cullinan ranch - california state coastal conservancy...cullinan ranch has a low- freeboard dock...

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June 14, 2019

San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail

Site Description for Cullinan Ranch

Location, Ownership, and Management: The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) installed a low-freeboard dock and gangway in the western portion of the Cullinan Ranch Tidal Marsh Restoration Project (Cullinan Ranch). The launch is owned and managed by the USFWS and located in Solano County.

Contact Name: Brubaker, Don Contact Phone: 707 769 4200 x100 Contact E-mail: [email protected]

Low-freeboard dock ADA gangway Within a restoration project

Facility Description: Water access facilities include an ADA gangway that leads to a low- freeboard dock with two kayak-cutouts.

Cullinan Ranch boat launch facilities are located approximately 250 feet from the small parking area owned and managed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife. One ADA parking space is located in the parking area. Parking within the lot is free and no time limits are posted, but no overnight parking or camping is allowed.

The parking also provides access to a trail that leads 1.3 miles to an overlook of South Slough. A simple gravel launch is available as a haul-out. One ADA-accessible portable restroom is located along the trail just north of the boat launch gangway. Approximately 850 feet past the boat launch is an observation pier with two benches for wildlife viewing and fishing.

mailto:[email protected]

Site Description for Cullinan Ranch 2

San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail June 14, 2019

Other Identifying or General Information:

Site ID: So13 In WT Plan: Yes Existing or Planned: Existing Ownership: Public County: Solano Geo-Region: San Pablo Bay SF Bay Plan Region: San Pablo Bay Launch or Destination: Launch

Home of a Club: No Used by a Program that Assists Persons with Disabilities: No Appreciated for Windy Conditions: No Near Food or Drink: No

Proximity to Other Sites: The closest sites are the Vallejo Marina, located approximately 5 miles southeast along Dutchman Slough and Green Island Boat Launch located approximately 8 miles north along South Slough and the Napa River.

Site Overview Map

Parking

Gate

ADA Portable Restroom

Observation pier

Gangway to low-freeboard dock

Interpretive panels

Highway 37



Description of Launch/Landing: Fixed Dock/Pier Launch/Landing: No Float: Yes

Freeboard Level: Low (less than 9") Transfer/Launch Assistance System: No Gangway: Yes

Gangway Length (feet): 85 Gangway Width (inches): 48

Gangway Slope Description: Designed to meet ADA slope requirements at all tides.

Boat/Trailer Ramp: No Mudflats Affect Site Usability: Yes Beach Wheelchair Available: No Stair Water Entry: No Beach: No Firm-Surface Beach Crossing: No Fee for Launch or Parking: No Water Entry Path: No

Site Appears to be Suitable For:

Canoe: Yes Outrigger Canoe: No Sculling: No Rowboat/Dinghy: No Dragonboat: No

Kayak: Yes Windsurfer: No Kiteboard: No Whaleboat: No Stand Up Paddleboard: Yes



Transportation and Parking: General Spaces (number): 8 ADA Parking Spaces (number): 1 ADA Parking Description: One van accessible ADA space located closest to the boat launch. The parking lot can only be accessed from the west-bound direction on Highway 37.

Duration (hours): 8 Overnight Parking Allowed: No Overnight Parking Description: Not allowed. Loading/Unloading Area: No Bay Trail: Yes Public Transportation: No public transit serves the site.

There are eight paved parking spaces, including one ADA van accessible site located closest to the launch.



Path of Travel:

Distance to Launch from Parking Area (feet): 240 Distance to Launch from ADA Parking (feet): 240 Distance to Launch from ADA Restrooms (feet): 30 Distance from ADA Restrooms to ADA Parking (feet): 30 Path of Travel Exists: Yes

Parking lot is paved. The trail leading to the boat launch and the restroom is comprised of decomposed granite. The firm surface is well maintained.

Other Site Amenities:

Total Restrooms: 1 Total ADA Restrooms: 1 Restroom Description: ADA portable restroom Boat Washing: No

Rigging/Staging Area: No Picnic Tables: No Benches: Yes BBQ: No Boat Storage: No



Overnight Accommodations: Hotel: No Hostel: No Ship: No Camping: No Other: No

Additional Notes Related to Accessibility:

The gangway and path of travel are designed to be ADA accessible. An accessible portable restroom is located near the parking lot.

The site has one ADA parking space. The parking area is located 240 feet from the boat launch. Most of the path of travel is decomposed gravel.

Additional Notes on Use of Site (Boating and Non-Boating) and Existing and Planned Management:

The boat launch was constructed as part of the Cullinan Ranch Tidal Marsh Restoration Project, which converted a hay farm back into tidal marsh habitat. The site is used primarily by kayakers, canoers, and SUPs to explore the shallow waters within the restoration area, adjacent sloughs, and to access the Napa River. The Napa River is located approximately 3.5 miles west along Dutchman Slough from the boat launch. The site is also a popular destination for paddlers coming from Vallejo.

Waterfowl hunting is allowed seasonally within the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some hunters use the launch for canoes, kayaks, or other craft to access hunting areas.



Safety and Security, including Parking:

Wildlife and Habitat Considerations:

Education, Outreach, and Stewardship, Including Signage:

Interpretive panels help educate the public. The USFWS occasionally hosts bird watching and other guided tours.

Existing interpretive signage at the boat launch has been modeled after Water Trail educational signage, but also includes a map of the area.

Hunting is allowed in the Cullinan Ranch restoration area seasonally. Nearby navigable sloughs and open waters are also open for hunting seasonally. Boaters should be aware of the breaches along Dutchmen Slough where currents can be dangerous.

The San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 19,965-acres, including the 1,549- acre Cullinan Ranch restoration project. The refuge provides critical migratory and wintering habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, particularly diving ducks, and provides year-round habitat for endangered, threatened, and sensitive species like the Ridgeway’s rail, salt marsh harvest mouse, California black rail, San Pablo song sparrow, and Suisun shrew.

Numerous other threatened, endangered, and sensitive species require tidal marsh habitat for their survival, including 11 fish species that swim through San Pablo Bay to reach their fresh water spawning grounds.



Other Existing or Anticipated Water Trail-Related Issues and Opportunities:

Accessibility of Sites within the Napa River Geo-Region:

Boaters are advised to consult local tide charts before launching and should be aware that extensive mud flats may be exposed and even shallow draft vessels can be subject to hidden underwater hazards during low tides. Although Cullinan Ranch boat launch remains navigable at all tides, mudflats can become unnavigable at lower tides in certain areas within the Cullinan Ranch restoration area. As the marsh continues to accrete sediment, as intended, mudflats could become more of an issue in future years. Boaters should be aware of the breaches along Dutchmen Slough where currents can be dangerous. The boat launch could offer opportunities for partnerships with kayak groups for interpretive paddles or programs.

There are nine potential Water Trail sites identified within this geo-region: Trancas Crossing Park; Downtown Napa Main Street Dock (a conditionally designated site); Riverside Drive Launch Ramp; John F. Kennedy Memorial Park; Cuttings Wharf (a conditionally designated site); Green Island Boat Launch Ramp; Hudeman Slough; Cullinan Ranch; and Brinkman’s Marina (see Napa River Geo-Region map below).

The experiences that are available in the Napa River Geo-Region are predominantly rural, but also include sites with more urban/industrial characteristics in downtown Napa and in the City of Vallejo. Due to the rural nature of many of these sites, some are less developed for broad access. However, several sites within this geo-region are already broadly accessible, including Cuttings Wharf.

At the Downtown Napa Main Street Dock there is a high-freeboard dock with an ADA gangway on the Napa River. On a seasonal basis, the City of Napa adds a low-float transfer dock (kayak launch) to assist kayakers wishing to disembark and get onto the main dock. This is a destination site, but is considered to be broadly accessible.

The Cullinan Ranch site provides an accessible gangway with transfer bars in place to assist kayakers getting onto and off the dock. These improvements make the site broadly accessible.

Summary of Environmental Review based on the

San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Plan Final Environmental Impact Report

Cullinan Ranch June 14, 2019

Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Recreation References: WT DREIR, pp. 3-32 to 3-37.

Cullinan Ranch has a low- freeboard dock with two kayak-cutouts, parking, and an ADA portable restroom. Facilities are well maintained. The small parking area (8 spaces) would limit capacity to accommodate increased levels of use. Waterfowl hunting is allowed in restored areas accessible from Cullinan Ranch seasonally. Hunt season dates are announced at the beginning of the year and posted on USFWS’s website. Hunting generally occurs October – January.

Water Trail users may submit comments to Water Trail staff through the website if they witness or experience recreational conflict at any designated site. The Water Trail educational sign would include warnings about seasonal hunting in the Bay (Oct – Jan) and includes the USFWS website for specific information.

Navigational and Personal Safety References: WT DREIR pp. 3-38 to 3-51, and Figures 3.4.2-1 and 3.4.2-2.

Small boat users should be aware of tides, winds, and currents. Extensive mud flats may be exposed and even shallow draft vessels can be subject to hidden underwater hazards during low tides. Boaters should be aware of the breaches along Dutchmen Slough. A lot of water moves into and out of Cullinan Ranch between tides, which can create dangerous currents due to increased flow through the levee breaches.

The Water Trail educational sign that would be installed provides safety information related to navigational and personal boating safety.

Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Aesthetics References: WT DREIR pp. 3-56 to 3-68.

Cullinan Ranch is considered a wildland site, characterized by the public boat launch within a National Wildlife Refuge. Cullinan Ranch has interpretive signage and there are sign boards and parking signs near the parking lot that are very similar in content to Water Trail education signs.

The Water Trail will require the inclusion of a Water Trail identification sign. A sign that contains much of the Water Trail Education Sign information has already been placed near the launch so another education sign may be redundant.

Biology- Vegetation References: WT DREIR pp. 3-69 to 3-92 and Table 3.7.2-1 and Table 3.7.2-2.

There is marsh habitat located on small habitat islands throughout the Cullinan Ranch restoration area, otherwise much of the restoration area is currently open water at most tides. Boaters could explore the Dutchman Slough and the sloughs surrounding it. Endangered and rare plant species have been found in the area.

Preventing the inadvertent spread of exotic, invasive plant species is important at all launch sites. The WT educational sign and website ask WT users to help prevent the spread of invasive species by rinsing boats and equipment after use and by not landing in marshes or on levees.

Biology – Birds References: WT FEIR text and map

Cullinan Ranch provides important habitat to a wide variety of bird species. Ridgway’s rail are known to occur in the marshes throughout the year.

Existing USFWS educational signs include information about how to paddle responsibly around wildlife and to maintain a buffer distance from birds, and to avoid landing in the marsh or on levees. The WT website and brochure include more detailed information about not disturbing nesting birds.

Biology – Rafting Waterfowl References: WT DREIR pp. 3-93 to 3-131 and Table 3.8.2-1, Figure 3.8.2-1.

This site provides access to areas where rafting waterfowl may congregate.

Avoiding disturbance of rafting waterfowl is addressed in the existing USFWS educational sign, and will be supported by the Water Trail brochure, and website.

Resource Area Impacts Analysis Notes Biology – Ridgway’s rail and California black rail and high tide refugia References: WT DREIR pp. 3-93 to 3-131 and Figure 3.8.2-2

Black rail and Ridgway’s rail are present in the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Signage emphasizes the importance of keeping a buffer from rail habitat and staying clear of high-tide refugia, and that landing in marshes and on levees is prohibited. The Water Trail educational sign, brochure and website include this information.

Biology – Harbor Seals References: WT DREIR pp. 3-132 to 3-156, Figure 3.9.2-1, and Tables 3.9.2-1, 3.9.2-2, 3.9.5-1, and 3.9.5-2

There is are no harbor seal haul-out sites within four miles of the launch.

The educational sign, brochure, and website all advise boaters not to land at haul-out sites and to always stay away from hauled-out harbor seals.

Biology – Other Species References: WT DREIR pp. 3-132 to 3-156 San Francisco Estuary Institute Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Data

The salt marsh harvest mouse are found in the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Large areas of suitable marsh habitat occur within the Refuge.

Boaters are advised through the WT brochure and website to not disembark in any undesignated areas or trample sensitive habitats, including marshes. The educational sign emphasizes that boaters should not land in marshes or on levees.

Cultural Resources References: WT DREIR pp. 3-163

No WT-related construction is planned at this time. NMSB users are not allowed to land in adjacent wetland habitat, which would prevent potential disturbance of cultural artifacts.

The WT website includes information about avoiding disturbance to cultural artifacts.

Hydrology No WT-related construction is planned at this time.

No hydrological changes would occur from existing conditions.

Transportation, Circulation, and Parking

The site has a small parking lot that limits use of the launch. Roadways are not anticipated to experience substantial increase in traffic.

Increased use by non-motorized small boat users will continue to be limited by parking capacity.

American Canyon

Novato

Napa

Vallejo

Petaluma

Sonoma

Marin

Napa

Contra Costa

Solano

37

37

29

101

80

780

80

San Pablo Bay

Black Point Boat Launch

Hudeman Slough

Papa's Taverna/Lakeville Marina

Cuttings Wharf

Green Island Boat Launch Ramp

Brinkman's Marina

Cullinan Ranch

Sears Point

Cullinan Ranch

Sears Point

CA Harbor Seal data from Water Trail FEIR.Ridgway's and black rail, Western snowy plover,and herony data generalized from 2015 CaliforniaNatural Diversity DatabaseMap Author: BB, September 2018

¹ 0 10.5

Miles4-Mile Site Buffer

Shipping Channels

Hunting / Security Exclusion Area

Harbor Seal Haulouts

Pelican Roosts

Ridgeway's/Black Rail

California Least Tern

Active Nesting Sites

Designated Water Trail Site

Potential Water Trail Site

Ferry Terminal

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO,USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey,

NWRSan Pablo Bay

www.sfbaywatertrail.orgSan Francisco Bay Area Water Trail

cullinan ranch - california state coastal conservancy...cullinan ranch has a low- freeboard dock...

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