It’s Back to Nature for Marsh in Irvine

The 11 flat, murky ponds of the San Joaquin Marsh look like deteriorated Olympic-size swimming pools. About 150 ducks bathe in the water, birds fly overhead and chirping fills the air. But the barren marsh that is choking on weeds isn’t suited for its inhabitants.

A $6-million renovation for the area, which once served as an exclusive club for duck hunters, was announced Wednesday. The Irvine Ranch Water District and the Irvine Co. will fund the effort to turn 150 acres of the 500-acre wildlife sanctuary into an urban oasis of curvaceous ponds for ducks, muddy marshes for shorebirds and a woodlands area for coyotes and hawks.

The project, planned for 10 years, begins today when weeds like mustard seed plants and artichoke thistles are removed. In mid-March, willows, sycamores and native plants and trees will be planted in the marshland, followed by an expansion of the ponds. The 11 rectangular bodies of water will be consolidated into five natural-looking ponds, with islands in the center for ducks to rest upon.

“We’re going to be able to create a real environmental jewel for Orange County,” said Ken Thompson, director of water quality and project manager at Irvine Ranch Water District, which owns 300 acres at the site. “It’s going back to its original value.”

About 30 acres of natural riparian vegetation will be planted beside the ponds and in the marsh to create a better environment for the 200 species of waterfowl, shorebirds and even red-tailed hawks that visit the wetlands, Thompson said. Trails and observation areas will be created for public tours.

“You have a pretty big consolidated habitat area, which the animals need to survive in the middle of an urban area,” said Robert Balen, an environmental analyst who conducted an environmental impact report on the restoration. “To have this type of ecosystem survive and improve is quite exciting.”

The district hopes the renovated marsh will serve as a barrier between the district’s nearby water treatment facility and residential development.

“Our desire was to create a buffer zone around the plant that protects our plant from having people building close by,” Thompson said. “By enhancing it, everyone benefits by the whole process. It’s a win-win situation.”

The Irvine Co., which is putting up more than half of the restoration funding, is earning environmental credits in exchange for developing other sites.

An official with the University of California Natural Reserve System, which owns the other 200 acres of the marsh, did not join the renovation project because of disagreements over the use of the land and the district’s use of treated sewage water, some of which flows into Newport Bay. The university is working on its own restoration plan.

Susan Sheakley, president of the Sea & Sage chapter of the National Audubon Society, which is at the San Joaquin Marsh and offers tours for about 3,000 schoolchildren a year, said the restoration will help the area.

“The changes will result in a more attractive place. It will have more of a park-like appearance,” Sheakley said. “I think from that aspect people may be able to enjoy it more.”

She is concerned that the construction may disrupt the animals, but Thompson said four ponds will remain open throughout the renovation.

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Water World

Work begins today on a $6-million restoration of about 150 acres of the San Joaquin Marsh. The restored area will include new streams, ponds, trails, overlooks and observation points visitors will use. Project completion is targeted for the end of summer. Other major enhancements include:

1. Reconfigured duck ponds with islands

2. Observation decks

3. Additional trees and shrubs native to wetlands environment

4. Berm to reduce traffic noise

Source: Irvine Ranch Water District