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S AN L EANDRO T REATMENT W ETLAND P ROJECT S AN L EANDRO, A LAMEDA C OUNTY, C ALIFORNIA B IOLOGICAL A SSESSMENT A PRIL 2020 P:\TER2001\BA\San Leandro Treatment Plant BA 4‐7‐20.docx (04/07/20) 20 3.1.4 Fish and Wildlife Fish and wildlife species observed in the Action Area during the field visit included various species of birds that have adapted to human‐modified landscapes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and include California towhee (Melozone crissalis), black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans), white‐crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys), and northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). The aquatic habitat adjacent to the project site provides habitat for various fish species in addition to the three federally listed species addressed in the BA; examples include the starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata), jack smelt (Atherinopsis californiensis), and the non‐ native striped bass (Morone saxatilis). The adjacent aquatic habitat also provides foraging and loafing habitat for various species of ducks, gulls, terns, and other waterbirds. Diving ducks, such as greater scaup (Aythya marila) and ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), forage in the waters adjacent to the WPCP. Dabbling ducks, such as mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and canvasback (Aythya valisineria), also forage in the shallows adjacent to the Action Area. 3.1.5 Wildlife and Plants Not Present in Action Area LSA biologists determined that no tidal/brackish marsh vegetation is present at or adjacent to the location of the outfall with limited tidal/brackish marsh vegetation present in the Action Area by analyzing sources from Section 1.3 (e.g., CNDDB, IPaC, NMFS) and from the field survey. This adjacent tidal vegetation within the Action Area consists of a small band of mostly pickleweed, located approximately 700 feet northeast of the outfall. The breeding habitat for the California Ridgway’s rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) occurs mostly within lower tidal marsh zones near tidal sloughs and where cordgrass is abundant (Harvey 1980, Zembal and Massey 1983), while habitat for the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) occurs within mid‐ to upper elevations of tidal and diked salt marshes dominated by pickleweed (USFWS 1984). The outfall construction area does not contain pickleweed and cordgrass and the small patches of pickleweed and cordgrass within the Action Area are located approximately 700 feet from the outfall. USFWS has also stated that habitat for the California Ridgway’s rail and salt marsh harvest mouse does not appear to exist at the project site (Bloom, pers. comm.). Therefore, coastal marsh species, including California Ridgway’s rail and salt marsh harvest mouse, are likely not present in the Action Area and will not be affected by the proposed project. Finally, the proposed project will not take place within or adjacent to eelgrass beds or shellfish beds (Merkel & Associates, Inc. 2009; California State Coastal Conservancy et al. 2010). 3.2 SPECIES ACCOUNTS 3.2.1 North American Green Sturgeon – Southern Distinct Population Segment 3.2.1.1 Status and Biology The North American green sturgeon southern DPS was federally listed as threatened on April 7, 2006 (71 Federal Register [FR] 17757); this listing took effect on June 6, 2006. The southern DPS includes all populations originating from coastal watersheds south of the Eel River, with the only known spawning population in the Sacramento River. Critical habitat for the southern DPS of green sturgeon was designated by NMFS on October 9, 2009 (74 FR 52300); this designation took effect on November 9, 2009. This designation includes all waters of the San Francisco Bay.