Migratory Birds descend upon Humboldt Bay year round as they migrate from chilly northern breeding grounds to warmer wintering areas. These birds use the productive Refuge habitats ranging from freshwater wetlands to sandy forested dunes.
Learn More About Humboldt's Migrant Birds
Historically the Humboldt Bay area had approximately 9,000 acres of valuable saltmarsh habitat. Because of levee construction in the early 1900's, which inhibited saltwater intrusion into historic marshes, salt marshes began to disappear, and now only 900 acres remain. The remaining acres are now being invaded by a robust grass known as Spartina. If left untreated, Spartina can take over an entire saltmarsh, completely eradicating all native species and becoming a monoculture. Through restoration work, the Refuge is combating the Spartina invasion to protect Humboldt's remaining saltmarsh habitat.
Learn How the Refuge is Controlling and Reversing Spartina Invasion
The beach and dunes of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge are at the vanguard of sea level rise and other climate impacts. The foredune is an important feature that buffers the effects of extreme storms, and the entire dune system protects the estuarine systems behind it. UFSWS and its partners have posed the question of what our dunes will do in response to sea level rise and extreme events, and what measures we can take to increase resiliency. To answer these questions, the refuge has engaged in a collaborative, six-year research project known as the Humboldt Coastal Resilience Project (formerly, Climate Ready Project). The project has been funded by the State Coastal Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, and the Ocean Protection Council. Geographically the project spans the Eureka littoral cell. A littoral cell is a stretch of coastline characterized by a closed sediment circulation cell, i.e. sediment does not enter or leave the cell. The Eureka littoral cell stretches from Trinidad to Centerville beach.
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The Refuge’s Lanphere Dunes Unit is home to the first dune restoration project on the west coast. Restoration began in the 1980s with early experiments to control invasive European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria). By the early 1990s The Nature Conservancy (the past owner) began a large-scale mechanical eradication project that took 6 years to complete. This project became a template for dune restoration projects throughout the west coast and beyond. Most importantly, it demonstrated that by removing over-stabilizing beachgrass and other invasive plants, essential dune processes were restored, fostering the recovery of the ecosystem. Since that time, dune restoration has continued to evolve and expand. On our local dunes, over 7 miles of coastline have been restored in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, and plans are in the works that will more than double this number.
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