From the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife:
In this update:
- Decker Island Property Acquisition
- South Prospect Island Property Acquisition
- Potential for Restoration in Suisun Marsh
- Cache Slough Complex Conservation Assessment
- Prospect Island Draft Environmental Impact Report
- Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Website
Decker Island Property Acquisition
DWR acquired the eastern parcel of Decker Island, approximately 140 acres, from the Port of West Sacramento on August 31, 2015. DWR plans to restore this property to tidal habitat to partially meet FRP’s restoration requirements based on the the 2008 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and 2009 National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinions.
South Prospect Island Property Acquisition
DWR also acquired the southern portion of Prospect Island, approximately 300 acres, from the Port of West Sacramento on August 31, 2015. The Department plans to incorporate this parcel into the Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project (see below).
Potential for Restoration in Suisun Marsh
DWR continues to evaluate various restoration design alternatives on Overlook Club, a 245-acre parcel located in the upper northwest corner of the Suisun Marsh, and purchased by DWR in 2013. On Overlook Club, DWR has been undertaking interim land management tasks, including the management and control of Common Reed (Phragmites australis) found throughout Suisun Marsh. Additionally, DWR continues to investigate the tidal restoration suitability of other parcels throughout the Suisun Marsh in order to meet FRP’s tidal restoration and mitigation obligations.
Cache Slough Complex Conservation Assessment
A two-volume Cache Slough Complex Conservation Assessment is being developed to evaluate the potential for restoring areas within the Cache Slough Complex as part of the FRP. The Conservation Assessment identifies current conditions in the Cache Slough Complex, builds strategies for ecologically coherent restoration and pragmatic implementation of those strategies, and assesses feasibility and appropriateness of restoration in specific areas. Volume I of the Conservation Assessment (Characterization Report) will be available in December 2015, and a 30-day comment period will be provided for public comment. The FRP website will be updated with a specific Cache Slough Complex Conservation Assessment page, and a “Special Edition” FRP E-News Update will be distributed once the Conservation Assessment is available for review (if you received this E-News Update, you will receive the “Special Update”).
Prospect Island Draft Environmental Impact Report
FRP staff and consultants continue to develop the Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The EIR analyzes project alternatives and stakeholder input as part of the environmental review process for the project. A Public Draft EIR will be available for public review in early 2016. There will be a 45-day public review period, and a public meeting will take place in February or March of 2015 (during the public review period).
Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Website
Information on the Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project is available on a dedicated DWR website, containing a project fact sheet, reports from the initial scoping process, presentations, and other relevant documents, such as the Final Groundwater Monitoring Report, Groundwater Monitoring Data Collection Summary and Data Analysis Summary, Prospect Island Turbidity Modeling Report, and Prospect Island Restoration DRERIP Evaluation.
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