Martin Slough Enhancement Project

Status Completed County Humboldt
Project Type Non-mitigation Location 40.75224° N, -124.17715° W Map
Project Area (Acres) 160.0 Last Updated 3 April 2022
Project Abstract The Martin Slough Enhancement Project improves fish and wildlife habitat, especially for endangered coho salmon, by creating coastal wetlands, including salt marsh and riparian habitat, while also reducing the extent and duration of flooding. The projects construction was completed at the end of 2021, while the monitoring is ongoing.
Project Groups CDFW Prop 1
Administrative Region North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board - Gil Falcone, Kaete King, NCRWQCB

Project Identification

IDType
No Data

Habitat Plan

Site NamePhaseActivitySubActivitiesHabitatSubHabitatAcresActivity StatusWater Regime
Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property Implementation Enhancement Estuarine Wetland Marsh 120.0 Construction completed Mixed
Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property Implementation Enhancement Estuarine Wetland Marsh 40.00 Construction completed Mixed

Related Habitat Impacts

Impact Project NameHabitatAcres LostType of Loss
No Data

Sites

NameStatusAcres
Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property Construction completed 120.0
Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property Construction completed 40.00

Events

DateTypeDescriptionSite Name
2022-01-31 Other Revegetation efforts of North Fork/ Pond G, and upper mainstem areas completed. Fencing installed to protect plants. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-12-02 Other Revegetation efforts of North Fork/ Pond G, and upper mainstem began. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-11-01 Monitoring start Fish monitoring began for final phase of enhancement work. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-10-20 Monitoring end Construction water quality monitoring ends. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-10-20 Groundwork end Figas construction completed final phase of the enhancement project. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-06-21 Groundwork start Figas Construction begins construction on final phase of the enhancement project, North Fork/ Pond G, and upper mainstem. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-06-21 Other Fish relocation began, North Fork/ Pond G, and upper mainstem. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-06-21 Monitoring start Construction water quality monitoring began. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-06-12 Other Nesting bird surveys prior to final phase of enhancement construction. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2021-02-01 Other Revegetation efforts of Pond E, Pond F, and adjacent mainstem areas completed. Fencing installed to protect plants. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-12-01 Other Revegetation efforts of Pond E, Pond F, and adjacent mainstem areas began. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-10-30 Monitoring end Construction water quality monitoring ended Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-10-30 Groundwork end Enhancement activities ended Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-08-04 Other Fish relocation efforts began for enhancement activities upstream of Fairway Drive (completed September 1) Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-07-01 Groundwork start Enhancement activities began upstream of Fairway Drive Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-30 Habitat survey Nesting bird surveys and special-status plant species surveys completed - shared with and approved by appropriate agencies Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-24 Other Fish relocation efforts completed for Pond E (below Fairway Drive) Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-22 Groundwork start Enhancement began downstream of Fairway Drive Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-20 Other Notice of Award issued to Figas Construction (for work upstream of Fairway Drive) Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-15 Habitat survey Pre-construction CRAM of entire project upstream of Fairway Drive completed Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-06-15 Monitoring start Construction water quality monitoring began Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-05-26 Site visit Bid package site visit Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2020-01-31 Other Revegetation efforts on 2019 enhancement areas completed. Fencing installed to protect plants. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-11-08 Site visit RCAA coordinated with the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Program for a training and volunteer planting day Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-10-31 Groundwork end Figas Construction stops all in-channel work for the season Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-09-25 Other Second round of fish removal and de-watering in downstream portion (below Pond E), allowed Figas to complete channel excavation up to Pond E Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-09-23 Site visit RCAA and NOAA joined an HSU restoration class on a site tour of the Martin Slough Project Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-09-17 Update Large rain event and flooding of Martin Slough. Block nets over-topped and fish possibly reintroduced to the construction/work area. It was determined excavation of that area (Pond E) would be postponed and continue in June 2020. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-09-09 Other Fish relocation and stream de-watering Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-09-03 Groundwork start Figas Construction mobilizes and begins construction on Eureka Municipal Golf Course Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-08-29 Other RCAA issued Notice of Award and Notice to Proceed to Figas Construction for construction upstream of additive bid items on Eureka Municipal Golf Course property. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-08-01 Groundwork end Figas Construction finishes construction of additive bid items from 2018 bid Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-06-20 Other Fish relocation for additive bid items Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-06-17 Groundwork start Figas Construction performed construction of additive bid items from the 2018 bid, which included the Martin Slough channel from the NRLT/City of Eureka property line up to and including the east tributary/Pond D on the Eureka Municipal Golf Course. Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-06-01 Habitat survey Pre-construction sensitive plant survey Eureka Municipal Golf Course Property
2019-05-31 Phase end Re-vegetation efforts end Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2019-05-25 Site visit Volunteer planting day, wetland (brackish and salt marsh) native plants - approximately 30 volunteers Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2019-01-15 Monitoring start Fish monitoring by Ross Taylor & Associates
2019-01-15 Groundwork end Figas Construction completed the final elements of the project, including: pouring the concrete for bridge footings, installing the bridge decking and railing, installing cattle exclusion fencing along the main channel and oxbow, guard rail installation, power pole installation, water line repair, and demobilization Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2019-01-01 Monitoring start Photo monitoring
2018-11-01 Phase start Re-vegetation efforts begin Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-10-31 Phase end All in-channel work competed, and remaining coffer dams removed Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-09-15 Site visit NRLT and RCAA organized a volunteer planting day, in which approximately 2,000 Lyngbye sedge were planted by 15 volunteers Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-09-01 Update In early August, following a weekly construction meeting, the project team observed tension cracks and slumping on the north side of the channel along the NRLT driveway, including the entire PG&E gas line construction area. RCAA, GHD, and PG&E discussed possible solutions and it was decided that PG&E would return to the site and re-excavate the un-compacted material, install sheet piles, backfill with rock slope protection, and reduce slope steepness from 1:1 to 1:5:1. Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-08-01 Phase start Excavation of Marsh Plain B, the southeast tributary, the southeast tributary pond, and Pond C; installation of large woody debris (LWD) structures as per the design plans Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-07-23 Groundwork start PG&E mobilization, with the location and decommissioning of the four and six inch gas lines crossing Martin Slough at the base of the NRLT driveway. PG&E installed a new gas line five feet lower than finish grade of the restoration channel. Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-07-13 Groundwork start Construction/enhancement/restoration begins - consecutively to construction, Ross Taylor & Associates installed fish screens and conducted fish relocation in the stream section to be de-watered Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-07-12 Permit Coastal Development Permit issued
2018-06-01 Habitat survey Pre-construction surveys, including CRAM analysis, rare plant survey, and nesting bird surveys were conducted by RCAA and GHD staff Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-05-07 Other Notice of Award issued to Figas Construction Northcoast Regional Land Trust Property
2018-01-01 Monitoring start Water quality monitoring - including a YSI meter (reads D.O., temperature, salinity, conductivity), turbidity meter and water quality data loggers (four HOBO conductivity/salinity meters and two HOBO pressure transducers)
2017-06-01 Permit CEQA - Mitigated Negative Declaration (with Humboldt County as lead agency) approved (#11085)

People

TypeNameOrganizationDepartment
Contact Morguine Sefcik Natural Resources Services - Redwood Community Action Agency Natural Resources Services

Funding

PhaseActivityFunderAmount
Implementation Enhancement SCC State Coastal Conservancy $1,905,000
Implementation Enhancement California Department of Fish and Wildlife $1,106,982
Implementation Enhancement NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration $1,091,045
Implementation Enhancement California Ocean Protection Council $881,862
Implementation Enhancement CDWR Urban Streams Restoration Program $600,000
Implementation Enhancement CNRA Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program $500,000

Related CRAM Assessments

Visit DateVersionSite NameWetland TypeIndex Score
2023-07-06 6.1 AA-3 Golf Course riverine non-confined 47
2023-07-06 6.1 AA-4 Golf Course riverine non-confined 47
2018-05-16 6.1 Martin Slough Estuarine estuarine perennial saline 52
2018-05-16 6.1 Martin Slough Riverine riverine non-confined 48
Name File Type Submitted On Submitted By
Martin Slough Enhancement Project 2019 Monitoring Report Monitoring Report 2021-02-17 Morguine Sefcik , Natural Resources Services - Redwood Community Action Agency
Martin Slough Enhancement Project 2020 Monitoring Report Monitoring Report 2021-02-16 Morguine Sefcik , Natural Resources Services - Redwood Community Action Agency
Martin Slough Enhancement Project 2021 Monitoring Report Monitoring Report 2022-03-18 Morguine Sefcik , Natural Resources Services - Redwood Community Action Agency

How to Use the Habitat Development Curve

Habitat Development Curves (HDCs) are used to determine the developmental status and trajectory of on-the-ground projects to create, restore, or enhance California wetland and stream habitats. Each HDC is based on assessments of habitat condition for different age areas of one habitat type that in aggregate represent the full spectrum of habitat development. The assessments of condition are provided by expert applications of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM). Visit the CRAM website for more information about CRAM.

For each HDC, reference condition is represented by areas of a habitat that consistently get very high CRAM scores, have not been subject to disruptive management practices, and exist within landscapes that are protected and managed for their natural conditions. The horizontal lines intersecting the top of an HDC represent the mean CRAM score and standard deviation of scores for 25 qualifying reference areas.

The age of a project is estimated as the elapsed time in years between the groundwork end date for the project and the date of the CRAM assessment. To add or update a groundwork end date, use the Project Events form in Project Tracker (ptrack.ecoatlas.org). The minimum age in years of a non-project area, including any natural reference area, is estimated from all available local information, including historical maps and imagery, historical written accounts, and place-specific scientific studies of habitat development.

An HDC can be used to address the following questions:

  1. At what time in the future will the area of assessed habitat achieve the reference condition or other milestones in habitat development? The HDC can answer this question if the CRAM score for the assessed area is within the confidence interval of the HDC. The answer is the time in years along the HDC between the current age of the assessed area and the future date corresponding to the intersection of the HDC and the reference condition or other milestone.
  2. Is the area of assessed habitat likely to develop faster, slower, or at the same pace as most other areas of the same habitat type? The habitat area is likely to develop faster, slower, or at the same pace if the CRAM score for the area is above, below, or within the confidence interval of the HDC, respectively.
  3. What can be done to improve the condition of the habitat area or to increase its rate of development? HDCs by themselves cannot answer this question. Possible answers can be inferred by the following analysis that involves HDCs:
    1. Examine the HDC for each of the four CRAM Attributes;
    2. Identify the Attribute(s) scoring below the HDC;
    3. For any low-scoring Attribute, examine the component Metric Scores (note: the Metric Scores for any public CRAM assessment in the CRAM database can be obtained through EcoAtlas);
    4. Assume the low score of an Attribute is due to its low-scoring Metric(s);
    5. Consider modifying the design or management of the habitat area in ways that will sustainably increase its score(s) for the low-scoring Metric(s).

For more information about CRAM Attributes and Metrics, including their scientific rationale, see the CRAM Manual.

Display Habitat Development Curves For Wetland Type:

CRAM Site Scores