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46-685: Elkhorn Slough is a 7-mile-long (11 km) tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California . It is California's second largest estuary and the United States' first estuarine sanctuary. The community of Moss Landing and the Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay. Elkhorn Slough harbors the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside

92-534: A $ 3.9 million federal stimulus grant . The project was a collaboration among the California Coastal Conservancy , David and Lucile Packard Foundation , DFG, Ducks Unlimited , Elkhorn Slough Foundation, NOAA, URS Corporation , and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency The Tidal Marsh Restoration Project has been progressing since 2010. Most other Elkhorn salt marshes are projected to be drowned within 50 years. An elevated marsh plane

138-656: A Visitor Center and volunteer opportunities. The nearby Moss Landing Wildlife Area protects 728 acres (295 ha) of salt ponds and salt marsh. Limited recreation is permitted within the Wildlife Area. Harvest of finfish (by hook-and-line only) and clams are allowed within the conservation area only. Clams may only be taken on the north shore of the slough in the area adjacent to the Moss Landing State Wildlife Area. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued

184-459: A host of other wildlife from the water is an experience that provides a unique perspective of how the slough is used by the native inhabitants. People are encouraged to keep at least 100 feet of distance between them and wildlife on the slough. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Elkhorn Slough Foundation provide on-site management, education, and stewardship and offer public access via 5 miles (8.0 km) of trails, as well as

230-488: A part of an endangered environment: wetlands. They act as a buffer from land to sea and act as an active part of the estuary system where freshwater flows from creeks and runoff from the land mix with salty ocean water transported by tides. Restoration is a big effort in California wetlands to restore slough and ridge landscapes. Examples of restoration projects on slough landscapes include The Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project, Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration Project, and

276-575: A purchase price of $ 260 million in cash. URS announced its acquisition of Flint Energy Services, a provider of construction services in the oil and gas industry, based in Calgary, Alberta, on February 20, 2012. On October 20, 2014, URS was officially acquired by AECOM. URS provided ongoing management and operation of the 4,200-acre Kennedy Space Center complex, including its 900 mission-specific facilities, 16,000 unique NASA systems and equipment, and 600 unique U.S. Air Force systems and equipment. In

322-459: A river over time. The development of this landscape is thought to occur by the preferential formation of peat in bedrock depressions. Multiple of these deposits mounted on top of the surrounding bedrock can become elongated alongside the slough and create flow diversions within the system. Different rates of this peat accumulation could be triggered by variations in microtopography that alter plant production and vegetation type. Water flow might be

368-557: A safe advisory for any fish caught in Elkhorn Slough due to elevated levels of mercury and PCBs. In addition, there is a notice of "DO NOT EAT" for leopard sharks and bat rays for women 18–45 years old and children 1–17 years old. 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. The Moss Landing Harbor District has jurisdiction over

414-742: A seasonal basis. Vegetation patterns in a slough are largely determined by depth , distribution, and duration in the environment. Moreover, these same variables also influence the distribution, abundance, reproduction, and seasonal movements of aquatic and terrestrial life within the sloughs. Sloughs support a wide variety of plant life that is adapted to rapidly changing physical conditions such as salinity , oxygen levels and depth. In general, sloughs are microhabitats high in species diversity. Open water sloughs are characterized by submerged and floating vegetation which includes periphyton mats dominated by sawgrass typically. The topographical and vegetation heterogeneity of ridge and slough landscape influences

460-538: A side-channel from or feeding a river, or an inlet or natural channel only sporadically filled with water. An example of this is Finn Slough on the Fraser River , whose lower reaches have dozens of notable sloughs. Some sloughs, like Elkhorn Slough , used to be mouths of rivers, but have become stagnant because tectonic activity cut off the river's source. In the Sacramento River , Steamboat Slough

506-399: A study done on Elkhorn Slough in California the mean prey richness for fish was greatest near the ocean and lowest inshore. This allows for a higher availability of food to enhance the function of inshore habitats and emphasizes the importance of invertebrate prey populations and how they influence plant production. Birds also inhabit sloughs, making them hotspots for birdwatching , with

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552-634: A tributary to the Old Salinas River channel. Construction of jetties at the Moss Landing Harbor in 1946 provided a direct link between the Pacific Ocean and Elkhorn Slough. At this time, salt marshes began to retreat from the axis of Elkhorn Slough as it evolved into its present form as a relatively stable estuarine embayment. Carneros Creek is the primary source of freshwater flowing into Elkhorn Slough. McClusky Slough to

598-659: Is being created at Hester Marsh to establish a functional salt marsh ecosystem. 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 have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number. More than 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of

644-694: Is prohibited. It includes the waters below mean high tide within Elkhorn Slough lying: The Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) covers 0.09 square miles (0.23 km). It includes the waters below mean high tide within Elkhorn Slough: The SMR and the SMCA were both established in September 2007 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CA−DFW). It was one of 29 marine protected areas adopted during

690-629: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and worked at one time for Gustav Lindenthal , including on the Seventh Street Bridge . URS acquired the Denver, Colorado based civil, geotechnical and environmental engineering firm Woodward-Clyde Group in 1997 for $ 100 Million, bringing additional environmental capabilities and a broader international presence to the organization. When Dames & Moore Group joined in 1999 (which had recently absorbed

736-755: The Moss Landing Harbor District and the Monterey County Parks Department The Moss Landing Wildlife Area protects the land north and west of the Slough. The Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve just south of Elkhorn protects a similar wetland area. Along with hiking and bird watching, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding are popular activities on the slough. Watching sea otters , sea lions, seals, brown pelicans , American avocets , cormorants , egrets , terns and

782-518: The San Francisco Bay and provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. It has been designated as a protected Ramsar site since 2018. The name of the slough derives from the native tule elk Cervus canadensis nannodes , now extirpated from the region. Elkhorn Slough occupies the western reaches of Elkhorn Valley, a relic river valley eroded by drainage pouring out of

828-766: The threatened California red-legged frog . The population of sea otter living in Elkhorn Slough reflect that the species is well-adapted for estuarine habitat, and may be a model for the historical sea otter populations now extinct in San Francisco Bay . Elkhorn Slough hosts year-round residents tightly associated with estuaries, such as pickleweed , eelgrass , oysters , gaper clams , and longjaw mudsuckers , as well as important seasonal visitors such as migratory shorebirds, sea otters, and sharks and rays. Habitat types include mudflats, tidal creeks and channels. Other vegetative species include such wildflowers as yellow mariposa lily, Calochortus luteus . Conservation groups have worked to remedy indirect harm from human activity in

874-626: The "Energy and Construction Division". On June 12, 2009, URS Chief Executive Officer Martin Koffel indicated the company was still on the hunt for "transformative acquisitions". An analyst with Gabelli & Co. stated that KBR , Chicago Bridge & Iron Company , and Foster Wheeler AG may be possible takeover targets. On September 10, 2010, URS completed its acquisition of the British engineering firm Scott Wilson Group . On June 2, 2011, URS completed its acquisition of Apptis Holdings, Inc. for

920-535: The Australian firm Hardcastle & Richards ), URS further strengthened its program and construction management expertise and added to its FORTUNE 500 client base. In February 1999, URS also acquired transport consultant Thorburn Colquhoun. In 2002, URS acquired EG&G Technical Services, positioning the company as a leading U.S. federal services contractor. In November 2007, URS acquired Washington Group International of Boise for $ 3.1B and operated it as

966-584: The Elkhorn Slough Foundation. The Foundation already managed conservation on these parcels. The Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve (SMR) covers 1.48 square miles (3.8 km). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. It is managed by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CA-DFW) in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Fishing and take of all living marine resources

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1012-779: The Elkhorn Slough being one of the premier birdwatching sites in the western United States. Over 340 species have been seen visiting, including several rare and endangered species. Bird species seen in sloughs include acorn woodpecker , brown pelican , Caspian tern , great blue heron , great egret , great horned owl , snowy plover , and white-tailed kite . Sloughs are largely influenced by human development such as urban and agricultural expansion , industrial and agricultural practices, water management practices, and humans influence on species composition . Uses of identifying these aspects of human involvement can help to better predict restoration efforts to be made in managing sloughs. Examples of attributes that are affected by human stress upon

1058-634: The McDaniel Slough wetland enhancement project. [REDACTED] Wetlands portal URS Corporation URS Corporation (formerly United Research Services ) was an engineering , design , and construction firm and a U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco , California , URS was a full-service, global organization with offices located in the Americas , Europe , Africa , and Asia-Pacific . URS

1104-654: The Santa Clara Valley and/or Great Valley of California (before the Golden Gate opened) into Monterey Bay during the early Pleistocene. In the mid-1850s A.D. Elkhorn Slough was a minor tributary to the much larger Pajaro-Salinas River system which shared a common entrance to the Pacific Ocean north of Moss Landing. In 1909 winter storms modified the course of the Salinas River to its present location south of Moss Landing, while Elkhorn Slough persisted as

1150-731: The United Kingdom, a URS-led team was responsible for management and operation services at the Sellafield nuclear complex, including commercial operations, waste management, support services, decontamination and decommissioning, and new construction projects. Sellafield is one of the largest and most complex nuclear sites in the U.K., storing and treating nuclear waste from both the U.K.'s military and civil nuclear programs. URS lost this contract in January 2015. URS provided comprehensive project and construction management services for

1196-601: The admission of negligence or wrongdoing on the part of URS. In November 2008, the National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the collapse of the I-35W bridge was "inadequate load capacity, due to a design error by Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates, Inc., of the gusset plates at the U10 nodes, which failed under a combination of (1) substantial increases in the weight of

1242-569: The bridge, which resulted from previous modifications, and (2) the traffic and concentrated construction loads on the bridge on the day of the accident." URS was not involved in the work being conducted on the bridge at the time of the collapse or in the design of the bridge. The Martin Olav Sabo Bridge over Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis experienced failure of two of its longest support cables on February 20, 2012. URS Corporation

1288-399: The end of February 2014, the hedge fund Jana Partners disclosed that they had acquired an activist investor ownership position in the publicly traded company, announcing an intent to engage the corporate management on board and corporate structure and to create shareholder value. Amidst industry speculation of a corporate breakup for URS, AECOM announced on July 13, 2014 that an agreement

1334-407: The environment include periphyton , marsh plant communities, tree islands, alligators , wading birds , and marsh fishes, invertebrates , and herpetofauna . A slough can form when a meander gets cut off from the main river channel creating an oxbow lake that accumulates with fine overbank sediment and organic material such as peat . This creates a wetland or swamp environment. One end of

1380-510: The first phase of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of marine protected areas along the California coastline. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves established nationwide as field laboratories for scientific research and estuarine education. Additional land protected by

1426-458: The fiscal year 2013 revenue and earnings were below expectations, URS made some management changes. URS had acquired Flint Energy Services for $ 1.25 billion in February 2012, creating an oil and gas division for the company. Issues in the oil and gas division were cited for the poor financial performance in fiscal year 2013 and URS announced the resignation of senior staff from that division. By

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1472-427: The key to preventing an accumulation of organic sediment in sloughs due to the fact that accumulation leads to lowering water depths and instead allows for the growth of vegetation. Overall little quantitative data on the degradation of slough landscape exists. Slough and ridge landscape has been greatly degraded in terms of both topographic and vegetation changes over time. Topographical changes create an increase in

1518-553: The largest cement manufacturing facilities in the world. The I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed in August 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145. In 2003, URS had been retained by the Minnesota Department of Transportation to conduct a fatigue evaluation and a redundancy analysis of the bridge. Lawsuits filed in 2008 and 2009 cite the company with negligence. In 2010, these lawsuits were settled out of court without

1564-483: The name Broadview Research was changed to United Research Services and later shortened to URS. URS was publicly traded as NYSE :  URS from January 13, 1978 through its acquisition by AECOM on October 17, 2014. It was originally traded as Thortec. A major investor was Richard Blum , husband of Senator Dianne Feinstein . As of June 2013, the firm had more than 50,000 employees worldwide, in nearly 50 countries. Following announcements in early February 2014 that

1610-401: The navigable waterways of Elkhorn Slough and owns Kirby Park at the upper reaches of Elkhorn Slough. Kirby park has a small boat launch and provides parking for a small trail on Nature Conservancy property at the north side. The trail here is fully handicapped-accessible and allows a walk and a wheelchair near the water's edge. Slough (hydrology) In North America, "slough" may refer to

1656-427: The north and Moro Cojo Slough to the south also provide freshwater inputs. Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest estuaries in California, provides essential habitat for over 700 species, including aquatic mammals , birds, fish, invertebrates , algae and plants. The slough area is home to California's greatest concentration of sea otters , as well as populations of endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and

1702-492: The oxbow configuration then continues to receive flow from the main channel, creating a slough. Sloughs are typically associated with the ridge formations found in their presence. Such a landscape consists of mosaic linear ridges, typically of some sort of grass such as sawgrass ridges in the Florida Everglades , that are separated by deeper water sloughs. Edges of sloughs are layers of sediment deposited by

1748-470: The productivity and diversity of birds and fish adapted to that wetland . Fish that typically inhabit sloughs include tidewater goby, California killifish , mosquitofish , and topsmelt . Food habits of fish within sloughs consist of preying upon invertebrates ; mostly epifaunal crustacean followed by epifaunal and infaunal worms and mollusks. Fish can feed on zooplankton and plant material. Research on prey species for fish in sloughs found that in

1794-783: The reconstruction of the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, the largest building project ever undertaken by the University of California. URS was the contractor for the Port Washington Generating Station in Wisconsin, an 1100 MW combined-cycle power plant, which was recognized by Power Magazine as one of its top plants of 2008. URS also helped build the state-of-the-art Holcim cement manufacturing plant in Missouri, one of

1840-643: The region in addition to preventing direct damage to the ecosystem by harvest of resources and conversion of land. A steel weir was built in 2010 at the mouth of the Parson's Slough, a fork of the Elkhorn. The weir or "sill" is intended to reduce the excess erosion of the marsh caused by the dredging of the Moss Landing Harbor and the redirection of the Salinas River . Primary funding came from

1886-546: The relief between ridge crests and slough bottoms. Vegetation changes consist of an increase in the amount of dense grass and decrease in the area of open water, creating a blurring of the directional ridge and slough pattern. Historical everglade and slough landscape has been greatly affected and degraded by human activity. Open water sloughs support important ecological functions that have been seen to be sensitive to hydrologic and water quality problems stemmed from human activities. Sloughs are ecologically important as they are

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1932-599: The watershed's 45,000 acres (18,000 ha) are protected under a mosaic of private and public ownership. The nonprofit Elkhorn Slough Foundation is the single largest land owner in the watershed, with nearly 3,600 acres (1,500 ha). The nonprofit Nature Conservancy was the first to buy Elkhorn Slough property with the goal to protect the area's habitat and wildlife. The Nature Conservancy started with only 60 acres in 1971 and through gifts and purchases of disjointed parcels, gained over 800 acres (320 ha) by September 2012, when it transferred 750 acres (300 ha) to

1978-494: Was acquired by AECOM on October 17, 2014. URS Corporation’s oldest predecessor company was founded in 1904. URS was established in 1951 and incorporated in 1957 as Broadview Research – a research group active in the area of physical and engineering sciences. In 1967, management developed a growth strategy focused on building a multidisciplinary professional services firm. In 1968, Broadview Research acquired United Research Incorporated of Cambridge, Massachusetts. During this period,

2024-625: Was an alternate branch of the river, a preferred shortcut route for steamboats passing between Sacramento and San Francisco . Georgiana Slough was a steamboat route through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta , from the Sacramento River to the San Joaquin River and Stockton . A slough, also called a tidal channel, is a channel in a wetland . Typically, it is either stagnant or slow flowing on

2070-402: Was reached to acquire URS for about $ 4 billion in cash and shares with another $ 2 billion in assumed debt. The final acquisition was decided on October 17, 2014, and URS was officially part of AECOM as of October 20, 2014. In 1996, URS acquired Greiner Engineering for $ 73.5 million. Greiner Engineering had been established in 1908 by John E. Greiner. Greiner was a former bridge engineer for

2116-487: Was the design consultant for the bridge that was completed in 2007. These failures resulted in closures of Hiawatha Avenue and the adjacent light rail between Mall of America and downtown Minneapolis for safety precautions while support structures were put in place. Rail service was restored after four days while Hiawatha Avenue road traffic remained closed for staging of construction equipment. This failure occurred less than 18 months after URS Corporation settled out of court

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