VIC LEIPZIG AND LOU MURRAY
After 22 years of weeding and picking up trash at the Bolsa Chica
wetlands, Vic and I finally have an opportunity to actually plant
some wetland vegetation there.
The Bolsa Chica Conservancy recently received a grant from the
Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project to restore native
vegetation to the area around their Interpretive Center. The goals of
the project are to increase plant diversity, improve habitat, prevent
trespassing on habitat areas and increase interpretive opportunities.
Vic and I met with Grace Adams, executive director of the
conservancy, and Brian Shelton, California Department of Fish and
Game biologist, to discuss various planting options. We decided to
begin the restoration project with the muted tidal salt flat next to
Warner Avenue. Bicyclists constantly cut across the mudflats has
crushed the fragile vegetation, which prevents establishment of lush
growth. Planting saltbush, coyote bush and spiny rush should
discourage casual trespass and provide high quality habitat.
Vic was thrilled at the thought of actually getting to do some
real in-the-ground restoration. The thrill lasted until he learned
that his job would be weeding and trash removal. He teaches on
Saturday mornings, and wouldn't be available during the planting
time. I tried to soften the blow by assuring him that all good
restoration projects start with weed and debris removal and that his
role was essential to the project's success. In this case, I wasn't
just talking bovine fertilizer. We needed expert weed removal because
the section to be restored was an upper salt marsh strip with a lot
of pre-existing native vegetation.
The project area known as east cell was a former grassy upland
that was excavated by the Department of Fish and Game for a wetland
creation project in 1978. The Department of Fish and Game excavated
two cells and connected them to the Warner Channel by culverts to
provide tidal water. But there was a problem. The culverts were too
small and set too high to achieve any meaningful restoration. The
cells never got enough seawater flushing to grow a good crop of salt
marsh plants.
Nearly two years ago, the old culverts were replaced with larger
ones that were set deeper. This small change in culverts made a big
change in the health and vitality of the salt marsh plants growing in
the cells. The pickleweed, saltwort and sea lavender in the lower
marsh zone increased greatly in density after the restoration and
