Storke Wetland

Site at a Glance
Date initiated
1991
Size
37 acres
Habitat types
  • Palustrine Emergent Wetland, Salt Marsh Palustrine Scrub Wetland, Coyote Brush Scrub, Blue Gum Eucalyptus, Non-native Annual Grassland
Special Status Species
  • Cooper's Hawk
  • White-tailed Kite
  • Southern Tarplant (Centromadia Panyi ssp. australis)

 

Storke Wetland, historically the southwestern extension of Goleta Slough, has been cut off by berms, drainage ditches and tide gates. At an elevation of just 0.5 to 3.2 ft above mean sea level (MSL), the wetlands could still be contiguous with the Slough if the tide gates were opened. The 1981 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) recognized the value of these palustrine salt marsh wetlands and by the 1991 LRDP these areas were formally designated as Ecologically Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA) and open space. Raptors hunt and waterfowl take refuge in these brackish waters. Restoration activities have focused on planting oaks in the upland areas and topographic alterations to create more permanently flooded or tidally inundated wetlands.

West Storke Wetland Enhancement Project

Before Restoration

2007. Fill removed from West Storke wetland with funding from the Wetland Recovery Project.		 After Restoration

Native wetland vegetation reestablished under better hydrologic regime