STATION 8 - DREDGING AND A SEASONAL WETLAND
When it rains, creeks carry sediment from the hillsides to the Petaluma River. The sediment settles on the bottom;
consequently, the river must be dredged periodically to maintain navigability. The ponds at Shollenberger were created as a
'dredge spoils site' for the river bottom spoils. The water in the ponds comes from rainwater but with each dredge cycle an
abundance of salt water is mixed in, also adding organic nutrients to the ponds. With time, the ponds eventually toggle
back to a semblance of freshwater.
 Shollenberger |
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