By Sierra LeTourneau, SPAWN Salmonid Monitoring Intern
Header photo of a happy SPAWN Nursery-grown lupine at Chicken Ranch Beach in Tomales Bay, California.
In honor of Endangered Species day, which was this month on May 17th, we wanted to highlight the work SPAWN has done to improve populations for some of California’s listed Endangered Species.
SPAWN as a program seeks to support the endangered Central California Coho populations. Through almost 30 years of monitoring, habitat restoration, and litigation. SPAWN has sought to improve the Coho population in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed.
Recently, SPAWN has been contributing to the restoration of Chicken Ranch Beach as part of the Tomales Bay Foundation’s initiative to improve the water quality and habitat at CRB. This project seeks to provide habitat for a few more of California’s listed endangered species. This includes the tidewater goby, California red-legged frog and the western pond turtle.
The tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), is a small fish that lives in brackish waters, areas that are a confluence of freshwater and saltwater. Tidewater gobies rarely exceed 2 inches in size. Historically they were found in over 150 lagoons and estuaries in California, in 1994 due to massive habitat loss and disruption the tidewater goby was listed as an endangered species. Tidewater gobies prefer submerged and emergent aquatic vegetation, for foraging and juvenile rearing, which is included as part of the CRB restoration efforts.
The California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) , another well-known endangered species, was also in mind during the planning for the restoration at CRB. Since 1996, The California red-legged frog (CRLF) has been listed as an endangered species. Much like the Tidewater goby, their status is a reflection of depleted habitat and resources as a result of anthropogenic development. CRLF needs habitat for aquatic breeding, aquatic non-breeding habitat for juvenile and adult dispersal and predator avoidance, and upland riparian habitat adjacent to the aforementioned aquatic habitat. CRLF are more sensitive to changes in salinity than tidewater gobies, planning for both of their needs overlaps significantly in the CRB restoration plan.
Lastly, the western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) is not currently listed as an endangered species in the state of California but rather a species of special concern. They were also included in the CRB planning efforts. Their populations have dwindled as a result of disease and habitat destruction, and predator introduction. Elements in the CRB planning for the western pond turtle habitat include submerged longs, large rocks, and muddy banks.
As of May 2026, we have been working on weeding at the site and implementing irrigation to keep the plants watered as we get closer to the start of summer. Volunteer days at Chicken Ranch Beach remain on alternating Wednesdays and Saturdays, please check the schedule and stop on by to help out!
