Sears Point Tidal Marsh Restoration Project: Phase I

Wetlands restoration at Sears Point has been coordinated by the Sonoma Land Trust with CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ducks Unlimited. Because of the scale of this project and flood protection concerns, pre-breach construction activities are planned from 2012-2015. EPA funds are directed to pre-breach activities including mobilization of equipment, contaminated soil remediation, construction of a 2.5 mile flood protection/habitat levee, and construction of marsh mounds to accelerate sediment accretion. These are among the actions that will prepare the site for breaching which will restore 960 acres of tidal marsh in northern San Pablo Bay. The restored marsh will be transferred to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Project Facts

Recipient: Sonoma Land Trust
Funding: $941,941 (non-federal match = $941,941/leverage = $2,800,000)
Project Period: September 2012 – September 2015
Partners: Ducks Unlimited, California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

SHORT-TERM
(1-5 yrs)

Environmental Results Summary: Sears Point Tidal Marsh Restoration Project: Phase I
OUTPUTS (Activities, efforts, and/or work product during project period)	OUTCOMES (Environmental results)
	*SHORT-TERM* (1-5 yrs)	*LONG-TERM* (5-20+yrs)
Remediate 12,000 CY of contaminated soil Complete new 2.5-mile Bay Trail segment Excavate ~6 miles of channels Construct 2.5-mile habitat/flood control levee Construct up to 500 marsh mounds and sidecast mounds Establish vegetation to extent feasible within new tidal basin in advance of breach Excavate two 285-foot breaches in existing levee Lower ~7,000 linear ft. of existing levee to mean higher high water Construct 2,100 ft. connector channel from Breach 1 to Petaluma River Navigation Channel Conduct post-project monitoring as required by agencies	Create up to 30 acres of transitional habitat on the levee Minimized erosion, maximized accretion within tidal basin Highway 37, railroad, neighbors protected from stormwater flooding Increase in public access to wildlife observation opportunities	Restore 960 acres of tidal marsh providing habitat for Ridgway’s rail, salt marsh harvest mouse, and rearing salmonids Buffer against storm surges Filter stormwater from agricultural lands and highway Provide carbon sequestration

Full List of Project Summaries