1,528-acre Wetlands Project Would Help Delta Smelt and Advance California EcoRestore
As it works to restore some of the rich tidal wetland habitat that once dominated the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta landscape, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released the Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a 45-day public review period.
Prospect Island is located in the north-western Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, between Liberty Island and Ryer Island in Solano County and bounded by the Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel on the west and Miner Slough on the east. The proposed Project would restore tidal action to 1,528 acres on the island in order to benefit Delta smelt and other endangered fish species, as part of California EcoRestore, the State’s effort to advance restoration of at least 30,000 acres of Delta habitat over the next few years.
The proposed Project also is a key effort of the Fish Restoration Program – a partnership between DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to address the specific habitat restoration requirements of the 2008 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 2009 National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinions for long-term coordinated operations of the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. The proposed Prospect Island project is aimed at partially fulfilling an obligation in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biological opinion to restore 8,000 acres of tidal habitat to benefit Delta smelt. In addition, because the proposed project would create habitat suitable for young salmon, it also is consistent with the National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion.
More information about the Fish Restoration Program and the proposed Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project can be found here: http://www.water.ca.gov/environmentalservices/frpa_prospect_restoration.cfm
The DEIR is available for public review for a 45-day comment period, from Tuesday, August 23, 2016 to Friday, October 7, 2016.
A public comment meeting to provide an overview of the DEIR and the proposed Project will be held on September 27, 2016, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Suisun City Nelson Community Center (Meeting Room A), 611 Village Drive, Suisun City, CA 94585.
The DEIR may be reviewed electronically at the following link: http://www.water.ca.gov/environmentalservices/frpa_prospect_restoration.cfm
Hard copies of the DEIR are available at the following locations during normal business hours:
- Rio Vista Library, 44 South Second Street, Rio Vista, CA 94571
- Walnut Grove Library, 14177 Market Street, Walnut Grove, CA 95690
- Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky Street, Fairfield, CA 94533
- Vacaville Public Library − Cultural Center, 1020 Ulatis Drive. Vacaville, CA 95687
- Solano County Clerk’s Office, 675 Texas Street, Suite 1900, Fairfield, CA 94533
- of Water Resources – Dan Riordan, 3500 Industrial Blvd. West Sacramento, CA 95691
Written comments and questions may be submitted at the public meeting in Suisun City or by e-mail to frpa@water.ca.gov , or in writing to: Dept. of Water Resources (Attn: Dan Riordan), P.O. Box 942836, Sacramento, CA 94236. To be considered, written comments must be received no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, October 7, 2016.
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