Type: report

Article abstract: Many of the watersheds in northern coastal San Diego County south of MCBCP are severely impacted by aquatic nonnative species and pond turtles are at high risk of extirpation in these drainages, if they are not already extinct in most locations. Similar to the restoration for pond turtles at SPER, the removal of nonnative aquatic species can release this pressure on extant pond turtle populations or prepare a site for reintroduction of pond turtles (Brown et al. 2012). However, in the MHCP region, the extent to which nonnative species are impacting pond turtle populations and habitat is unknown. Before successful active management can be implemented in the northern coastal drainages of San Diego County, the distribution and status of pond turtles and aquatic nonnatives must be determined and suitable habitat must be identified. In 2012, USGS began work on the TransNet Environmental Mitigation Program grant agreement 5001976 regarding the western pond turtle in order to assess the distribution of native and nonnative turtles and suitable habitat for pond turtles in coastal northern San Diego County south of MCBCP.