Wetland Restoration at Elkhorn Slough

Fifty percent, or 1,000 acres, of Elkhorn Slough’s salt marshes have been lost over the past 150 years. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a leader in a groundbreaking effort to conserve and restore this resource. The Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project has been in existence since 2004, with over 100 entities participating.

A number of tasks are associated with this effort, including the placement of an underwater sill to reduce flow velocities. Another ambitions task: the addition of over 200,000 cubic yards of soil to create a raised marsh area that will be more sustainable in the face of sea level rise. Fundraising has commenced on the approximately $2.5 million cost, with construction slated for 2016. (2016)

More information: Tidal Marsh Restoration Project

Partners: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Elkhorn Slough Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management