This past year, Save The Bay embarked on an innovative and unique propagation effort in partnership withthe Bel Marin Keys (BMK) Wetland Restoration project in Novato, California. The BMK Wetlands Restorationproject, sponsored by the CA State Coastal Conservancy, will restore approximately 44 acres of land in aseasonal wetland pond complex. The scale of this project is far greater than any project Save The Bay hasbeen engaged with in the past, and as such traditional propagation methods are no longer cost or spaceeffective.

Taking lessons from the success of the Oro Loma Horizontal Levee project in 2015, Save The Bay isimplementing a pilot test to experiment scaling up open field propagation techniques. The goal of thisexperiment is to test the success of rapidly amplifying field collected rhizomatous propagules by plantingthem directly in the ground in a 2 acre field site. Between January and March of 2018, Save The Bay staffcollected and planted rows of approximately 20,000 rhizomes adjacent to the BMK restoration project site.Species planted were in accordance with BMK’s restoration revegetation plan. Species include: Juncusbalticus, Distichlis spicata, Elymus triticoides, and Carex barbarae. Over the next few months Save The Baywill irrigate the field site, remove weedy species, and monitor for success.

The future success of this project will be extremely important in determining the scale of propagationefforts that might be possible for Save The Bay and similarly sized organizations. In ecosystems whererhizomatous species are present, this method of propagation may be valuable for responsibly andefficiently allocating money, resources, space, and labor in large scale restoration efforts.

Background

Bel Marin Keys wetland restoration project:

Save The Bay scaling up:

Initial Results

Discussion

Next Steps

Abstract

• Bel Marin Keys project goal is to enhance and create approximately 44 acres of seasonal wetlands and alkali wet meadows.

• Bel Marin Keys is part of the larger Hamilton Bel Marin Keys Wetland restoration project, together consisting of 2,600 acres.

• 2 acres of land on the project site set aside for propagation of target species.

• Nursery designed similarly to a farm, with propagules planted in rows and the potential for agricultural machinery to transfer propagules.

Localized collection of rhizomatous propagules and annual seeds:The primary plants designated for “farming” are clonal rhizomatous species that spread rapidly, and annual nativespecies that compete well with common weeds. The majority of species collected for the project have beencollected within a 10 mile radius of the propagation and restoration site. These species will be grown out at the farmsite, in order to multiply rhizome and seed quantities.

From containers to farming:

Irrigation and weeding:

Species are starting to pop up in the rows, yet due to minimal irrigation growth is slow. We hope to see greater species growth this winter with the rain.

Benefits: Challenges:• Shown to save time, cost, and labor • Nursery site in close proximity to restoration site

– reduces energy and contamination associated with moving plants to restoration site

• Reduces need to collect propagules each year because rhizomes multiply and spread in farmed rows

• No on-site water source

We are still at the initial stages of this project, and there remain several unknowns about the success of the project ordirection it will take. However, this method of plant propagation has been shown to be successful in the past in a morecontrolled setting at Oro Loma, and it is worth exploring on an even larger scale with Bel Marin Keys. There isenormous potential for utilizing large scale propagation methods, along with container plant nurseries, to put Save TheBay and other organizations in the position of being able to meet a diverse array of needs when it comes to restorationof tidal wetlands and transition zones.

Management implications:

• Oro Loma Sanitary District Horizontal Levee Project, 2015.

• 70,000 plants grown and outplantedin 1 year.

Methods

• 2 acre farm site

• 20,000 rhizomes planted in 10 rows

• Rows 6 ft. wide by 115 ft. long

• Mulched rows and pathways

• No on-site water source.• 200 gallon water tanks between rows. Rows

watered very minimally. • Gravity fed irrigation through driplines.• Hand weeding and disking of farm site.• Mulching unplanted areas.

• There is currently no established science around large-scale propagation efforts such as this one. This project will help to inform others in the restoration community on the successes and challenges of this method of propagation.

• Taking on large-scale propagation and restoration efforts will move the entire community of stakeholders closer to meeting the Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals.

• The Baylands Habitat Goals recommends implementing pilot projects and experimenting with new restoration techniques such as this one.

• Transition zone habitat restoration at a larger scale has several important ecological benefits illustrated below.

Sea Level Rise: Projected to rise 55 in. by 2100 (Pacific Institute, 2009). As sea level rises it is important to restore larger transition zones with room for the transition zone to migrate upwards.

Wildlife Habitat: In a recent study by Point Blue, results showed that populations of Ridgeway’s Rails and Song Sparrows tended to trend positive with denser, taller, and wider transition zones.

• Address irrigation constraints that were identified in first year • Quantify success of first year farm rows • Address phytophthora best management practices for the farm site • Re-plant into rows that did not survive first year • Sow annual seeds at farm site • Continue localized collection and expansion of farm site

Signs of life!

Common fiddleneckAmsinckia intermedia

Hayfield tarweedHemizonia congesta

Competes with late summer and fall weeds

Raised beds with rhizomatous propagules at Oro Loma Sanitary District

Volunteers transplanting at Save The Bay’s container plant nursery Save The Bay staff planting rhizomes at Bel Marin Keys

Bel Marin Keys irrigation system Volunteers at Bel Marin Keys, weeding farm rows

Santa Barbara sedge Baltic rush

Our current watering system requires filling a 200 gallon water tank with water from a nearby fire hydrant to transport to the farm.

Map from the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Center

Federally endangered Ridgeway’s Rail

Threatened salt marsh song sparrow

Rebecca Wynd, Save The Bay, rwynd@savesfbay.orgJessie Olson, Save The Bay, jolson@savesfbay.orgDonna Ball, Save The Bay, dball@savesfbay.orgPeter Baye, Ph. D. Coastal Ecologist, baye@earthlink.net

Farming for the Wetlands:Experimenting in Large-Scale Plant Propagation for the Bel Marin Keys Wetland Restoration Project

Aerial view of Bel Marin Keys, located 25 miles north of San Francisco

This map is for planning and illustration purposes. Plans are subject to change.

• The propagation efforts at Bel Marin Keys build upon this work at a larger scale. BMK has a larger propagation site, larger restoration site, limited irrigation, and open field propagation.

Salt grass rhizomes

Baltic rush rhizomes

Creeping wild ryeElymus triticoides10,000 rhizomes

Salt grassDistichlis spicata6,000 rhizomes

Santa Barbara sedgeCarex barbarae2,000 rhizomes

Baltic rushJuncus balticus2,000 rhizomes

Rhizomatous species planted in

Bel Marin Keys nursery site:

Rhizomatous species are the focus for planting at the farm because of their potential to spread rapidly, and transplant easily. Propagules were planted between January and March 2018.

Competes with early spring weeds

• Phytophthora best management practices

Addressing challenges and expanding the farm:

• Quantifying rhizome success