Emerson Parcel Tidal Marsh in California

The California Coastal Conservancy was awarded $1 million to help restore 438 acres of leveed grazing lands to a mosaic of open water, tidal channels, intertidal marsh, riparian woodland, and uplands. This project is part a larger effort being undertaken by several state agencies to restore the wetland habitat in the 1,166-acre Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh. The total project cost of this phase is $6,142,500. The Dutch Slough project is located in the Marsh Creek delta, which drains a large area on the east side of Mt. Diablo. The project will reroute Marsh Creek from its current engineered channel to a meandering channel through the Emerson parcel. Flows in the marsh creek will deliver sediment to the marshes, recreating natural deltaic processes and features that will benefit native fish and wildlife. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem has been severely impaired by pollution, invasive species, and hydrological modifications. The Governor has identified the Dutch Slough Project as critical to addressing the ecosystem's decline.