ARAMBURU ISLAND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

In November 2007, the Cosco-Busan oil tanker hit into the Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay.  In the weeks following that disaster, Audubon was checking the shorelines of Richardson Bay twice a day to rescue oiled and sick birds, and to remove those that perished.  As a result, Audubon discovered that most of the birds ended up on Aramburu, a 17-acre island in the northwest region of Richardson Bay.  This crisis highlighted just how important this island is for wildlife.  Fortunately, Aramburu Island is owned by Marin County and managed by Marin County Parks and Open Space, who set it aside as a preserve in 1997.

As of 1985, more than 90% of the wetland acreage in the San Francisco Bay Region has been converted to other uses (San Francisco Estuary Project).  The remaining wetland areas are therefore critical for birds and other wildlife in the Bay, which is why it is very important to ensure the remaining wetlands and undeveloped areas provide high quality habitat for wildlife. Since the oil spill, Audubon has been researching ways to improve the island as habitat for birds and other wildlife. Unfortunately, the island has been largely overrun with nonnative, invasive plants that don’t provide good habitat or food resources for the wildlife in Richardson Bay, and the margins of the island are being eroded. We’d like to change that.

The Richardson Bay Audubon Center has partnered with Marin County to improve the habitat on Aramburu Island.  Audubon, with the help of a local consulting firm that specializes in wetlandsrestoration, Wetlands and Water Resources, iscurrently working on aconceptual habitatenhancement plan for the island. This work is funded by TogetherGreen, a partnership between Toyota and the National Audubon Society, and the Bechtel Foundation. 

Project Objectives
1. Rehabilitate existing tidal marsh and grassland habitats across the island, rehabilitate tidal flat and shoreline habitats along the eastern and northeastern borders of Aramburu Island, and establish gradual transition zones (ecotones) that support diverse native vegetation and optimum wildlife habitats for shorebirds, waterfowl, marine mammals, and native plant species.

2. Expand existing sand and gravel spit areas as shorebird roosting habitats and reduce wave erosion and shoreline retreat along the eastern and northeastern borders of Aramburu Island by selective placement (replenishment) of bay sand and gravel beach sediments with appropriate grain sizes for Richardson Bay wave energy.

3. Maintain topographic heterogeneity on the island to facilitate gradual movement of wetland habitats during sea level rise. 

4. Establish additional roost habitat for herons and egrets by placement of persistent large woody debris in storm drift-lines on the eastern and northeastern areas of Aramburu Island, and creating snags on the island.

The project will contribute to several of the regional restoration goals as outlined in the San Francisco Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Report.  This report specifically identified the following objectives for Richardson Bay and the Strawberry Spit area:

• Protect and enhance harbor seal haul-out sites at Strawberry Spit.
• Restore and enhance tidal marsh.
• Restore and enhance fringing marsh for Point Reyes bird’s beak along the northwest edge of Richardson Bay.
• Restore high marsh near populations of rare and uncommon salt marsh plants to enable their expansion.

Project Timeline
The current project timeline is as follows:
Spring 2009: Complete feasibility analysis and draft conceptual enhancement plan
Summer 2009: Complete final conceptual enhancement plan
Fall 2009: Complete CEQA analysis
Winter 2010: Submit permits
Spring 2010: Complete the final design plans for bay beach and sand flat enhancement
July-September 2010: On-the-ground work (bay beach and sand flat enhancement)
December 2010 – December 2013: Post-enhancement monitoring

For more information
Please stay tuned to this website for more information about the project and about community meetings.  If you’d like to get involved in volunteer activities related to this project, or if you would like to submit comments, please contact , Bay Ecologist.

Aerial view of Richardson Bay, northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Aramburu Island is the hook-shaped island that lies to the east of Strawberry Spit.  Richardson Bay Audubon Center is located at the northern end of the bay.

Public Notice of Work Schedule

Richardson Bay Audubon staff, volunteers and consultants are planning to be on Aramburu Island on the following dates in 2010: