The City of San Francisco manages mitigation sites in Alameda County, CA to provide aquatic habitat for special status species. Ponds within these sites have been surveyed annually since 2014. Survey years prior to pond restorations documented species presence at all life stages as well as pond conditions. Two ponds were filling with silt and cattails, degrading habitat for California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii). Restoration efforts were initiated in 2021 and 2025, and required pond draining and species relocations. This opportunity provided near-complete abundance totals for Red-legged frogs and Western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata). Comparing these data to previous annual surveys inform survey detectability. Scent-dog detection was used to determine Western pond turtle presence prior to one pond’s restoration. Turtles at this same pond were telemetered to provide insight into the species response to construction activities and/or relocation.

Taty Soto-Bartzi is a wildlife biologist and plant ecologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been involved in several projects that have improved habitat for California red-legged frogs.