Difference between revisions of "Harkins Slough and Expansion of Urban Land Use at Watsonville"

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2. Watsonville Wetlands Watch. [date unknown]. [Watsonville Wetlands Watch Homepage]. [cited 01/23/09]. Available from: http://watsonvillewetlandswatch.org
 
2. Watsonville Wetlands Watch. [date unknown]. [Watsonville Wetlands Watch Homepage]. [cited 01/23/09]. Available from: http://watsonvillewetlandswatch.org
  
3.      Swanson Hydrology and Geomorphology, Biotic Resources Group, Dana Bland & Associates, Hagar Environmental Sciences, VB Agricultural Services. 2003. Watsonville Sloughs Watershed Conservation and Enhancement Plan. Prepared for County of Santa Cruz Planning Department.
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3.      Swanson Hydrology and Geomorphology, Biotic Resources Group, Dana Bland & Associates, Hagar Environmental Sciences, VB Agricultural Services. 2003. Watsonville Sloughs Watershed Conservation and Enhancement Plan. Prepared for County of Santa Cruz Planning Department. Available from: www.fitzwerc.org/downloads/WSCEP_1.0.pdf
  
 
== Disclaimer ==
 
== Disclaimer ==
  
 
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of [[CSUMB]], its staff, or students.
 
This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of [[CSUMB]], its staff, or students.

Revision as of 15:59, 24 January 2009

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A watershed-related issue examined by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

Summary

Watsonville has approved a measure to annex the area near Buena Vista Dr. for expansion. The plan is to develop 2,200 homes with associated schools and commercial buildings in three phases. Check. This area drains into the Harkins Slough watershed, which is part of the Watsonville Slough complex. Harkins Slough is currently one of the least impacted in that complex from urban and agricultural development. Impacts from development could alter habitat and hydrology in the watershed by increasing impervious surface and urban runoff.

Location

Harkins Slough is slightly north of the city of Watsonville in the Monterey Bay region of central California. The slough extends along Larkin Valley Rd. and the areas around Buena Vista Dr. flow into the waterway. It is the longest waterway in the Watsonville Sloughs system, which is a network of primarily seasonal freshwater sloughs that form Santa Cruz County’s largest remaining wetlands. The Watsonville Slough system drains a 13,000 acre area and has 800 acres of seasonal wetlands, emergent marsh, salt marsh, and riparian communities (cca). The other nearby sloughs are Watsonville, Gallighan, Hanson, East Struve, and West Struve. Geology and soils. Land use.

Resource/s at stake

Resources affected by the plan are wildlife habitat and connectivity, flood protection, groundwater recharge, water quality and supply, and loss of rural land use. Current problems in the area include erosion from land clearing and grazing, leaky septic systems, excess sediment and nutrient runoff, subsidence of peat soils, and invasive species.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders involved in the issue are current residents in the area, residents of Watsonville, city and county government and agencies, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Ventana chapter of Sierra Club, Watsonville Pilot Association (check.), Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Coastal Watershed Council,Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County,Open Space Alliance,Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau,Watsonville Wetlands Watch,American Farmland Trust,Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG),Friends of Pajaro Dunes,Trust for Public Land,Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and Friends of Buena Vista (FOBV). Agencies involved in planning are County of Santa Cruz, City of Watsonville, California Department of Fish and Game, California State Coastal Conservancy, U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District.

Laws, policies, & regulations

...What laws, policies, and/or regulations are involved?... The local Sierra Club chapter currently has a case in court to halt implementation of Measure U (check) until a complete Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is completed. While the residents of Watsonville were able to vote on the plan residents of the Buena Vista area were not, as it is still unincorporated by the city.

Systems

... What elements of the biophysical system are/were involved?...

Science

...What scientific studies are or would be relevant / already completed?...

Tools

...What analytical (e.g. modeling) tools were or could be used?...

Future research

...What knowledge gaps remain?...

...Suggest a CWSP MS thesis topic that could contribute to the issue...

...Suggest a topic for a hypothetical study that had unlimited resources...

References

1. Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center. [date unknown]. [Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center Hompeage]. [cited 01/23/09]. Available from: http://www.fitzwerc.org

2. Watsonville Wetlands Watch. [date unknown]. [Watsonville Wetlands Watch Homepage]. [cited 01/23/09]. Available from: http://watsonvillewetlandswatch.org

3. Swanson Hydrology and Geomorphology, Biotic Resources Group, Dana Bland & Associates, Hagar Environmental Sciences, VB Agricultural Services. 2003. Watsonville Sloughs Watershed Conservation and Enhancement Plan. Prepared for County of Santa Cruz Planning Department. Available from: www.fitzwerc.org/downloads/WSCEP_1.0.pdf

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.