What is the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project?
The Dutch Slough Project will restore tidal wetlands and other habitats on 1,166 acres of land owned by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in eastern Contra Costa County near Oakley. The former dairy lands were slated for residential development, but were instead purchased by the state so that declining natural habitats of the Delta could be restored to the site. Lease holders currently graze beef cattle on the property. The Dutch Slough project is a critical interim action to improve the ecosystem health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a point highlighted by Governor Schwarzenegger in a July 2007 statement. When complete, the project is anticipated to benefit rapidly-declining native fish in the Delta, including spring- and winter-run Chinook salmon as well as Sacramento splittail. The project will also improve scientific knowledge about tidal marsh restoration in the Delta. Numerous planning processes, including the Delta Vision Strategic Plan, the CALFED Ecosyst
