UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara

SITE HISTORY AND FUTURE BENEFITS OF THE POTENTIAL RESTORATION OF THE OCEAN MEADOWS GOLF COURSE TO THE HISTORIC CONDITIONS OF THE DEVEREUX SLOUGH

Prepared by: Erica Gail Bondesson

June 14, 2012

Thesis advisor: Lisa Stratton Director of Ecosystem Management Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

ABSTRACT Site History and Future Benefits of the Potential Restoration of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course to the Historic Conditions of the Devereux Slough By Erica Gail Bondesson

This thesis focuses on the potential project to restore a coastal wetland in Goleta, California. The Devereux Slough is a coastal impounded lagoon that experiences occasional tidal influences. The slough is home to hundreds of bird species, several species of fish, as well as many other species, some of which are threatened or endangered. The upper portion of the slough was filled with topsoil from surrounding land areas in 1967 in order to construct the nine-hole Ocean Meadows Golf Course, which is still in operation today. The Trust for Public Land has the opportunity to acquire the site by purchasing the property for $7 million. Once the Trust for Public Land acquires the site they intend to convey the land to the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration would take responsibility for the restoration and future management of the site. Benefits that would result from the restoration would include increased habitat and protection for numerous different plant and animal species, increased floodplain capacity, and opportunities for education and recreational activities. This thesis discusses in detail the site history, efforts made to make the restoration possible, and the potential benefits that would result upon completion of the project.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are several people I would like to acknowledge who helped me to complete this thesis. I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Lisa Stratton. She provided me with extensive amounts of information, carefully checked my facts, and edited my draft. Her enthusiasm and interest in my topic were very motivating to me during the process of writing this thesis. I would also like to thank Professor Gregory Graves for editing my draft and for his encouragement and patience. Finally, I would like to thank the staff at the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration for their enthusiasm in the possible restoration of the Devereux Slough, which inspired me to write this thesis in the first place. The completion of this thesis would not have been possible without the support of all of these people.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .. i Acknowledgments . ii 1.0 Introduction .. 1 2.0 History of the Site. 2 3.0 Site Description 3.1 Geography .... 5 3.2 Climate . 6 3.3 Soils . 7 3.4 Hydrology 8 3.5 Sedimentation .... 10 4.0 Plans for Development 4.1 UCSB Long Range Development Plan .. 11 4.2 North Campus Advisory Group . 12 4.3 Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast 13 4.4 Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space and Habitat Management Plan ..... 15 5.0 An Idea for Restoration ...... 15 6.0 Research Projects and Preliminary Plans ... 19 7.0 Benefits of the Restoration 7.1 Species Conservation ......................... 24 7.2 Flood Management ............................ 27 7.3 Recreation .......................................... 27 7.4 Education ........................... 28 8.0 Conclusions .................................................... 28 References ............................................................ 30

1.0 Introduction California as a state is renowned for its incredible array of biodiversity. The unique overlapping of aquatic and terrestrial habitats creates an ecosystem in which a large variety of species can live. Wetlands provide food and cover, and act as nurseries for many species of waterfowl and shorebirds. They also provide spawning habitat for both fresh and saltwater fish.1 Only 10 percent of the wetlands present before the arrival of European settlers exist in California today. The other 90 percent have been either filled or drained due to land use changes for agriculture or urban development.2 Along with their importance to biodiversity preservation, wetlands provide many other benefits to the environment and to humans as well. Because of their capacity to hold and store water, wetlands act as a natural flood control system. During storms and other periods of high water flow, wetlands slow down the flow of water, which along with reducing the risk of floods, also allows for percolation into the earth and uptake by plants. These mechanisms improve water quality and act as filters by trapping sediments, nutrients and bacteria. The slowing down of water flow also allows for groundwater recharge, which is always beneficial to Californias drought-prone climate. All of these reasons and more are spurring projects across the state aimed at restoring and enhancing the severely depleted and damaged wetlands. This document will focus on one project in particular.

California Natural Resources Agency, Californias Valuable Wetlands, California Wetlands Information System, http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/introduction /values.html, (accessed June 13, 2012). 2 California Natural Resources Agency, State of the States Wetlands: 10 years of Challenges and Progress (Sacramento, CA: California Natural Resources Agency, 2010), 8. http://www.californiawetlands.net/static/documents/Final_SOSW_ Report_0 9232010.pdf (accessed June 8, 2012).
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The Devereux Slough is located adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbaras campus in Goleta, California. The wetland is influenced by both freshwater and tidal inputs as it is situated at the mouth of the Devereux Creek Watershed, and drains into the Pacific Ocean. Currently, the slough is less than half its historical size. This is due to the filling of the entire upper portion of the slough and subsequent construction of a 70-acre, nine-hole golf course on the filled in area. The Ocean Meadows Golf Course was completed in 1967, and is still operating today. The site experiences flooding multiple times a year during the rainy season, rendering the course unplayable for days at a time, and consequently the facility suffers financially. Over the years various stakeholders, such as the Audubon Society, the University of California Santa Barbara, and the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, have expressed interest in acquiring the site for either development or restoration.3 Though many groups have expressed interest in restoring the slough back to its historical size and function for many years, it was not until recent years that this has started to look like a project that could be achieved in the near future. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is in the process of amassing money from various grants in order to purchase the Ocean Meadows Golf Course property. Once the property is purchased, the TPL intends to convey the property in escrow to the University of California Santa Barbara for permanent ownership. The campus organization titled the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration would then take on the immense project of restoring the site back to the historical Devereux Slough. The benefits that could result from the completion of this project include species conservation and biodiversity enhancement, flood control,

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California (masters group project, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2000), 1.
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enhanced water quality, opportunities for recreational activities and would serve as an excellent site for education and research.

2.0 History of the Site The first known representation of the Devereux Slough is on a map of a rancho dating from the year 1861. The land, which was granted to United States citizen Nicholas Den by the Republic of Mexico in 1842, comprised most of present day Goleta west of Fairview Avenue, and included Devereux Slough. The newly formed Republic of Mexico encouraged the colonization of the region by granting large land tracts to ranchers. Though the land tract granted to Nicholas Den, which he named Rancho Dos Los Pueblos, was not very suitable for agriculture, when weather permitted he grew hay and lima beans, and grazed cattle. These activities probably contributed to stream sedimentation, erosion, and the altering of the species composition of the coastal grasslands. On the map of the Rancho Dos Los Pueblos, Devereux Slough is pictured as an inlet with a narrow opening to the ocean and is labeled salt lake. This suggests that the slough was not permanently open to the ocean, and could have often been hypersaline displaying a ring of saline evaporate.
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In 1850, California became the 31st state of the United States. This spurred an influx of American immigrants from the East and prompted the Coastal Survey to map the Goleta shoreline in 1871 through 1873. The resulting map serves as the first habitat map of the Devereux Slough, and depicts the lower slough as a large lagoon separated from the ocean by sand dunes with no opening to the ocean. The lower portion is shown

Mark Campopiano et al.,Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 170.

running north from the coast until it reaches the upper flooded portion of the slough that is displayed running east-west along the More Ranch fault. The rest of the map illustrates the Devereux watershed as being comprised entirely of coastal grasslands.5 A whale oil refinery camp was set up in 1879 at Goleta beach. The coast live oak woodlands on surrounding coastal mesas were cleared and harvested by woodchoppers to fuel the giant whale rendering kettles. Dense live oak woodland once covered Coal Oil Point, however, by the time the refinery camp was closed in the 1890s, the area was bare of all trees.6 While a 1900 U.S. Geologic Survey depicts the slough as roughly the same size and conformation as the Coastal Survey map from 1871, it depicts the mouth of the slough as open to the ocean. The 1903 map, however, depicts the slough with the mouth closed off from the ocean. This is suggestive of seasonal cycles of breaching and closing.7 By the year 1919, the land parcels surrounding the slough had changed ownership several times. A British retired Colonel, Colin Campbell, then purchased the parcel. The 500-acre parcel directly east of the slough, Campbell developed a manor house, a guesthouse, laborer shacks, barns, an auto garage, and an airfield. Exotic crops and ornamental plants covered the grounds of the Campbell Estate. Campbell constructed a dam, bisecting the upper and lower sloughs, in order to build a road across the water.8 The first aerial photo of the slough, taken in the summer of 1928, shows human constructed developments, roads, and habitat fragmentation on the land directly above the upper slough. These activities could have contributed to the sedimentation of the western

5 6

Ibid., 171. Ibid. 7 Ibid., 172. 8 Ibid.

arm of the upper slough.9 Due to extensive land modifications that included orchards directly above the slough and the construction of two oil storage tanks in the late 1930s, much of the western arm of the slough was silted shrank to a disjunct pond surrounded by dense vegetation, most likely dominated by willows. Though salt flats are visible, the original outline of the upper portion of the slough is difficult to distinguish.10 In 1967 the construction of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course began. One of the first phases of construction included the scraping of the area directly northeast of the lower portion of the slough, now the 88-acre South Parcel. Scraping reached a depth of two meters, more in some areas, across the site. The soil scraped from the South Parcel was deposited into the upper portion of the slough.11 Sediment from the scraped parcel found its way into the lower slough, and is visible as a deposit in the slough directly below the bisecting road.12

3.0 Site Description 3.1 Geography The Devereux Slough is situated adjacent to the University of California, Santa Barbara campus near Goleta. The slough lies within the Devereux Creek Watershed that covers approximately 2,330 acres.13 The Devereux Creek watershed lies in the Transverse Range Geomorphic Province of Southern California. Unlike most mountain

Ibid., 178. Ibid. 11 Mark Holmgren et al., Report on the Biological Resources Potentially Impacted by a University Housing Development South of Ocean Meadows Golf Course, (University of California, Santa Barbara, 1998), 3. 12 Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 178. 13 UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan. (University of California, Santa Barbara, 1991), 6.
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ranges in California that are north-south oriented, the Transverse Range, which the Santa Ynez Mountains are part of, is east-west oriented. The Devereux Creek watershed slopes southward from the lower part of the Santa Ynez Mountains, steeply at first, with a 33 percent incline, and gradually to only 5 percent incline as the terrain changes to the coastal alluvial plains.14 The elevation of the watershed ranges from 9.85 to 574.6 feet. The slough contains 69.57 acres of wetland habitats, which include the slough itself as well as tributary wetlands called the North and South Fingers, a dune swale, a dune swale pond, a dune seep and vernal pools west of Devereux Slough Fingers. North Finger drains approximately 102 acres of land including the southwestern end of Isla Vista, West Campus faculty housing, and a portion of the Devereux Campus. The remaining 55 acres of land is grassland. Of the 38 acres that drain into the South Finger, 18 acres are grassland, with the remaining 20 acres being residential land and roads.15

3.2 Climate The slough is situated in the Southern California Mediterranean Climatic region, and thus experiences warm, dry summers, and wet, mild winters. Most of the winter rains fall between the months of November and April, coming from storms originating in the North West. Summer storms are rare, and little precipitation occurs during those months. However the slough does experience some early summer moisture in the form of morning fog.16 The amount of rainfall recorded in the area varies greatly between

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 13. 15 UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 6. 16 Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 14.

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seasons and from year to year. Between the years of 1961 and 1995, seasonal variability is obvious as 86 percent of the rainfall occurred during December to February while only 14 percent of the rainfall occurred during June to August.17 The mean annual rainfall is about 40 cm, ranging from an average of 35 cm in the lower watershed to approximately 51 cm at the headwaters of Devereux Creek.18 Because the slough is located in close proximity to the ocean, the range of temperatures at the site is very narrow, rarely reaching above 100 degrees F or below freezing.19

3.3 Soils The main basin of the slough is comprised of sandy and silty alluvium that sits on top of several feet of heavy clay. Most of the northwest corner of the Slough, along with the eastern half of North Finger, is covered by Deltaic deposits, silt and clay. 20 The soils that underlay the original slough are Aquent soils comprised of fine sandy loams with very poor draining capabilities and range from 30 to 75 centimeters thick. Conception soils, also comprised of fine sandy loams, surrounded the perimeter of the slough. In 1967, several adjacent areas directly northwest and northeast of the lower slough were scraped to fill the upper portion of the slough in order to raise elevation to build the ninehole golf course that is still there today. As a result, the entire upper portion of the slough

Ibid., 15. UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 8. 19 Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 14. 20 UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 8.
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is covered with a layer of fill up to feet deep, while the lower portion of the slough and surrounding areas remain relatively intact.21

3.4 Hydrology Water in the slough is stopped from flowing into the ocean by a sandy beach berm at the mouth of the slough. During summer months, the crest of the berm is typically six to eight feet above sea level. Most of the year, the slough is protected from tidal influences by a sand berm. However, the berm is breached a few times a year during the winter storm season.22 During the winter months, increased storm water levels in the slough along with lowering of the berm due to winter storm swells leads to the occasional breaching of the berm and enactment of tidal circulation in the Slough.23 When the berm is intact the water levels in the slough range from three-and-a-half to four feet above mean sea level during the dry summer and fall months. The low water levels due to evaporation and reduced water flow from creeks and storm ditches can create hypersaline conditions. Under these conditions, the slough holds a volume of approximately 50 acrefeet of water. During the wetter winter months, storms can fill the slough up to levels of seven to eight feet above mean sea level, supporting a volume of approximately 170 acrefeet. Once the water level in the slough reaches over 8 feet above mean sea level the berm breaches and the slough will drain into the ocean. If the berm is breached during a high tide, a small channel forms, and reformation of the berm can happen in a few days.

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 14. 22 Ibid., 16. 23 UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 8.

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A much larger channel will form if the berm is breached during low tide, which will lead to the slough being open to the ocean for up to several weeks.24 When and how long the berm will be breached is very difficult to predict. Between 1942 and 1982, the berm was breached a total of 37 out of the 40 years. The average date for the breaching occurred on January 11, with a standard deviation of 37 days.25 The berm has been reported to stay breached for periods ranging from a few days to several weeks before it reforms.26 A hydrological model created by Frank W. Davis, D. Theobold, R. Harrington, and A. Parikh, which modeled runoff as a function of soil type and land cover type, predicts an average annual runoff for 1990 at 737 acre-feet. Using land conditions from 1930, the model predicted average annual runoff as only 558 acre-feet. This suggests that due to recent land use changes, average annual runoff into the slough has increased by 32 percent.27 Three creeks and several storm ditches drain onto the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site. The largest of these creeks is Devereux Creek, which flows through a series of water-trap ponds and culverts. During storms, these ponds can fill to a capacity of approximately 20 acre-feet as the slough reaches eight-and-a-half to nine feet above mean sea level. Before the bridge was constructed in 2007, during low to normal flow periods all run-off flows through a 36-inch metal pipe that runs under the access road at the southern end of the site into the lower slough. It has an approximate capacity to drain

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 16. 25 Ibid., 16-17. 26 UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 8. 27 Frank W. Davis et al., Campus Wetlands Management Plan, Part 2 Technical Report on Hydrology, Water Quality and Sedimentation of West and Storke Campus Wetlands, (University of California, Santa Barbara: Department of Geography, 1990).

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100 cubic feet per second. During storms when this capacity is exceeded, run-off flows over the road at the Arizona crossing into the lower slough.28

3.5 Sedimentation According to aerial photos from 1928, the upper reaches of the Slough contained large areas of mudflats, with the surrounding area designated as agricultural and rural land. By 1965, residential housing developments occupied the watershed just north of the Slough, and the upper portion of the Slough wetlands were drained and filled in order to construct the Ocean Meadows golf course. Some of the fill for the golf course was taken from the University Exchange property directly to the west of lower Devereux Creek. This led to extensive gully erosion of the site, which, in turn has led to high sediment influx into the northwest corner of the Slough and the addition of an extensive fan-delta. 29 During heavy storms, large amounts of sediment flow from the upper reaches of the Santa Ynez Mountains, down streams and creeks out to the alluvial plains at lower elevations of the watershed. These alluvial plains ultimately drain into the Pacific Ocean. In the Devereux watershed the sediment accumulates just north of the golf course in a large riparian area. Every three to five years, the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District removes about seven acre-feet of sediment at the site and moves it to nearby mesas.30 Development of the watershed has increased stormwater runoff that flows into the slough, increasing the likelihood of the berm being breached due to overflow of

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 16. 29 Ibid., 8. 30 Ibid.,17.

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surface water from Devereux Slough. The reduction in volume of the Slough due to the filling and conversion of the upper portion of the slough to build Ocean Meadows golf course has also contributed to this effect. This effect has led to breaches occurring earlier in the winter storm season as well as an increase in frequency of breaches.31 A fan delta at the northwest corner of the slough has developed as a result of the increased sedimentation of the lower slough due to runoff from the scraped south parcel. Between the 1967 and 1985 the increasing sedimentation of the lower slough displaced approximately 6.5 percent of the basin volume at 6.5 feet above mean sea level. This effect has been slowed since then, because of the creation of sediment management berms and ditches on south parcel.32

4.0 Plans for Development 4.1 UCSB Long Range Development Plan UCSB as an institution is constantly growing in size and stature. In order to ensure the continued growth of the school, UCSB must provide accommodations for future recruitment of more students and faculty. In order to address this, the Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) was created in 1990. Regental policy, states the plan, requires that the 1990 LRDP identify the physical development needed to achieve the Campus academic goals and provide a land use plan to guide the development of future facilities.33 In 1994, UCSB purchased the North Campus area with the intention of
31

The UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee, University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan, 8. 32 Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 241. 33 University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California Santa Barbara 1990 Long Range Development Plan including revisions related to the 2006 LRDP Amendment for North & West Campus. (Santa Barbara, CA: University of California Santa Barbara, 2006), xii.

developing it one day. By building a housing development on the North Campus area, UCSB could provide critically needed, affordable housing for faculty and students, while also keeping good on its agreement with local agencies to avoid placing pressure on the availability of housing in the South Coast. In order to proceed with the project, UCSB would need to get approval from the UC Regents and the California Coastal Commission. UCSB planners drafted an amendment to the LRDP, as well as an Environmental Impact Report, addressing the mitigations for the project as well as an Open Space and Habitat Management Plan. The UC Regents approved the LRDP amendment and certified the EIR. In response to comments from private citizens, community groups, environmental groups and the County regarding the project and the EIR, Chancellor Yang was convinced that local concerns must be analyzed more closely and delayed submitting the LRPD to the Coastal Commission. In February of 1998 Chancellor Yang appointed the North Campus Advisory Group composed of environmental scientists from UCSB to closer examine the project and advise him on how to proceed with the project.34

4.2 North Campus Advisory Group In accordance with the North Campus Advisory Group, faculty members were asked to assess the land area called South Parcel for possible impacts to ecological and biological resources that could be caused by the construction of the development. South Parcel is situated south of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course and north of the western portion of the Coal Oil Point Reserve and the Ellwood Marine Terminal. The assessment determined that the area serves as an important open space for hunting raptors, and serves
North Campus Advisory Group, Final report on the North Campus Project for Chancellor Henry Yang, University of California- Santa Barbara, (Santa Barbara, CA: North Campus Advisory Group, 1999), 2.
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as a wildlife corridor between Coal Oil Point Reserve and upper Devereux Creek for both animals on the ground and animals that fly over the open space. By building the housing development on South Parcel, the movements of these animals along this corridor would be hindered which could negatively affect their population sizes. 35 In 1999, the North Campus Advisory Group published a final report regarding the site and what actions should be taken by Chancellor Yang. One of the recommendations is for UCSB to alter the LRDP amendment to appropriate the south parcel on North Campus as open space.36 The group further states, in keeping with UCSBs commitment to the sensitive development and management of University lands in the coastal zone and, in some cases, as part of cooperative activities with community groups or local government, UCSB should cooperate with the County and local groups in investigating the acquisition and restoration of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course and its possible inclusion in COPR.37

4.3 Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast Another document advocating the designation of the south parcel as open space is the Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast. The County of Santa Barbara, the City of Goleta, and the University of California Santa Barbara published this document in 2002. The proposal was intended to act as a guide for the development in the open coastlands in western Goleta. Instead of developing the 44 separate properties in a piecemeal fashion, the proposal seeks to develop a cooperative and comprehensive plan
Mark Holmgren et al., Report on the Biological Resources Potentially Impacted by a University Housing Development South of Ocean Meadows Golf Course, 7. 36 North Campus Advisory Group, Final report on the North Campus Project for Chancellor Henry Yang, University of California- Santa Barbara, 5. 37 Ibid., 5-6.
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so that residential development can be relocated away from sensitive natural areas to areas that are already developed. The proposal designates and links together over 650 acres of land to be protected or restored in order to enhance natural resources and habitat value. It also reduces the original projected maximum number of housing developments from 880 units to 608 units.38 The proposal determines four specific goals: 1. Protect, restore, and enhance natural resources by moving development away from the coast. 2. Establish and maintain integrated, permanent recreational opportunities, including extensive trails network, coastal access, and passive recreation and open space. 3. Provide needed housing for University faculty and students and ease pressure on the Goleta housing market. 4. Resolve the reasonable investment-backed expectations of the many private landowners.39 The proposal outlines two critical land use changes. One of these changes would be to shift existing development rights for private properties within the City of Goleta from privately owned coastal mesa and open space habitats to city-owned park property that is less environmentally sensitive. This shift could be accomplished through a property exchange or through the purchase of development rights and would increase the 119-acre Santa Barbara Shores Park to 218 acres of permanent open space. The second critical land use change would be to shift the existing plans for residential development on University property closer to extant urban developments and roads. This would place them away from the more environmentally sensitive location.40 The proposal suggests designating the South Parcel as open space. It explains that by preserving the south parcel as open space, the area could be restored to enhance its
City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, and University of California, Santa Barbara, Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast, (Santa Barbara, CA: County of Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara, 2002), 1. 39 Ibid., 2. 40 Ibid., 3.
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ecological value as well as adjacent habitats while at the same allowing for measured levels of public use. The open space would also serve as a critical buffer between the development on the North Parcel and the ecologically sensitive habitats in the Coal Oil Point Reserve.41

4.4 Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space and Habitat Management Plan In 2004, the Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space and Habitat Management Plan was published in response to the set of recommendations proposed by the 2002 Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast. This document focuses on the management practices on the 645 acres of open space and natural preserve. Though it does not make suggestions for management of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course, the Preliminary Concepts for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space and Habitat Management Plan includes it in undeveloped acreage, as it serves open space functions.42

5.0 An Idea for Restoration In 2007, the California Coastal Commission directed UCSB to permanently inhibit development on the South Parcel if it planned to construct faculty housing on the North Campus area. In response, the university collaborated with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to negotiate a conservation easement in which only allows developments with public benefit, renovated pedestrian trails, informative signage, and an amphitheatre for outdoor education along with ecological improvements. The Cheadle

Ibid., 40. City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, and University of California, Santa Barbara, Preliminary Concepts for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space and Habitat Management Plan, (Goleta, CA: URS Corporation, 2003), 1.
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Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) took on responsibility for restoring the South Parcel. CCBER is a campus facility formed in 2005 from a fusion of the Museum of Systematics and Ecology and the ecological restoration program dedicated to education, research and outreach related to regional biological diversity and restoration. CCBER currently manages over 230 acres of open space on UCSB campus with the purpose of preserving and enhancing native plant resources and biodiversity of the region, providing educational opportunities through signs, internship program, seminars and workshops, and advancing the understanding of restoration strategies and preservation of ecological function in urbanized areas to retain water quality and biodiversity through research. As CCBER began to make plans for implementation of the conditions required by the Coastal Commission to restore the South Parcel in association with the North Campus Faculty Housing project, staff members felt that they could not in good faith do this if there was still a chance to restore the Ocean Meadows Golf Course site. A committee of campus representatives, campus planners, CCBER representatives, and advisors to the chancellor including Steve Gains, Duncan Mellichamp, Bob Silsbee, Carla DAntonio, Jennifer Thorsch, Dan Oh, Janice Hartoch-Taylor, Chris Sandovol, and Bruce Kendall met in the fall of 2007 to consider UCSBs role in relation to the Joint Proposal for the Ellwood Devereux Coast. The committee submitted a grant application to the State Parks to convert one of the abandoned buildings on the Devereux School property into an interpretive center. Though the grant was not funded, the committee agreed to pursue to possibility of restoring the golf course site. In February of 2008, UCSB began

communicating with the Trust for Public Land to begin efforts in acquiring the Ocean Meadows Golf Course property. 43 The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national non-profit land conservation organization. The TPL personnel are experts at negotiating land acquisitions and real estate transactions and by working in partnerships with local organizations and agencies have helped acquire and manage lands for natural resource protection and open space preservation throughout California. The TPLs Central Coast Program spans nearly 400 miles of coastline ranging from Santa Cruz to Ventura. Since 1985, TPL has protected over 35,000 acres throughout the region. 44 Nearly 10,000 of those acres are located within Santa Barbara County, and include areas such as Romero Canyon, the Douglas Family Preserve, El Capitan Ranch, Sperling Preserve at Ellwood Mesa, Rancho Monte Alegre, the Preserve at San Marcos Foothills, Midland School Conservation Easement and Gaviota Village.45 The Trust for Public Land began negotiating a purchase agreement to acquire the Ocean Meadows Golf Course site with the landowner. In September of 2010, they reached a formal agreement with an option to purchase the property at an asking price of $7 million. On May 19th, 2011 the Trust for Public Land received approval for a grant of $3 million from the California Coastal Conservancy to help buy the 63 acres of land that the Ocean Meadows golf course sits on. According to the Coastal Conservancy staffs recommendation, The total includes a $2.5 million grant from the Coastal Conservancy

Lisa Stratton, interview by author, Goleta, CA, May 3, 2012. Trust for Public Land, Central Coast, The Trust for Public Land. http://www.tpl.org/what-wedo/where-we-work/california/central-coast-program/ (accessed April 15, 2012). 45 Rachel Couch, California State Coastal Conservancy "Devereux Slough Acquisition (Ocean Meadows Property)," http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb /2011/1105/20110519Board10_Devereux_Slough.pdf. (accessed May 23, 2012).
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itself, along with another $500,000 which the Coastal Conservancy received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Coastal Wetlands program. 46 The expected source of Conservancy funds for this project is an appropriation to the Conservancy from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). Once the Trust for Public Land purchases the property, it intends to convey the land to UCSB in escrow, which will permanently own the land. Under the ownership of UCSB, CCBER will take on the responsibility of future restoration and management of the land.47 Once the land is acquired and restored, it will connect surrounding conserved areas to create one large 650-acre complex of properties permanently protected for natural resources, open space, aesthetic values, public access, passive recreation, and education. The project has the potential to create a wildlife corridor linking the Goleta Slough to the east with the existing protected lands to the west and south of the project site. By removing the golf course, the estuarine habitats downstream will be free of the pollutants that currently enter the watershed due to the activities to maintain the golf course.
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The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (SCWRP) has named the project to restore Devereux Slough a Tier One Project. The Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project is an alliance of federal, state, and local officials, working together with business and non-profit organizations, scientists and local communities to
Trust for Public Land. State Grant Approved for Upper Devereux Slough Acquisition, Trust for Public Land, http://www.tpl.org/news/press-releases/2011-press-releases/state-grant-approved-for.html, (accessed June 5, 2012). 47 Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, History and Formation, http://www.ccber.ucsb.edu, (accessed May 3, 2012). 48 Rachel Couch, California State Coastal Conservancy "Devereux Slough Acquisition (Ocean Meadows Property)," http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb /2011/1105/20110519Board10_Devereux_Slough.pdf. (accessed May 23, 2012).
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acquire and restore rivers, streams and wetlands in coastal southern California. The SCWRP is chaired by the Resources Agency and supported by the State Coastal Conservancy.49 Along with the grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy, grants have been approved from organizations including the County of Santa Barbara Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund, the United States Fish and Wildlife Services National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant, Caltrans Environmental Enhancement and Mitigations Program, Goleta Valley Land Trust, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Grant, and the California Resource Agency.50 While organizations such as the SCWRP and the State Coastal Conservancy support the efforts to restore the site, there is also considerable support from the public. According to the Coastal Conservancys staff recommendation, the project has the support of U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps, State Senator Tony Strickland, Assemblymember Das Williams, and County of Santa Barbara Supervisor Doreen Farr. 51

6.0 Research Projects and Preliminary Plans In preparation for the project, UCSB students and faculty and CCBER staff members have conducted multiple studies and research projects to evaluate geological, ecological and biological land conditions. In 2000, a group of students in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management completed a masters group project titled Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta,

Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, http://www.scwrp.org/ (accessed June 3, 2012). Lisa Stratton, e-mail message to author, May 10, 2012. 51 Rachel Couch, California State Coastal Conservancy "Devereux Slough Acquisition (Ocean Meadows Property)," 7.
50

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California. The report evaluates five different enhancement scenarios for the golf course site that seek to increase ecosystem conditions or functions that are historically associated with a historic Reference Condition. The five scenarios include the No Action Alternative in which the golf course remains unchanged; the Green Golf Course Alternative in which riparian zones are expanded and upland habitat is increased; the Palustrine Alternative in which the golf course is replaced with freshwater marsh habitat, the Partial Estuarine Alternative in which the golf course is replaced with a combination of freshwater; and estuarine marsh and the Full Estuarine Alternative in which the golf course is replaced with expanded estuarine conditions.52 Referencing aerial photographs and a 3-meter digital elevation model of the site and a polygon of the golf course site, the group used GIS ArcView to map the habitat mosaics and estimate the volumes of soil that need to be moved for each alternative. For each alternative, a mosaic of wetland habitat types estimated to result from implementation of the alternative was mapped. An elevation surface of future conditions for the created habitat mosaics was generated for each alternative. The location, type and extent of each specific habitat type was determined by the elevations of the GIS derived maps and by adhering to parameters outlines in a Wetland Classification System.
53

The Partial Estuarine Alternative results in the highest diversity of habitat types and thus the highest number of different species types. This design would increase the sloughs water holding capacity by 61 percent and return tidal influence to the lower elevations of the site while creating palustrine habitats at the higher elevations. To complete this restoration type, an estimated 890,000 cubic yards of soil would need to be
Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 1-2. 53 Ibid., 229.
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removed from the golf course site. Because most historical aerial photos and maps of the Devereux Slough show that it was not constantly open to tidal influences but rather impounded by a sand berm for much of the year, the partial estuarine alternative is the most favorable choice of enhancement alternatives. It was determined that a full estuarine alternative could compromise Snowy Plover habitat at the mouth of the slough. The partial estuarine alternative is the best combination of implementation of historical conditions while preserving and creating the most diverse amount of habitat types. In 2008 to 2009, two undergraduate students at UCSB conducted research projects to help determine potential ecological restoration strategies for the South Parcel. There are many areas on the South Parcel in which exotic plant species such as mustard, fennel, pampas grass and other exotic grasses dominate the landscape. Cory Olesen conducted a project in which he evaluated the seed bank and soil characteristics of these areas as well as areas that are dominated with native grasses.54 Olesen hypothesized that the removal of the top three inches of topsoil in these areas would reduce the abundance of exotic seeds allowing for greater success of the restoration efforts to establish native communities due to reduced competition and increased resources. Results of the report indicate that sites dominated by mustard and fennel contain very few native plant species and showed a significant decrease in the exotic seed bank following topsoil removal. It is concluded that topsoil removal at these sites would be an ideal method to establish native plant communities.55

Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Restoration Research at South Parcel, Nature Press 4 (June 2009): 6-7 http://ccber.ucsb.edu/ newsletter/CCBERVolume4/ (accessed May 30, 2012). 55 Cory Olesen, Evaluating the seed bank of a disturbed site to determine potential ecological restoration strategies, (Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2009).

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Heather C. Liu conducted a research project in which she evaluated, as stated in the CCBER newsletter Nature Press, strategies for controlling fennel, restoring native purple needle grass grassland, and examining whether fennel leaves legacy effects in the soil that may create challenges for future restoration.56 Liu determined in her research that due to the similarities of soil characteristics between fennel dominated areas and native purple needle grass dominated areas, there are no soil-induced barriers to prevent native plants from being established after fennel removal.57 She also determined that purple needle grass was able to germinate with equal success rates at sites with topsoil removed and at sites in which topsoil was not removed. She concludes that removal of fennel and subsequent planting of natives is a sufficient method to enhance the establishment of native plant species.58 These studies will serve as useful references when CCBER begins to make plans for restoration of the site. While the student research projects provide information useful for specific restoration strategies, CCBER wanted to conduct a project that would evaluate the site on a broader scale to help determine the feasibility of such monumental land changes that would be required to complete the project. CCBER received grants from US Fish and Wildlife Services Coastal Plan and the Coastal Fund to fund engineers from Environmental Science Associates and Philip Williams & Associates (ESA PWA) to evaluate a range of soil volumes that could be placed on the South Parcel. ESA PWA prepared a Basis of Design memorandum and preliminary grading plan for the South

Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. Restoration Research at South Parcel, Nature Press 4: 7. 57 Heather C. Liu, Assessing the effects of Foeniculum vulgare on seedling germination, soil legacy effects and restoration strategies, Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2009), 10. 58 Ibid.

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Parcel. For phase 1 of the preliminary plan, completed in December of 2011, ESA PWA analyzed what 1.2 million cubic yards of soil would look like on the South Parcel. By referring to nearby, geologically similar sites as a guide, ESA PWA determined maximum slope and drainage patterns. The design also examines the treatment of onsite vegetation, and determines the effects that placements of a variety of fill material would have on groundwater recharge and specified habitat types.59 Phase 2 was completed in June of 2012 after CCBER provided ESA PWA with a conceptual habitat restoration plan. The plan determines that the removal of 570,000 cubic yards of soil from the golf course site will be sufficient to complete the conceptual grading and habitat restoration design. The plan confirms that there is sufficient space on the South Parcel for the placement of removed materials.60 The removal of soil and the planned removal of the grade control structure will significantly increase the water holding capacity of the slough. Taking into consideration these modifications along with current water levels and predicted water levels for the 100-year flood event in the FEMA flood study, the plan predicts that the increased flows experienced during storms will be significantly less than what they are now.61 CCBER has taken care to involve community members living near the project site. Meetings have been set up in which preliminary ideas and plans for the future restoration are presented to community members, and the members are in turn encouraged to give any feedback and voice any concerns they have. According to minutes from a meeting that took place in February of 2012, concerns include a basic
ESA PWA, Devereux Slough Preliminary Grading Plan, (San Francisco, CA: ESA PWA, December 2011), 1. 60 ESA PWA, Conceptual Grading and Basis for Design for Ocean Meadows Golf Course, (San Francisco, CA: ESA PWA, June 2012), 1. 61 Ibid., 4.
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desire not to have public access trails near homes, a desire to not have lighting along the trails, and desire to not have parking lots situated close to homes. There was a general support for enhancing the wildlife corridors of the site.62 A technical advisory committee has also been assembled to consider and discuss hydrologic implications, watershed function and processes, management of trails and access, wildlife and plant restoration opportunities. Members of this committee include Mary Root and Jeff Phlips of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Mary Meyer, Martin Potter and Natasha Lohmus of the California Department of Fish and Game, Theresa Stevens of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, John Rohbough of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, John Engel of the California Conservation Coprs, UCSB representatives Karen Rothberg, Shari Hammond, Stacey Callaway and CCBER representatives Lisa Stratton, Dave Harris and Bryan Apple.63

7.0 Benefits of The Restoration 7.1 Species Conservation The Devereux Slough is home to many threatened and endangered species including the Tidewater Goby and the Ventura marsh milk-vetch. The slough is also an important site for migratory birds and has been named an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. There are over 290 species of birds including Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Black-crowned Night Herons that inhabit the slough. The slough is also home to microscopic crustaceans, worms, and insect larvae.

62 63

Ibid. Ibid.

In the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services 2006 Final Recovery Plan for the Tidewater Goby, Devereux Slough is specifically mentioned as containing habitat for the Tidewater Goby, which is listed as both an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act and a species of special concern in California.64 The Tidewater Goby is a small fish that lives in brackish waters along the California coast from Tillas Slough near the Oregon border down to Aqua Hedionda Lagoon in northern San Diego. Historically, the tidewater goby inhabited at least 134 localities. As of 2006, 26 of those localities are considered destroyed, and 55 to 70 are considered either naturally so small or too degraded that long-term persistence is uncertain. The tidewater goby requires very specific and unique habitat in which water levels are less than three meters deep and have salinities of less than 12 parts per thousand. The tidewater goby is rarely found in fully marine or fully freshwater habitats, but instead live in intertidal coastal lagoons and the uppermost brackish zone of larger estuaries. After being absent from the slough for nearly three decades, the tidewater goby was rediscovered in the slough in the winter of 2005.65 Restoration of the upper portion of the slough would likely provide double the amount of available habitat for the tidewater goby. After being presumed extinct for 30 years, the federally-endangered Ventura salt marsh milk-vetch was found near Ormond Beach in a degraded area. Seeds from this population were planted at Devereux Slough. This makes the slough one of only three sites where the plants of this species are recovering.66 The federally threatened redCalifornia State Lands Commission, Appendix E: Sensitive Wildlife Species Expected to Occur Within the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Open Space Management Area, and Santa Barbara Channel, Venoco Ellwood Marine Terminal (EMT) Lease Renewal, (June 2009). 65 University of California, Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System. Coal Oil Point Reserve. Fish of Devereux Slough http://coaloilpoint.ucnrs.org/ DevereuxSloughFish.html (accessed April 17, 2012). 66 Rachel Couch, California State Coastal Conservancy "Devereux Slough Acquisition (Ocean Meadows Property)," 4.
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legged frog hasnt been sighted in Devereux Creek for many years but breeding populations have been found in Tecolote and Bell Canyon creeks which are both within two miles of the slough.67 The Western Snowy Plover, listed as both a federally threatened and a California species of special concern, nests at the mouth of the Devereux Slough. Preservation and protection of such nesting grounds are critical for the recovery of the species. Because the south parcel is open space, it not only serves as a wildlife corridor, but also specifically functions as an important environmental factor for many species of raptors. According to Holmgren et al., The behavior and survival of many raptor species are absolutely dependent on the availability of open space. Three species of raptors, the white-tailed kite, American kestrel, and red-shouldered hawks have been spotted nesting along the borders of the south parcel. Other raptor species, including coopers hawk, the red tailed hawk, the barn owl, and the great horned owl have all been observed nesting within a mile radius of the parcel. All of these species, along with sharp-shinned hawks, merlins, and peregrine falcons, have been spotted flying over the parcel and presumably forage on the parcel. Other species that have been spotted foraging on the parcel include white-tailed kites, turkey vultures, northern harriers, American kestrels, and loggerhead shrikes.68

California State Lands Commission, Appendix E: Sensitive Wildlife Species Expected to Occur Within the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Open Space Management Area, and Santa Barbara Channel, Venoco Ellwood Marine Terminal (EMT) Lease Renewal (June 2009). 68 Mark Holmgren et al., Report on the Biological Resources Potentially Impacted by a University Housing Development South of Ocean Meadows Golf Course, 5.

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7.2 Flood Management The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), places developments near the slough within the 100-year floodplain zone. The golf course already experiences floods multiple times a year during the rainy season, rendering it unplayable for up to days at a time. Restoring the golf course site to the historical slough would increase the sites capacity to store water. Along with the capacity to store large amounts of water, wetlands slow the rate of flow of water, enabling greater opportunity for groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration.69 All of these functions would help to reduce the risk of floods. ESA PWAs preliminary grading plan states, post restoration, we expect that the flood risk associated with extreme high water levels will be the same or lower than presently exist.70

7.3 Recreation Along with protecting the nearby homes from potential flood damage, the restored site will provide opportunities for public recreation. According to the Trust for Public Land, Once restored, the land will be open to the public for running, walking, wildlifeviewing, and communing with nature thanks to an extensive trail network connecting to the adjacent Ellwood Mesa Preserve.71 Currently, only paying customers of the golf course are allowed access to the site. The lower portion of the slough is open to the public, but as Cat Neushul of the Santa Barbara Independent explains, The slough is a little difficult to get to. You have to drive or walk along a narrow road that dead-ends at
Donald L. Hey and Nancy S. Philippi, A Case for Wetland Restoration. (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1999), 18. 70 ESA PWA, Conceptual Grading and Basis for Design for Ocean Meadows Golf Course, 4. 71 Trust for Public Land, Moving Earth for a Slice of Heaven, http://www.tpl.org/ what-wedo/where-we-work/california/central-coast-program/moving-oceanmeadows.html (accessed June 1, 2012).
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the gate blocking access to Sands Beach if you are driving, there is nowhere to park. You can stop at a handful of turnoffs designated as bird-watching areas, but that is your only option If you are on foot, the journey is slightly treacherous. You have to walk along the shoulder of the road and keep an eye our for cars72 The future restored site would provide designated parking areas and easy access to walking paths and provide access between the community and the university. 73

7.4 Education In addition to providing access for recreation, the site would serve unique educational opportunities. Descriptive signage placed along trails would serve to educate users of the site about the native plant and animal life that they see. The sites close proximity to UCSBs campus makes it an excellent site for student projects and research. A project of this size and nature has never been done before in Santa Barbara County. It would be the biggest project that CCBER has ever taken on. Students at the university would be able to take part in and learn about the restoration process.74

8.0 Conclusions The capacity for wetlands to support large, diverse numbers of plant and animal species combined with the fact that over 90 percent of Californias wetlands have been lost or damaged due to human land use changes make the efforts to restore them critically important and imperative to maintaining the ecological, environmental and biological
Cat Neushul, Discover Devereux Slough, Santa Barbara Independent, June 11, 2011. http://www.independent.com/news/2011/jun/11/discover-devereux-slough/ (accessed June 7, 2012). 73 Trust for Public Land, Moving Earth for a Slice of Heaven, http://www.tpl.org/ what-wedo/where-we-work/california/central-coast-program/moving-oceanmeadows.html (accessed June 1, 2012). 74 Lisa Stratton, interview by author, June 8, 2012.
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health of the state. The Trust for Public Lands potential acquisition of the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site in Goleta, California could provide an opportunity to restore the Devereux Slough, a wetland characterized as an impounded coastal lagoon that experiences tidal influences a few times a year during the winter storm season.75 The restoration of the upper portion of the Devereux Slough would complete an area of 650 acres of land to be permanently protected for natural resources, open space, aesthetic values, public access, passive recreation, and education. There are countless benefits to the environment and the community that would result from restoring the Ocean Meadows Golf Course site to the historical Devereux Slough conditions. These benefits include increased habitat and protection for numerous threatened species, increased floodplain capacity, and opportunities for education and recreational activities. Once complete, this project would be one of the largest, most significant of its kind in the state.76

Mark Campopiano et al., Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California, 10. 76 Trust for Public Land, Moving Earth for a Slice of Heaven

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REFERENCES California Natural Resource Agency. Californias Valuable Wetlands, California Wetlands Information System. http://ceres.ca.gov/wetlands/introduction/ values.html (accessed June 13, 2012). California Natural Resource Agency. State of the States Wetlands: 10 years of Challenges and Progress. Sacramento, CA: California Natural Resources Agency, 2010. http://www.californiawetlands.net/static/documents/ Final_SOSW_ Report_0 9232010.pdf (accessed June 8, 2012). California State Lands Commission. Appendix E: Sensitive Wildlife Species Expected to Occur Within the Coal Oil Point Reserve, Open Space Management Area, and Santa Barbara Channel. Venoco Ellwood Marine Terminal (EMT) Lease Renewal, 2009. Campopiano, Mark et al. Enhancement Alternatives for the Ocean Meadows Golf Course Site Goleta, California. Masters group project, University of California Santa Barbara, 2000. Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. History and Formation. http://www.ccber.ucsb.edu (accessed May 3, 2012). Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, http://www.scwrp.org/ (accessed June 3, 2012). Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration at South Parcel. The Nature Press 4, (June 2009): 6-7. http://ccber.ucsb.edu/newsletter/ CCBERVolume4/ (accessed May 30, 2012). City of Goleta, County of Santa Barbara, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Joint Proposal for the Ellwood-Devereux Coast. Santa Barbara, CA: County of Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara, 2002. Couch, Rachel. California State Coastal Conservancy "Devereux Slough Acquisition (Ocean Meadows Property)." http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb /2011/1105/20110519Board10_Devereux_Slough.pdf. (accessed May 23, 2012). Davis, F.W. et al. Campus Wetlands Management Plan, Part 2 Technical Report on Hydrology, Water Quality and Sedimentation of West and Storke Campus Wetlands. University of California, Santa Barbara: Department of Geography, 1990. Hey, Donald L. and Nancy S. Philippi. A Case for Wetland Restoration. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999.

Holmgren, Mark et al. Report on the Biological Resources Potentially Impacted by a University Housing Development South of Ocean Meadows Golf Course. University of California, Santa Barbara, 1998. Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. South Parcel. Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. http://www.sblandtrust.org/southparcel.html (accessed May 29, 2012). Liu, H. C. Assessing the effects of Foeniculum vulgare on seedling germination, soil legacy effects and restoration strategies. Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2009. North Campus Advisory Group. Final report on the North Campus Project for Chancellor Henry Yang, University of California- Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara, CA: North Campus Advisory Group, 1999. Olesen, C. Evaluating the seed bank of a disturbed site to determine potential ecological restoration strategies. Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2009. Trust for Public Land. Central Coast. The Trust for Public Land. http://www.tpl.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/california/central-coast-program/ (accessed April 15, 2012). Trust for Public Land. Moving Earth for a Slice of Heaven. http://www.tpl.org/ what-we-do/where-we-work/california/central-coast-program/movingoceanmeadows.html (accessed June 1, 2012). Trust for Public Land. State Grant Approved for Upper Devereux Slough Acquisition, Trust for Public Land, http://www.tpl.org/news/pressreleases/2011-press-releases/state-grant-approved-for.html (accessed June 5, 2012). UCSB Campus Wetlands Committee. University of California Santa Barbara Campus Wetlands Management Plan. University of California, Santa Barbara, 1999. University of California Santa Barbara. University of California Santa Barbara 1990 Long Range Development Plan including revisions related to the 2006 LRDP Amendment for North & West Campus. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California Santa Barbara, 2006. University of California Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System. Coal Oil Point Reserve. Fish of Devereux Slough. http://coaloilpoint.ucnrs.org/ DevereuxSloughFish.html (accessed April 17, 2012).