Hundreds of Supporters of John Muir Land Trust Celebrate Decades-Long Restoration
On Saturday, May 3rd more than 1000 enthusiast supporters of John Muir Land Trust attended a jubilant Grand Opening Celebration of Pacheco Marsh, a 237-acre restored salt marsh along the shores of Suisun Bay. Here is a thriving habitat for wild species and a remarkable outdoor experience where curious visitors learn about the vital role of marsh ecosystems in the Bay Delta, the largest estuary on the western coast of the two Americas.
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Pacheco Marsh Credit: Adam Weidenbach
It has taken over two decades of hard work by thousands of stakeholders to get to this moment. John Muir Land Trust has opened Pacheco Marsh to the public daily as a nature lover’s paradise. The destination features 2.5 miles of trails including many ADA-compliant pathways, elevated vistas, 14 interpretive panels about wildlife and the natural and human history of the marsh, aluminum pedestrian bridges with close-up views of serpentine tidal channels, and a kayak launch into a 2-mile loop route through the restored marsh and adjacent Suisun Bay. Everywhere is wildlife to delight visitors—salt marsh harvest mouse, jack rabbits, and countless birds, including the black rail—rarely-seen and on the list of avid birdwatchers.
“Pacheco Marsh helps remind an ever-increasing number of nearby urban dwellers to respect and cherish the nature all around us, a fact crucial to helping raise children that will care for a world that sustains us all,” said Linus Eukel, Executive Director of JMLT.
Many attending the event were astonished to see how the site has progressed from the barren wasteland they saw just a few years ago. The Pacheco Marsh project is part of a broad effort to restore the health of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Generations ago, abundant upstream freshwater marshes and downstream salt marshes supported the health and well-being of marine wildlife. Human activity resulted in the staggering loss of more than 90% of these historic tidal wetlands. Pacheco Marsh is a microcosm of the larger story. Scarred by industrial activity, Pacheco Marsh was diked, drained, and partially filled with dredge spoils. That history is visible now only in photographs on interpretive panels. Looking forward, computer-modeled engineering has designed new tidal channels and a functional salt marsh that will naturally adapt to sea-level rise.
On Friday, May 2nd, an initial ceremony recognized the contributions of many partners who played diverse roles in the restoration project. A wide-range of funders including government agencies, foundations, and thousands of individual donors, contributed $25 million over nearly three decades. The restoration project has a total value of $50 million when the cost of capitalized land is included.
Location:
2501 Waterfront Rd
Martinez, CA 94533
Open to the Public Daily
About John Muir Land Trust
John Muir Land Trust (JMLT) protects and cares for open space, ranches, farms, parkland and shoreline in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. JMLT’s Bay Delta Campaign is permanently protecting threatened places that are essential to the health of the region’s freshwater and marine wildlife habitats. In a generation, JMLT has become one of the leading forces for conservation in Northern California. With 4,500+ acres protected, many beautiful places in the East Bay are permanently preserved for recreation, wildlife habitat, and spectacular scenic views. JMLT believes that the vitality of our open spaces is essential to the health of our earth, air, water, native plants, and animals—and all of us. jmlt.org
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Contacts
Linus Eukel
Executive Director, John Muir Land Trust
linus@jml.org
925-788-7525
