1 - Restoring Habitat - Muir Beach AD

WAYSIDE TITLE: Restoring Habitat

VIEW FROM WAYSIDE: Standing in front of the kiosk facing south, away from the parking lot, a row of brown recycling and trash bins is to your left. Directly behind you is a 3-D topographic model of Muir Beach and the surrounding area, and, on the edge of the parking lot, a bathroom building. Just past the row of recycling bins is a metal and wood boardwalk that spans the distance over the wetlands and leads to the beach. Beyond the boardwalk are two wooden benches that face the willows in the wetlands and in the distance, the ocean.


TEXT: As you journey across this bridge, consider how the health of people and wildlife are linked. Who benefits from the restoration of Muir Beach and how? For over a century agriculture, recreation and construction severely degraded the floodplains, wetlands and aquatic habitat. The creek stopped flowing freely. As a result, sediment built up, causing poor water quality, and flooding was common. Big Lagoon almost vanished. Wildlife dependent upon the creek system for survival dramatically declined in population.

From 2009 to 2013, concerned local volunteers and professionals from the National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and community groups came together to restore this dynamic environment. Relocated buildings and parking now allow the creek, riparian woodlands, tidal lagoon and dunes to return to their natural functions. The restoration created habitat critical for the survival and ongoing resilience of native plants and animals. Dedicated park stewards will continue to care for the site as plants take hold and weather events shape the land.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A wet river otter perched on a rock in a water.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A close up of a golden-colored coho salmon smolt with dark stripes along its sides.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A red-winged blackbird resting on a branch among white and purple flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A glossy, dark-brown California newt and a great blue heron, its neck bent in the shape of an ‘S', walking among the reeds.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A teenage girl with long, dark hair wearing work gloves crouched in tall grass inspecting a small plant in her hands.

DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE: A young boy with short, dark hair and glasses holding a large bunch of weeds in both hands.

CAPTION: Transformations for the 21st Century. Caring stewards continue to restore the deteriorated environment at Muir Beach and to implement climate-smart 21st century modifications. Consider how the following changes made by the National Park Service allow the landscape to be resilient against bigger floods, erosion and sea level rise far into the future.

LIST OF CHANGES:
- Redwood Creek moved back to its natural location and reconnected to the lagoon floodplain.
- Parking lot relocated out of the floodplain.
- Installation of a new 450-foot long pedestrian bridge over the floodplain.
- Re-establishment of seasonal wetlands in the open flood-plain once bisected by a road now attracts migrating birds and other animals.
- Re-vegetation of dunes once blocked by a trail to the beach now support native plants attractive to insects and birds.
- Creation of pools, ponds, wood, and off-channel features for endangered coho salmon and threatened California red-legged frog to find shelter and breed.