Bay area will revert to natural ecosystem

Alicia Robinson

Native plant species will return to the bay near the Peter and Mary

Muth Interpretive Center early next year.

Orange County officials are completing construction drawings for a

project to restore the habitat on about six acres, just south of the

interpretive center. The $400,000 project will include removing

invasive plants that have crept into the area, which has been used

for farming and once provided access to a salt-processing factory in

the bay. They will be replaced with coastal sage scrub and native

grasses, said Ernie Seidel, project manager with the Orange County

Harbors, Beaches and Parks Department.

After the design work is done, the county will seek bids for the

project, likely in January, he said. By spring, work should begin to

control erosion, and later in the year the nonnative plants will be

removed and native species brought in.

Restoring the habitat will make the bay more friendly to wildlife

that live there, including several endangered species, said Joanette

Willert, senior park ranger for the Upper Newport Bay Nature

Preserve.

The bay is home to hundreds of bird species such as red-tailed

hawks, kestrels and the endangered light-footed clapper rail, she

said.

“Last winter we had three burrowing owls, which are endangered

species,” Willert said. “We were in hopes that if we upgraded the

habitat they might want to stay here all year round as a breeding

ground.”

The native-plant project is part of a longer-term effort by the

county and the city of Newport Beach to restore the nature preserve

to its native condition. A future project will more clearly define

walking trails to discourage visitors from using the unofficial

trails people have made to get closer to the water or cut from the

lower bay to the upper bay.

“There are dozens of trails up there, and most of them are

illegal,” Newport Beach Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said. “In

other words, they’re too close to the habitat, and they’re damaging

the habitat.”

The city is paying for $100,000 of the habitat-restoration

project, and city officials will encourage the county to do more in

the upper bay, Kiff said.

As for keeping people on trails, Kiff and Willert agreed that a

little education usually goes a long way.

“We find that this works very well,” Willert said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.