Russian River State Marine Reserve and Russian River State Marine Conservation Area
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Russian River State Marine Recreational Management Area (SMRMA) and Russian River State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) are two adjoining
marine protected areas Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...
in the Russian River
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
area in Sonoma County, California, on the north-central coast of the state. The combined area of these marine protected areas is , with in the SMRMA and in the SMCA. In the Russian River SMRMA, the taking of all living marine resources except recreational hunting of
waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...
is prohibited, unless otherwise restricted by hunting regulations. In the Russian River SMCA, the taking of all living marine resources is prohibited, except the recreational and commercial
trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithi ...
of
Dungeness crab The Dungeness crab (''Metacarcinus magister'') is a species of crab inhabiting eelgrass beds and water bottoms along the west coast of North America. It typically grows to across the carapace and is a popular seafood. Its common name comes f ...
and the taking of '' Hypomesus pretiosus'' (surf smelt) by hand-held dip nets or beach nets.


History

The areas are two of the 22 marine protected areas adopted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in August 2009, during the second phase of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. The MLPAI is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of protected areas along California's coastline. The north central coast's new marine protected areas were designed by local divers, fishermen, conservationists and scientists who comprised the North Central Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. Their job was to design a network of protected areas that would preserve sensitive sea life and habitats while enhancing recreation, study and education opportunities. The north central coast marine protected areas took effect May 1, 2010.


Geography and natural features

Russian River SMRMA and Russian River SMCA are two adjoining marine protected areas that protect the Russian River Estuary in Sonoma County on California's north central coast. The Russian River flows through
Goat Rock Beach Goat Rock Beach is a sand beach in northwestern Sonoma County, California, United States. This landform is a sub-unit of Sonoma Coast State Beach, owned and managed by the State of California. At the northern terminus of Goat Rock Beach is the mou ...
within
Sonoma Coast State Beach Sonoma Coast State Park is a State of California property in Sonoma County consisting of public access use on lands adjoining the Pacific Ocean. This extent of beach runs from a coastal point about north of Jenner and continues for approximatel ...
into the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
. The estuary is closed seasonally by a sandbar. Russian River SMRMA includes the waters below the mean high tide line eastward of the mouth of the Russian River Estuary defined as a line connecting the following two points: * and * and westward of the Highway 1 Bridge. Russian River SMCA bounded by the mean high tide line, the mouth of the Russian River estuary as defined in subsection 632(b)(14)(A), and straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed: # # and # .


Habitat and wildlife

The Russian River Estuary is an important nursery for crab and
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...
and has diverse estuarine habitats such as eelgrass beds and mudflats. The seasonal sandbar provides an important
harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...
haul out and hosts various seabird colonies. The Russian River SMR and SMCA protect
steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and ...
and Russian River chinook and
coho salmon The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientif ...
, which aggregate at the mouth of the estuary during seasonal sandbar closures.


Recreation and nearby attractions

Sonoma Coast State Beach is a series of beaches that extends from Bodega Bay to the Russian River. There are more than a dozen access points to Sonoma Coast State Beach along State Highway 1, and the Sonoma Coast Trail connects many of the secret beaches hidden by rocky coves and tall bluffs. Beachcombing, fishing and picnicking are common activities. During spring, flowers like blue lupine and Indian paintbrush are common. Sonoma Coast State Park has four campgrounds that include developed and primitive sites. Russian River SMRMA prohibits the take of all living marine resources, except recreational hunting of waterfowl, unless otherwise restricted by hunting regulations. Russian River SMCA prohibits take of all living marine resources, except recreational and commercial take of Dungeness crab by trap and take of surf smelt by hand-held dip nets or beach nets. However, California's marine protected areas encourage recreational and educational uses of the ocean. Activities such as kayaking, diving, snorkeling, and swimming are allowed unless otherwise restricted.


Scientific monitoring

As specified by the Marine Life Protection Act, select marine protected areas along California's central coast are being monitored by scientists to track their effectiveness and learn more about ocean health. Similar studies in marine protected areas located off of the
Santa Barbara Channel Islands The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and ...
have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.Castell, Jenn, et al.
How do patterns of abundance and size structure differ between fished and unfished waters in the Channel Islands? Results from SCUBA surveys
. Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) at University of California, Santa Barbara and University of California, Santa Cruz; Channel Islands National Park. Retrieved December 18, 2008.


References

{{authority control Protected areas of Sonoma County, California Marine sanctuaries in California Tourist attractions in Sonoma County, California