98T55701

Description:
The California State Coastal Conservancy's Southern Eden Landing Restoration Project, part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration (SBSPR) Project, will take place within and around 11 former salt-evaporation ponds that make up the southern half of Eden Landing. It will also include some modification of levees around one pond just north of Old Alameda Creek. Currently, these ponds have limited connections to the surrounding sloughs and San Francisco Bay, which can lead to impaired water quality such as low dissolved oxygen and elevated temperature. The Southern Eden Landing Restoration Project aims to restore 2,100 acres of former salt-evaporation ponds to 1,300 acres of tidal marsh and 800 acres of enhanced managed pond. The project will also improve approximately 4 miles of existing levees and add habitat transition slopes adjacent to the marsh to effectively adapt to sea-level rise. Additionally, over 4 miles of trail will be added to increase shoreline access for local community members and visitors.

This agreement provides federal funding in the amount of $4,000,000. Pre-award costs are approved back to 04/15/2023.

Activities:
To implement the San Francisco Estuary Partnership Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), the Southern Eden Landing Restoration Project will accomplish the following activities:

- Restore approximately 1,300 acres of tidal marsh habitat by lowering and breaching sections of internal and external levees and excavating pilot channels to hydrologically connect ponds to the estuary.
- Enhance approximately 800 acres of managed ponds by adding and upgrading water control structures to improve circulation and control of water levels.
- Raise and widen levees with suitable fill material from off-site excavation projects to maintain or improve current flood risk management capacity.
- Build habitat transition slopes to increase the potential of the restored marshes to adapt to sea-level rise, while also providing ecological benefits such as habitat complexity and high-tide refugia for terrestrial marsh wildlife.
- Construct islands and marsh mounds to increase nesting and roosting habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, as well as refugia for tidal marsh wildlife, while also providing nodes of sediment accretion.
- Build an overflow sill between Old Alameda Creek and one of the project's managed ponds (E6A) to avoid potential project-related increases in fluvial flood risk. The sill would allow overtopping of creek outflows into the pond during extreme high tides and storm events, until tides and stormwaters recede.
- Complete the Bay Trail through the project area and add a 'community connector' trail intended to provide convenient access to local residents and visitors. Other public amenities like viewing platforms, interpretive signs, and benches will be constructed in association with the trail.
- Construct a gravel beach and berm feature (pilot project) and add large wood bundles outboard of the bayfront levee to help protect the bayfront levee from erosion and provide shorebird and fish habitat.

Subrecipient:
Subaward to Ducks Unlimited Inc. to oversee construction that will result in the restoration of 1,300 acres of tidal marsh and enhancement of 800 acres of managed ponds. The construction involves the installation of water control structures, raising levees (berms) and other earthwork, development of trails, ecological enhancement of a riprap levee along the bayfront, and levee breaches to allow full tidal flows into the restoring tidal marsh area. Ducks Unlimited will prepare bid packages and contract with firms that will construct the project. They will oversee the construction work to ensure it is consistent with the project design and meets all engineering specifications.

Outcomes:
Anticipated deliverables include:
- 1-3 levee breaches between the bay ponds and Old Alameda Creek.

State Coastal Conservancy

66.126 - Geographic Programs - San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund

EPA Region 9: San Francisco [EPA - RO]

Union City, California 94587 United States

Single Zip Code

None