| Fish and Fish Habitat Restoration
Case: Montrose/PV Shelf, CA
Fishing and Fish Habitat Restoration:
Restore Full Tidal Exchange Wetlands Wetlands restoration was evaluated as a general
action that will require further planning and site selection.
Because large-scale wetlands restoration is costly and numerous
entities are involved in coastal wetlands restoration in the
Southern California region, the presumption was that MSRP funds will
be used to augment a larger-scale restoration project in the region.
In particular, MSRP funding will be directed at habitat restoration
of tidally-influenced wetlands that are used as nursery and foraging
habitat by commonly caught coastal fish species, such as the
California halibut.
The costs of this action are scalable and proportional to the size and nature of the project. Existing
large-scale wetlands restoration work involving significant engineering can
cost several tens of millions of dollars, not including land acquisition costs.
Given the limits of MSRP funding, restoration funds will be best used to
complement funding from other sources in achieving larger-scale habitat
improvements. The selection of specific sites (see below) was guided by the
MSRP goals and objectives for restoring fishing and fish habitat. NOAA and the
other Trustees sought specifically to restore coastal wetland/estuarine
habitats in the region that have direct tidal links to the ocean and serve as
nursery habitats for fish, especially species that are targeted by ocean
anglers. Two projects were funded in 2007 and both are still ongoing.
Project
Updates
Huntington Beach Wetlands
MSRP provided funding to the restoration of Huntington Beach wetlands,
specifically to restore parts of the Talbert Marsh and some funding for the
Brookhurst Marsh. MSRP's support for this project has filled a critical funding
gap and the full restoration of the Huntington Beach Wetlands is now moving
forward. This project opens up approximately 140 acres of full-tidal wetlands
that play an important role as nursery and foraging habitat for fish and
birds.
Contractors breached a portion of the levee to let ocean
water flow into the marsh in April 2009. The wetlands site has been returning
back to life quickly. This short film shows the restoration process and the
value of this wetland to humans and wildlife.
Video transcript
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Bolsa Chica Wetlands
MSRP provided funding for maintenance dredging of the Bolsa Chica wetlands. The
Bolsa Chica wetlands project is one of the largest full-tidal-exchange wetland
restoration projects in Southern California. Recently completed, full tidal
exchange is a critical element in the wetlands function as nursery and foraging
habitat for marine fish. Contributing to the maintenance of tidal flow will
help to perpetuate this service.
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