 6 La.y

u ,,-
,']./
", Olor buccinator "t"':.

-
~ Olor eo1umb.:l.rius
~.. ;
-, ,

i
'J..i
Uhi.stl in; S~,;a.n

Canada Goose B!'2.rtt2 c2.nadens is b

ill
I:; '}./
Blacl< lirant Brant~ ni~rica.ns

1Jhite-frontccl Goose .';nser alb if:;::-ons :,1 ?.J

SnO'\'7 Goose
,::.". ~ '2./

1./ Scientific ni~me folIo;,;:; the F'ifth ~,:dition of the';J';;erican Ornitholo::;ists

Union Choc:(-list of ~;orth ~',:;-,1cric2.nDinls, In oIud Irig revisions of 32.r'!.d
Supplement (~UX, Vol. 90,~?ril, 1973, pp. 411-419).

7:./ T~""ro.G idont;

~t:/ oc ce s i ona l Ly 1. oco:;:clcd

4
s onot Ime during the yeo.!" 25 individuals or i.r, s;;ull r;roups

!2.! ;~arcly observed

J -_~
,
 ,c or.-c-;::on r1ar.x:s Popu Lcti i on Peak,.
t:u~,lbcr and ~,o:lth
(1971-1072)

\~2S pl~tyrhynchos 20 feb.

G<tc't\:oll 70 ~-;'eb.

I' int;a 11 n(-:s i.! cuttl ".', 700 T'ob

CO~:1E10n Tea 1 \:rlClS crecc~ v :

550 ~:eb

.\nas c1iscors '2/

CinnC'.1C1on TC'11 ,\nas cyaZ1-optcr c:' 650 l:'cb.

400 Jan.

rorthern Shoveler ,',n,,,s sD:-;.tula j. 700 feb.

:';ood Ducl~ I0': 6 l:ay

r~Gdhead ",.: ~ !:c./

,\ yt:hya collc~r is 1/
C(:~nvasback ,\ythya val is ineria 11
G:l;o2tcr ;:> caup 9 j-ar

Leseer Scaup "ythva <"lff inis

Cor,r.;1011 Goldeneye 6 J"c.r...

,nlitc-uinged :; cater

;~urf Sccter

Dl'\ck ~'coter
., .-. .
Ruddy Ducl< oxvure ~!....
.;..
.

~::ec'.-brestGd Lerg2.I1scr t.~, :-l)r~

r
Turl~cy Vulture v .p r ,

':;lanus leucurus 2 ;:~eb

~ccinitcr stri2tus

COOl1cr'e E:::uk ~ccinitGr coopcrii

t!_ ~7r.
 :.:c i enc i f i c )?e.'1~'
Popu l xt; ion
r.umbe r nnd l .ont.h

rred-shoulclarcd Hawk :~utco 1 inea t~t.s

Roug,h-leggcd H2.wk ;luteo 12.-::00us

C ircns .cy.:mous 3 pr.

\T;leric&n Kcstral ~<'i21eos1)e.rvcriu5

l,ophortyx cal ifomicus

Ring
necked Pheasant rh"si&nus co1c11ic1.15

Virginia ].ail R~!l1us limic01 a ~j

Sora Porzana ca.rolinn ". .
;.:( ?) '}j
, .

CommonGall inule Gallinule. chloro~us i'.l '}..I

)r::erica.n Coot Fulica anericana ',00 Feb.

SeDipal~~ted Plover Cha:cadrius sel"ip21!:'.Eltu8 7 . ',1..1:;.

Charadrius alexandrinus
.....
.!. -..:. .. ~ t.f .\Uc;.
Sncruy Plover

Killdeer Charadrius vociferus 26 .Iu I .

Black-bellied Plover Pluvial is sguatarola 20 ;~u0.

;-.'
Ruddy Turnstone .\renari-::. interpres

Black Turnstone 0renaria nelanocenhala "L 'if

Common Snipe G~11in~~o gallina~o

Long-billed Curlew !';umenius ""Del' i canus ".:.: ~ 1/

\Jhimbrel (Huds on Ian Curle~r) I';u!11enius phaeopus

spotted Sandpiper ,\ct it is riI<'!culOlrin

~lillet

Gre0ter YellowlcZs Trin~a DclaDolcucus

Lesser YeI Lowl.ogs Tring;). rl:wipes ]j

J.ed Knot Cnlidris C2nutus ),--'

~:j
':.f

~21idriB ~inutillc
1 :
L. 3/
 Co:-;tTI10n N ::.TI1GS Scientific Names p opu Lat; i 0:1 P ei~I<,
r:umbcr and Lonth
(1971-1972)

~~cd-b2cL~cd:::andpipcr (DunLi n)

::;hort-billed Douitchcr I,ir.l\lOdrof:~us

?riseus '2/
\-Jesto:rn Sandp iper Cnliclris [;,auri

Larbled Goduit Limosa fedoa JJ

Sanderling C2liclds alba 1/
..mer ican .vvocet; ;lecurvirostra americana

Phal.aroDus fulicarius '2/

\HlsOi:1 IS Phalarope Ste~3.nopus tricolor fl/
Norther~ Ph~larope LobiDes lobatus '}j

Glaucous-winged Gull Larus 01aucescens '}/

uestern Gull lprus occidentdlis R

Herring Gull I"arus a f"'r<entatus '}j

Cal ifo:rni~ Gull Larus ctlifornicus

~ing~bil1ed Gull v~rus dela~arensis 1'1 2/

I",:rus canUS

Bonapart ts Cull Larus philadelphia

Heen.an t s Gull I.,e.rus heerDc'J.nn i 1/

Blacl~-legged Kitt i~-rake RisS8 tridactyla 1/
?orstc!"'s Tern Sterna forsteri

Elega.nt Tern ~halD.sseus ele~ans

. -_I.
).' .; f'Io

CeeSp ian Tern

Bund-tailed Piseon Colunba rasciata

~.our'n ins Dove

Tyto 2'.lba f:/

 Scientific ;~":l!:1es Popu.le t Lon Fe,lk,
2~uDber and Lonth
(1971 1972)
M

5.1
.'eronClutes saxatal is

.',nna's Hu::nnil1gbird calyptc anna

. IIen's Hu~;rr:lingbird Selasphorus sasi~

Belted Kinsfisher ~<e?;8.cerylealcyon

Common Flicker Col3.ptes auratus

.vcorn Uoodpeckcr Lelanerpes formicivorus

Yel1mJ~bel1ied Sapsucker Snhyrapicus varius }./

Hairy HOCKipecker .Dendrocopos Voi 11OSUS

Dcndrocopos pubescens

Nuttall's Hoodpecl(cr Dendroconos nuttallii

/~sh-th1.~oated Flyc,,-tcher llyiarchus cinerascens

BL~ck Phoebe Sayornis ni~ricans

Say ts Fhoebe Sayornis saya

;nllo~.;r Flycatcher 2mDidonmc traillii , 'C"-?)

1, ".

ifestern I"lyc2tcher E~idonax difficilis

Hestern Hood peHee CO;:ttopussord idulus

OliveNsided Flycatcher r<uttal1omis boreaUs

Hozried Lark E:ren~ODh

il a a I De st r i s

Violet-srecn Si7allow Tachycineta thalassina

Tree SHall0,'! Iridonrocne bicolor

Ste1.ddoDteryx :ruficollis rY~

Darn S ,la 11 0\7 l-lirundo I'ustic2.

fctrochcI idon pyrrhonota

Purple Lert in 'jJ

Cyanocitt2 stelleri ::.1

-5
 Scientific ~2~es Populc:tion Peak
Lu:sber and ~;onth
(1971-1972)

;: czub Jay

CO!"'-;;;1onl~.::vcn

Cor:rr::on Crow C01\~S brachvrhvnchos

Chc5tnut-h~c~cd Chic~adce

)3l1shtit psaltripcrus miniFlls

Plain Titmouse Ptirus inornatus

Py~y nuthatch

Br own Croc;?er Ccrthia farniliaris

;']rentit ,Cl1arrE.cafasc lata

J'ro:-;lodytes aodon

fro010dytes troglodytes

Deirick 's ~'lrcn i

TtlrYOl:BneS be~-1icld

Long-billed Larsh Hre..'11 TelrrBtodytes pnlustris

n .
California Thrasher TO;:-i.ostona rcdivivum i\L"'~

'.merican Robin Turaus nigratorius

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius 1/

Hernit Thrush cathnrus 0lltt~ta
. ' .t .

.Sua ins on t s Thrush Catharus ustulata .:. . ;j. .

S fal la me>:icano.

Ruby .cr ovnecl Kinglet RCi-mlliS calendula Li

:l,~ter 1'ipit

30sbycilla cedrorun

Log~eThead Shrike Lnnius luclovicianus . '(""")

J. .!
# .~ i..

Hutton'::.; Verio . ~';;

.'~""6
 Scient if ic LalJCS Populi1tion Pea.l,(,
~~ll;;lber and ;lonth
(1971-1972)

-.I2.rbl in;; Ver i o Verio ,:,ilvus

Vcn~ivor2 coleta

Yo1IoH U,'!rblor Dendroica petechia

Dcndroica coronat~ n/
'.
z:

Blacl~-tllroated l~ray ~.yarblcr De:r.dro ic2. n i:~-resceres '})

!:./
COliu"onYel.Lovt'hr oat; Geothlypis trichas

~HIso",ia pusi11n

House SparroH passer no~esticus

Uestcrn ileadm71ark ~turne113 nez1ecta

P.ed-,\-7in;:;:edDlackbird ,'; f.O 1 a ius phoen i cens

Tricolored Blackbird ~gelaius tricolor 2/

l:orthorn Oriole Icterus ;!albula

Brower's Jlackbird

:~olothrus ater

Hestern Tana:;er Pirm,ga lttdoviciana

tlack-hca~ed Grosbeak Pheuct lCUS T.'cla;"oconhalus

Evening Grosbeak Eeoeripllona vespertine 5./

PU:L"ple Finch Carnodacus purnurous !if
n ..l ..

House Finch C(1rpooa.cus mc.::<'iccH1us !\. f"

Pine Sisldn S n intts "J intlS

.xlorica.nGoldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch :- -.(~':?).

;'.ufous-s iood Todl0e

-7
 c iertt if i c I:1:!1".lCS
~:. I'opul"t ion pcal~,
runbor i1nd ~.ont.h
( 1971-1972)

;- -.(,'C?)
.
Chondostes c;rO,:,rx:.cus .5./
.\ imonh il<t ruficc;-:)s

Darl~-eyod Jur..co Junco hyer..e. 1 is

Z O;:lOt d ch i 2. 1euc ODru:yS

Zo~otrichi2 atric2Pilla

P2.ssorella ili~c3

Li:"J.coln '8 SparrOVl LGlospiza lincolnii

>~elospiza melod ia

.,-3
 C O::U~,Oi1r:Q:>:18S S c h,:,t ific = :,,::;;0$
---------- """-.----~.......,.~,-

f2mily Didelphiidae

Oppssun Didelohis t~rsuDi21is

Family Soricidae

Sorex OrT'.<ltus

Fd!ilily Talp ide.e

Feurotrichus ;--;ibbsi

Pe c Ific Lole Scaoanus orarius

Cal ifornia 1:01e Scapanus le.tinanus

DRDSR CHIROPTER\

Family Vespertilionidae

Little 3r~m Bat 1<yot is lucifu7,Us

Long-oaar-cd kyot is llvotis evet is

Fringed llyotis Eyot is thysanooes

California Nyotis ,lIyet is ce.1i fern icus

Yuma Fyotis

Long-legged ;jyot is i:yot is voL'l.ns

Silver-haired D~t 'f.asio;:J.yctcris noctiv~gans

\'iestcrn Pipistrel Pipistrellus hGSOenlS

Big Br-own Bat .~

'.
r;
Eptesicus fuscus

L2siurus borealis

~LD.Siurus c inc reus

D-l
 ,_
..C orunon
... - ~.:ames

;Jestcrn Big-cnred Eat t'lecotus tmmsend 1

iie:: i can Fro ct a i 1 Dil t Tadarida brasiliensis

~lestorn Lastiff Bat .:U1:101)5 perot is

O?..Dlm C\I~N rVOR \

Family Pr ocyon Ide e

Raccoon Procyon lotor

~aDily Bnssuriscidae

Ringtail BassarisCus aSVJtus

Fara i Iy IIuste 1 iciae

Longtail Haasel Lustela frcnata

3edger

Spotted Skunk Snilo~alc Dutorius

Striped Skunk liephit is T,lcph it is

Family Canidae

Coyote Canis latrans

Gray Fo)~ Urocyon cinereoarf.enteus

Family Felidae

Eounta in L'i on Fel is cor-color

Bobcat

ORDSR rWDJ:i;nTL\

Fanily Sciuridae

California Ground Squirrel Citellus beecheyi

Lorri<'lCl Chipmun!,

\Jestem Gr<::ySqu ir re I S c iurus ,~riscus

Enstern Fox S quirrol (Introcluc8(!) ~-:iciurus niger

 ~a~ily Gco~yidac

Valley Pocket Gopher Thm::o::',ys

botta.e

Fn:ui ly :letoromyidae

C@1ifornia ?ocl:ot ilouse Pero;m2thus californicus

Fa.Dily Castor idae

Beaver Castor canadensis

F3mily Cricetidae

Rcithrodontomys Dcg210tis

California Louse Per~vscus californicus

Deer Louse ?eronyscus r.2~iculatus

Brush I.'louse perrn~scus boylei

Dusty-footed Hoodrn,t reotor:B fuscipcs

Ca Li f orn Ie Vole ilicrotis ca Li f orn Icus

Lusl~rat (introduced and e~:pcrpated) Cndatra zibethica

Family l::uridae

.Ra ttus norveJ i eUs

House Louse ;lus ToruS eli 1us

Fani1y :Loporidae

Blacktail Jackrabbit Lepus californicus

Erush R<lbbit Sylvila~ts bac~~ani

0<1oc0110u5 heDio::1us

Scientific names f0110~'TBurt and Grossenheider, 1964~

 Ca 1 if ern i:; ~~C1{t '.L~rich::torosa

~ns~tinQ eschseholtzi

,\ne ides I u::,!Ubris

,',ne ices flew ipt!net2.tus

;:<:;.ni Iy Buf en idee

Buro barces

Fe.mi ly Eyl id2.c

Pacific Trcefrog Eyla :rc:c~illa

Red-lc::-;gcd Fro?;

Bullfrog Re~a c~tcsbeiana

ranily Tcstudinidae

;Jestern Fond Turtle

:3co 1 0001"'1,.15 ace idercta 1is

Side-blotched Lizard

;~uncccs sl:iltonic:m!s

C-l
?ani Ly To i icL'!e

:Yosterr'. ~ihiptCl i1 C'.I.c!'1idonho:;::Us tl"::L1S

rc.r~i1y ..n;;u ida o

.GcrrhQ;1,otus coozulous

Califorv.ia ~esloss ~iz~~d .,)"'.n10118 7)ulchra.

Fardly Doitbe

Rubber ];'Oil

frnnily Colubridao

R inr.91cck Snnl~e

.Can.t ia tcr1.t!is

l',~c.sticop11is lQ,tert~l is

Coachuhi? :~sticoohis fla~el1um

Racer Coluber constrictor

Gopher ~.:nab? P itUODhis nelimolcucus

Cal i f orn La :;ountain T~ingsn2.1w

Common I\ingsnnke

c./estern Torrest in 1 G.,~rtcr :3n21<e

~loGtcrn '~qU2tie Gartor ~~n:llw Th;;:cnnoDhis couchi

CrotQ.lus viridis

Scientific n ames follm7 Stebbins, 1966~

C-2
 ,\PPEl';u IX D

FISH ,-"\:;O SHELLFISH OF THE PESC:\DERO !'limSH Ai'm TI-IE ,\DJOINI:;G OCE,'JJ

Fish n~mes from American Fisheries Society Special public2tion #6,

Cornman .r~nd Scientific Nm:1esof Fishes from the U~,ited Sb.\tes and C:,':ad;:l~
Crustacei~':s ;1'."ld Hollusks from Appendix E, Shellfish of Elkhorn SlouZh, in
The l':atur21 Resources of Elkhorn Slou<::t,h (g,1.~"".f1~/~n)

3../ 0 m Known to occur here

Pr D Prob2bly occurs here
Po ~ Possibly occurs here
 Scie~tific N~mes Sbltus

Leutocottus nrrrl:tus Po

Rubberlip Sevper ch Rh'cochilus toxotes Po

striped Se:iperch Po

\-,Jhite s e apez'ch Ph"'nerodon furc~;tus Po

'7
('
pol c:
!Jh;:td .\losa sp
J
Pr

Brovr, Smootthhound Shdrk Hustelus henlei Po

Gr"y Smooi:l1hotnd Sh,:!rk Mustelus c21ifoL1icus Po

Surf Smelt Hypomesus pretiosua Po

Hhitebdt Smelt Allosrnerus elo~gQtus Po

Threespi~e Stickleb~ek G'sterosteus <,culeatus 0

Topsmelt .',therinops is c,ff b is Po

Diamo;-,d Turbot Hypsonsetta guttu1"ta. po

*****~': * ~'.
Crustacefms

CemmOll Names S e ier,t if Ie Names

~
Rock Crab ~;:Elcer antennarius

Dungeness or Market Crab

Red Crab C,,~cer produetus

purple Shore Cr~b Hcr:ligrapsus oregor-lens is

Kelp Crab pugettia prociucta

,shrimp

Ghost Shrimp

Bay Shrimp Cr go t: isric,:uda.

Gr'EI:1"rus confervicolus
 Cornman Names Scie:"'.1:1fic Names

B:,r;n,:lcles
odo, l T .,._

'col'""~.B::,rnacle B:Li:"iUS tintiY" ..rnbulum

C')Oenods
41 t _

Par:~s!tic copepod HodiolicoL\ gr",cilis

ISoPods
to: *"*'

Boring Isop<Xl Lim~ori:l lignorum

r
Pill Bug Li#~,ec~ vulgaris

Dnd
,. Hussels
Hy1;:i1us edu l i s"

F<~t HorseJ!lUSSe1 VolselV, C2p..:ilX

Horsemussel Vorse11a diegelsis

straight HorseIllUssel Varsel1.;, rect.'l

Californi~ Soft~shelled Cl~~ crvtomy~ c~lifornicG

S lc1<1e R2Zor eLm Solen s iearius

Shipworm Bankia set'-lce0

Basket Cockle Clinoc~rdium nutt211ii

purple Olive 01ivel1~ biplic~ta

Npo;'"1 She 11 polbices lewisiVt

BLlCk Turb,,,:;. Tegula funebralis

Toredo Toredo diegei',sis

D-3
 /
cnz i ch Ing t!lC env ir onr.cnt; of ti1.e ~:osc.:::(~crc
nS:Jcr:;blc5~~}?; .~)t:t.:~:-:.o I)rfsir-~c[;c. '.r110

pln.:'.lts 1istcd horc in '-;~rcon l.y tho::'-:<2 ~:10Gt cons p i cuous tl?:i.d/o1." nU;JOC1"OUG in this

,~oS!r~o;~ Eorsct:: il

'~quisctur.: tcl1:":2toi<C!.vaz , brO-Hnii

'iostorn :~cou:ring }1ush

Clover Fern

Leathor lorn PolYDoclhtD scoulcri Sr

G icl!.'.t Ch"1 i~1 For:-, ~iOO(li-7D.1."d i8. f inb1"L:ta. F

~POI'l<ltl<:'h""" "",...,,..,~t\>....
~1cctcrn ;:;1-:'01"<:',;Corn ~?OlYGtiChUr:l c2~lifornic1..1!".1

~:estcrn U.'.cty Fer:-~ ~.,thy:ritti:; filb:-:J5e,"dna

C2\ ..
fcro.,\~ ~l,..,<'\4 Fe ........
S03.5t:, ..1 :100cl Fern DryODtc-ris d ilatat{1
&l'>~.:",~.';"t
Joc!' ;.oem.

-.- -~----,--~~-.
_._--
.........

'.,'\-,;;o:,ony fo110.[3
ZJ.JJ..~~i'~';'tn:1.forcl
Tho::.Y1S, Jo11,,"'1 r:u:-:ter L"1:...?.~of ~ll ~..2:E2 fR~
iJ:-,ivcrs ity l'rcf)s~ 1971, ":tD.K:forc~.
--~----
l:lS of
: .ount;c

:~c ee CO.:1st<,.l ~:crub

 I'

CO~3t 1(cd~-7ood ~:',cquoi,:: SC:::-:.D01virc~1.s F

TY~:-II.\C~~;
.'~~ -. Cr~t"ta il 1~:.:r.1ily

B~Ocd-lc3ved c~t-tail .'I)mh::t 1 ::t i of 01 ia

)'
. .;.l

Broad ftuitcd 13urrced

Se:Jo Ponduccd ?oti.u:'o~caton pect Ll:'tUS

F10":-70r bZ QU i 11~iort 1i1aea 5ci110i605

711roc ..ribbed ..rrO~7 Gr::::.ss

Conr.:on 'Tatar Plant ian

c
Dist i ch l i s U, C

ir::us
nro~!Us ~.1D..rit C

Gcyo~'c 2nio~ G~2SS J?

'.'
;... -.:.
'")
 -" ,

~~lvnllS:;-.,ol1is c

Thin T,lil i;onorL:. c'll inaric?.

C~t Gruss c
Cal ifornia. IIe.iT Grc.iss

1':.-.11Trisetun Triscttu~ C2ncscens

',1 ODccltrUS ho~;c11i i

FLee GI"C::ss C3'.1:::r.;..?;:ros

t is rubes cens

ncach Grass

Dent GrDSS ...r:~rostis co:.lifornica c

Destern Vcnilla Gr3SS Hierochloe occidentd is r

c,:{p;m:,C;:;.'~E - ;;,edge Fanily

C[~rc:( 'Subfuscn

;-;rzk".ll-b:;:actcd Sedge

C~rc:: ::re.cil lor

Harford tS Sedge c
Care:: obnll-;;t<: M

C"'-re:~ schott: i i
,
u
.

I.oH Club ~'.ush

1~-3
 c- i iJ~ 0:11 i,~: T1..tle ,.
~:

Seirnus robuotus

7~~:ys
ichiton Q.l:1eric~:'11W:1

1.01:11;,2.
nino!'

.Iuricuscffusus V::r'J: Dru.:.-meus "

n

Baltic l1ush Juncus b~lticus .. '=

l'l

\;cstcrn. Rush Junetts oee ide~1t.:~

1is ' <
'::1

Drmrn-headed nush rJttn.ct!S 7)h~lCOe81)ha1us L

~Tocxl l7..ush ~,ttzula. r.:ultiflora l,-i

?ronont 's StOll" Lily Zy"pdenus frer.lCJ::lt i i var , !:linor S:r

lilitwJ Dardalinun

:;\iss ion Bells Fritillaria lanceolcta

C21ochortus albus

PllSSY Ec:.rs C~lochortus tolnici 11

TrillitC1 chloroDet~luD c

enl i f orn i n j:,'cticl

'.cl(cr qs Tongue :.'co1 iaDue bi:::elovi i F
 p ~-in::!:"v lL-.b 5.t:~t

~(2r~':cMflo\J8rcd }?2i ry JelJ. F

l1inG u:-.,ifol ium

DIue ~)icks Brod l".e.::. nu 1chell.::.

r.r
"

Dcug las IT is

Stream O;:-chid R

l-L,-,bc;.~.drL~un~~V,SC0ns is VD.r. un:1' iJsccns is R

Spotted Cor~l Root Cor::l1.oz-hiz2. r:,."cultn

Blnck cotto~-mood Po~ulUG tri~~oc~rD2 n.

.'r:coyo ~7ilIo';7

YC110H :1i11o'\7 H.

c ,~~.
J~if 0r.11 i:-:\
 Cor'yll13 C;". 1ifol"l-:.ic.-}
'.0
..i..'

L i thoc :~"'us dens 1of: 1or,~

Quercus vizlizc~i

Quercus r~rifoli2

Drt ie."- e,l ifornic'~

Urtic~ holosericcn

Q<::.l: Listletoe

l,nnz-trd.lcd \H Ld Gin[er F

~:'obust Spine flouer Choriz2nthe robusta

COt'.st :::rio:?,onum c

Dock c

Curly Doc!: J.ttme:: crisDus

Green Dock

Goldon Dock

c
J?oly,,;cr::~ur.l
cocc tnour:

L<ldy's Thunb
F ic.'.:10~7ocd

C.-::1 if orn i:~.::;<'.1t bush c

}i't:.t Hen

c-
CO<"1stGooscfoot J

'bronte. Ltifoli.:.: c

Pink Send Verbena c

CercI icnCr:1i1 TaDOS iss il:1tL-rl c

No>;" ZC:11and SpbClCh TGtr~~onia tctra~rn1ioldes c,. s

~~ea Fig ~;esc!,.Jbr'F~nthcmUD ch ilense c

Hottentot Fi;::; j;cscnbrya:cthc::n..un edule c

S::,,'11-1ee.ved ~;ontLa Lonti.:l narviflora F

i; iner ts }~cttuce llontia nerfoliata

conmon :-C~nt Ia Lontia sD,,,thul:',ta

,'PortulaC.:l alaraeca

::','ield Chlc1,,7ccd

}~e2ch J,'c:!rluort C

::'hby Chicb7ccd c
,.
.!-j
 1<
.t"!

fO~10sa V"--
\,;..;...l..

GIlle 2~arl-~sptlr c

De 11)11in it.U:l hcsner itt1].

Ucstm:;:1. ~lood .vncnone .'ncmoncCluinauefolia val". f'::::-i:wi F

I.obb 9$ ~J2.tcr Buttercup Ik.:-tunct!lus labbii

~i2.ter buttercup .R2~1.unculus aSU2.til is v,"':.!'. c:::.nill<1ccus

DlomJcr's Buttercup

Calirornin Juttorcu? .;'\,r.mq,;,LCUJ.US c21ifornicu$ var , ctmC2.tus C

Orogon Grape De~bcris nervosn F

C02St I'>-::rbc:;:ry c

Cal iforniCl Jay Unbo11ularia c21ifonllca

~schscholzia cclifa~ica

~,
~)lc0:1trc.. fot"r.10S(1 i:

:!ild :::"~:di::::h r~nn11o.1:1tt3 s~t i'1,)'US c

P.;:-c,):'.c.. S<:.,.. R.,<:.l.<~-\. C2 h:i)<;, ",d~...
d;.,-,\", c
:s<?:~ Ro<:..k<.' 1::. C;;;> \<:. Ie ~;;",.-.-l,,,,,, . c
Dou[;lns f ',!c, 11f laue:" ~~rvsir.:u.r::c.:J.~)itt:.tun

':;cstCl'l1 Ye l Loxz Cress

,.
CorO',to':')US c: idv::us ;"i

P.:.:cific 21:one Crop c

Sea I..cttuce J)ttc11C''iTG fn:t ivosn

DoyldnL:: 01et2

Ti~rcl1a u~ifoliata

llodosty ::hhmlca 1::oo08t2 F

f'lo~7c:ring Curro:l,t ~dbes ~lut bosu ...

-:J ~)
.!.' .

Hillside Gooseberry GrosGularia celifo=nica

c
 :;.'2C if:1. c :.' i 1vc;:,:,ecc: c::cc1 i i

:t :i.e).:y Ci:-:qucfoil

c
I:olod i sct!S c11.'3color c
CcrcocJ.:t:Jes bctu 1 oides

'll~r. fr,~~=-nc
is cr:f'.tts F

l~ubtlS lJ:':S intts

r..o.sc. (';:~lifori1ic2

I1011y-1 cayce: Chcn-y

Oso Derry

Toynn PhotiniJ. ~routifolia

Lu--; l:1US v.;,ri :1. col or

Sr

~.nu e ee. ch
:::~ Lu ;::d.'.'1 o

Jroo,;; ~.
.... ...;.'-

--,

_~-10
 c
"J

Clovor.
, "

Vetch
,;:.1.
"

c
cut-le.:wcd Gcr:~niur;]

I./i~"ltL-:l us ito.t iso i:':'!L.Cl

i .
 n
:._::,;
;~-' c"-.;rcc1 :_ :r:.nlc .cor ):.;c;~oi)hyllu:-.l
~. Eklc:'yo'" Ace.... 10~'
..l""\~~O
::::hoctnut F:::.:i ly

.".os C1..tlus c,.~:.liforn. ic~

.,
':,T

'.IEd Eollyhod: S ic1n.lcoa r:1c:l,,"ncflorD c

ChCCGO \lCCd L::1Y2. ")2.1"v iflare. c

ITyj)c:::ictu:~ 2.n~'.";2.11oides

s
VIOL~CZ~E - Violet ?~Dily
Vi01C;. oce1 12.t<~ ~.[

Rcd'\iOOd Violet Viol:". GO!.:'o::1r=v i r ens F

;:.:nooth Yolla:;-i Violot Viole. 01.:~be1in ?

Gl"SG Foly J,ythrtu-:l llysson i fo). k

J}1uc CUE ;:;ucc. lyptus ;::lobttlus -;.: ~

M
 C O:~.:Ll0;-'
.. : ~j~:r.1C.s

CD-I if 0:;:1 itl ca Li f. ern icc

.G1")ilobiun ,,:conoc:.:.ulon vcz , occidc;::t(,le 11

30isduv~:1i~~dens iflor<l

CO:1.torted Pri:::1rOSe OC::,ot~lC"~C.

cont ort;o var , ctrif;t.11os1 C

c
Oerrothor2 cheir~,thifoli2 c

211, Clover ral ia c:d. if om i C2 F

S c~.:.nd
h:. poct ~n-vcru=r is

S2nicul2. o.rctopoidcs c

-:[11
or 1cd l:~ rsh F enny;iort

C0.1 if ern i c Lorna t iurn Sc

\!estern l~ed Do;;uood COL~US californicc

L'
 :~vc!'i:rccn
!Iuckleber:.-y V:~cd. n iu"c. avo; tu::']
,.,
Vt'cciniu:.: -:::'.rviflorun l'

Tri8~t21is 12tifoli2

Sea ):,Q.vancier I,imw.iu.r:; c[;:l ifoU'.icur.1

CL~~CSS - Olive F2uily

Ore~;on .',S11 R

-i.
Davy f S Cer,to.ury C e:.lta.ur iur.: cL:t"""'! i .',

Periuinklc Vh~.ca 1::2 ior c

Y;;lkald Doclde'r Cuscuta. s21 ina var-, r;).Cl. ior

)}e:.:ch l:orn inz-Gl ory c

Jush ;.ornin:';-Cl or'J Convol','1..tlU$ occiCl"'nt,'".!.1 is

C:-CSS2 Crcss~: trll~:il1crts is

-S.. inZl;.-'"l:
tb.llS n'::~l.'\,T if ior"us c
 'n.,-te ..
C;01 loni" ~-o1)hvJ.liJ. c
Cnlif:or~~ia (~ilif'r ;T

;}f,:by 31u0.-euos

;i::d od ictyon. C~: 1i::o:-:::.iCU:'-'1 c

:;cas ide msinc!~ i~l c

II i ckrnan t s '11oc,'lry,'J, ,1I oce.zya cho::is i':':ne. var , 11icl::':l:m ii "

f',.'.

hU::;ty Popcozn Flo~iCr :::]'a,;;iobothrvs Tl.Ot~oul '\iUS

California Vcrv~in

I~BI~TAE - ~int FaDily

Snlvi~ sn2th~CGa c
G

c
Cal iforni(-~ I;cd:;c :'cttlc

c
;,~(,tureje, c1ot.!'-;l~si i

;' ol:~::,u,n d01Y:L:s i i

 c

~:
t icky : .onlccy 210'\70r

1,1

CordyV:::;;.thus ;:-1;:'.rit ir::us

Cm-:rr.1m (\71 '5 Clover

Se2.Side ~'Jc:.
i:,t 3rusll c
Cftstillcl::: Ltifol i,: ve r , llif";htii

Croh:.!'.che ,r:!'2.YC.!12 var , jopsonii c

r l,".nta:~o coronOr;US

Pacific Sc~sidc Plantain rl~~tn~o jUDcoidcs V21". juncoides

[' l;:ntar;o juncoices w~r. ce.l iforn ica c

1itl:J
Gt~~ Ct! 1if 0:::1 i CUI:1
 COT~UJO!: ::.:.~::1CS :clQ.,tific 1:,-::,,..:0S

U 11")S~ ellS ftlJ.lO:TlH:1

r i:,I: ]? 1cct.r itus

::icroscds bigcIo'll i c

~~oso:ri
s r~':)t:lrgi 0 ides var , ,:t 'D~-::r<"::i 0 iclGS '"
L

Cormon ;: ov: 'I'll is t 1e So~chus o10T~CCU3

Coyote ;}rush
I:ierr,c itm a 1b iflonu:>
-
Grbde1 iD. hUl~li1is Q
..J

CO::.stal Gun Plz:nt G:d::tdcJ. 13 li.'.ti:EoliQ Sr) C

Dln.l~e~s H2.pplopappus Iit:r.:l01):,:rmus oricoides C

Go100:.1 star Chryso:)sls vi11os-"' ver , bol-':nderi L'.~

.Tcste~-n Goldenrod Solid2~o occidc~t~lis 1-1

Dune Goldenrod C

DouSl~s t .: ster stor subs1)ic~tus Sr

(.! "'''""
~J..

d~,oC2ulrnL bico1or F

3c

Ptt:cplc Curltroorl ('

c." C

Cot:ton-bc"tti;.1~ ?knt C

~,'-

~_~-17
 TJi(.O~1S l-',c'vi:::

c
F

CO:'.st T:::ruccd Ec::::izcr.:: cOr'-r::bos '~

.1i:ricmhyJ.1urJ st:~c('.h-:clifoliur.1 c
CO::;;'::O" ~;rool1ySU:l.flOi:er
,.
b

Fleshy J~,-
uraca

,
r,
.
~oolly Goldfields Dcr L: ninor

Goldfields 'i'-D_c.;..l"_i_<_t S?~. hirslltu10.

_c-"-tF;"'''''-':-''Je-Ts_o_,,,_''_t_o_n_L_:
,,
Sneoth L:sthcnL1 2.',

ell l11a:: ;:'11110[01 iur:: V:T. c:: 1 itor::. icC'.. Sr

nthc!::.is cottll::

C ornron ;) 01 v it'.

Cotul.-: coronopiiol Lc. '-'

.J

_--rtCJ;,is is co' 1 ifornic-:, Sr

Dcech S::;cuort c
~-!cstC!."11
Coltsfoot

IbU i :>r8h ;;uttcJ:ucod :::cnccio IwdroC)hUuG

Toothed Co:cst i'-'i:"C(7Gcd :.'cr~cci 0 r.:in. i::::-),! S

Ci:~sittr.1 lyr-""cv'i!::tvlur,: -,
.:

c
1 ..

I_'J..

'~-19