Eelgrass plan would move anchor-outs toward Belvedere

A proposed boundary for anchor-outs on Richardson Bay would confine mariners to deeper waters off Belvedere in a zone east of the slashed orange line and out of Audubon sanctuary waters, marked by the black border. A second proposal would confine boats even closer to Belvedere. The existing anchorage, within the pink border, includes a zone with dense eelgrass coverage, overlaid here in purple, indicating a dense herring-spawning zone as well. (Coastal Policy Solutions via Richardson Bay Regional Agency)

A plan to protect ecologically important eelgrass beds in Richardson Bay would sharply limit where boats could drop anchor, confining them mostly to Belvedere waters. A proposed eelgrass protection plan, unveiled at last week’s Richardson Bay Regional Agency board of directors teleconference meeting, would close off a large chunk of Marin County waters, all but a small portion of the Sausalito waterfront and a portion of Belvedere waters to anchoring. Anchoring would be permitted mostly in the deeper waters off Belvedere Island where eelgrass does not grow.

For the complete story, pick up this week's edition of The Ark on newsstands or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery.