Wetland Profile: Morro Bay Published 10/30/2004
LOCATION
County San Luis Obispo
USGS Quadrangle Morro Bay South
Descriptive Location Morro Bay is fed freshwater via Chorro and Los Osos Creeks, which drain a 48,000 acre watershed. The bay includes a variety of habitats including mudflat, eelgrass, deepwater, and a discontinuous wetland fringe.
Longitude & Latitude -120°51'01" W, +35°20'16" N
Component Names Morro Bay Salt Marsh


OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Current Ownership
Owners Ownership Type Acreage Source
City of Morro Bay Public 440 1
Parks and Recreation Department Public 1500 1
Private Private 1
Local Interest Groups
Group Name Website Source
Morro Bay National Estuary Program 2
Morro Estuary Greenbelt Alliance 3
Small Wilderness Area Preserve 1
The Morro Coast Audobon Society http://www.morrocoastaudubon.org/ 1


LAND USE
On Site Use Source
Commercial Retail 4
Commercial Service 1, 4
Open Space 1, 5
Recreation 1, 4
Historic On Site Use Source
Native American Use 1, 6
Adjacent Use Source
Commercial Retail 1
Commercial Service 4
Industrial 1
Open Space 1, 5
Recreation 1
Residential Single-Family 1


WETLAND & RIPARIAN ACREAGE
Classification Wetland Acreage Date Method Source
Eelgrass 279 2003 Aerial photo interpretation 7
Eelgrass 483 1972 Unknown 1
Main Channel 162 2003 Field mapping 8
Mudflat 1092 2003 Field mapping 8
Mudflat 1452 1974 Unknown 1
Robust Fringe 2.3 2003 Field mapping 8
Subtidal 177 2003 Field mapping 8
Woody Fringe 5.5 2003 Field mapping 8


HYDROLOGY
Tributary Influence
Tributary Influence Influence Gaging Station Source
Chorro Creek 6000 acre ft/year Canet Road station 1, 4, 9
Drainage from Sand Spit 1
Los Osos Creek 1, 4
Wetland Alterations
Alterations Comments Contribution /
Removal
Amount		 Date Source
Dikes/Levees, Fill Morro Rock revetment connecting Morro Rock to mainland partially constructed in 1910 and full revetment completed in 1945 1
Dredged Channel/Inlet 4
Dredged Channel/Inlet First dredged in 1910, then dredged in 1956 by USACOE 1
Dredged Channel/Inlet Maintenance dredging performed every 2 years by USACOE since 1956 300,000 cubic yards 1
Engineered Channel North Breakwater extending from Morro Rock constructed in 1946 1
Engineered Channel South Breakwater extending from Sand Spit constructed in 1942 1
Flow Obstructions 4
Other Construction of three wharves 1870, 1873, 1891 1
Other Embarcadero seawall 1944 6930 feet long 1
Other Water extraction for power plant 470,000 gallons/minute 1956 1
Sewer Discharge 4


WATER QUALITY
Water Quality Data
Parameter Duration Comments Source
Chromium 1993 10
Dissolved Oxygen Various-reported from other documents 1
Nickel 1993 10
Salinity Various-reported from other documents 1
Temperature Various-reported from other documents 1
pH 1993 10


SOILS
Comments Source
Fine mud and sand with organics 1
Sand, coarse sand 1


VEGETATION
Special Status Plants
Common Name Scientific Name Federal State Source
California seablite Suaeda californica Endangered None 1, 11, 12
Salt marsh bird's-beak Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus Endangered Endangered 12, 13
Non Native Plants
The Non-native plant list is not intended to be a representative list of all plants found in the wetland. To learn more about all plants found in the wetland, including natives, please refer to the lists documented in the Vegetation Comments section.
Common Name Scientific Name Source
Black mustard Brassica nigra 13
Iceplant Carpobrotus edulis 6, 13
Poison hemlock Conium maculatum 5, 13
Wild fennel Foeniculum vulgare 13
Vegetation Comments
Comments Source
Marine flora of Morro Bay 14
Plant list 5


ANIMALS
Special Status Animals
Common Name Scientific Name Federal State Source
American peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus anatum Species of Concern Endangered 1
California black rail Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus Species of Concern Threatened 1, 12
California brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis californicus Endangered Endangered 1
Southern sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis Threatened None 3
Steelhead - south/central California coast esu Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus Threatened None 1, 14
Western snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus Threatened None 2
Animal Comments
Comments Source
Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat Range map 1
Benthic Invertebrates Sources 1, 14
Bird Sources 1
Fish Sources 14
Mammal Sources 1, 5


WETLAND IMPACTING ACTIVITIES
In the Wetland
Activity Source
Birding 1
Boating 4, 6
Fishing 1, 4
Hiking 1, 5
Hunting 1
Non-native plant invasion 6
Oyster culture 1
Recreation (other) 1
Road construction 5
Adjacent to the Wetland
Activity Source
Camping 1
Fertilizer application 6
Grazing 6
Hiking 1
Non-native plant invasion 6
Recreation (other) 1


SOURCES
Source Author(s) Year Published Document Name
1 Calif. Dept of Fish and Game 1974 Natural resources of Morro Bay: their status and future.
2 Morro Bay National Estuary Program 2004 Personal Communication
3 David Wolff Environmental 2004 Personal Communication
4 Kelsey, Ashley 1999 Morro Bay Estuary: a data collection and comparison survey.
5 Cranmer, Paul 1974 The mammals of Shark Inlet, Morro Bay, California.
6 Calif. Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo, School of Architecture & Environmental Design. 1972 Utilization of the Morro Bay Area State Parks for the study and teaching of marine and estuarine ecology: a design study.
7 Morro Bay National Estuary Program 2004 Morro Bay Eelgrass Survey, 2003
8 US Army Corps of Engineers 2003 Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study, Draft F3 Conference Report Without-Project Conditions Analysis
9 Cleath, Timothy S. 1988 Water resources study, Chorro Valley Ranch.
10 Mace, James E. 1993 Study of possible chromium contamination in the Morro Bay Estuary through Chorro Creek alluvium.
11 Bruckner, Marta M. 1964 An ecological study of salt tolerant plants in Morro Bay State Park.
12 Elliot, B. and V. Cicero 1995 Coordinated Land Management Plan for State Lands Commission Lease of Submerged and Tide Lands in Morro Bay
13 Stager, D. Waive 1974 Conspicuous summer and fall flora of the sand spit, Morro Bay State Park, Morro Bay, California.
14 Sparling, Shirley R. 1986 Resource inventory: marine life: Cayucos State Beach;, Morro Strand State Beach, Atascadero State Beach, Morro Bay State Beach, Montana de Oro State Park.


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