Reclamation, DWR kicks off Delta habitat restoration project

The Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) broke ground on a habitat restoration project in the Delta yesterday.

The program, when completed, will help endangered species such as Delta smelt and Chinook salmon while supporting the long-term operations of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project.

Led by DWR, the $69.4 million Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project is located on 1,600-acres in Solano County.

Reclamation is contributing $46 million of the project’s total cost.

The work happening at the site will enhance aquatic food web productivity, create and enhance habitats for many Delta-dependent fish and wildlife species, provide long-term resiliency with climate change, and provide other ecosystem benefits such as water quality and carbon sequestration.

Prospect Island will breach levees at two locations to return tidal-influenced flows to the project site. This project supplements the recent completion of the largest tidal wetland restoration project to date in the Delta.

The Prospect Island Tidal Habitat Restoration Project is expected to be completed in 2026.