Elkhorn Slough, one of the largest coastal wetland complexes in the state and host to hundreds of species of fish and wildlife, is undergoing a period of rapid ecologic change. For over twenty years, tidal erosion and other hydrological alterations have caused the loss and degradation of hundreds of acres of salt marsh, channel, and tidal creek habitats. The purpose of the Tidal Wetland Project is to conserve, enhance, and restore tidal habitats in the Elkhorn Slough watershed by increasing our collective understanding of the changes occurring in the ecosystem and engaging groups of people from many backgrounds to inform management plans. We are using an ecosystem based management approach to develop a plan that minimizes negative impacts and maximizes positive impacts to both social and natural systems.

To date, planning for restoration management has entailed the collaborative exploration of various engineering concepts and associated costs, and extensive research and analysis in a number of different disciplines (e.g., hydrology, geomorphology, water quality, and relationships between humans and the Elkhorn Slough). Project developments have also been shared with local interest groups, nearby business owners, residents, knowledgeable researchers and volunteers, and their feedback solicited.

Based on the outcomes of this work, the Tidal Wetland Project is now focusing on the optimal restoration project- implementation of a low sill (a tidal barrier similar to an underwater retaining wall) at the entrance to the Parsons Slough Complex, a 450-acre complex of mudflats, which was originally salt marsh. The sill is expected to slow erosion rates in the Parsons Slough Complex and in the main channel, thereby supporting a diverse wetland ecosystem. The final design will need to accommodate many ecologic functions. Our presentation will provide background on the Tidal Wetland Project and its collaborators, and will elaborate on the Parsons Slough Restoration Project. We welcome audience feedback.

Our speaker Bryan Largay, of the Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve, directs the Tidal Wetland Project, on a collaborative effort to address ecosystem changes including the dieback of salt marshes. Bryan joined the Reserve staff in November 2007. He is trained as a hydrologist and has worked on wetlands, water quality and habitat restoration in the Monterey Bay area for 10 years. Much of that work was focused on collaborative water quality protection projects with agricultural landowners and growers. He received a Masters degree in Hydrologic Sciences at the University of California at Davis, and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature at Princeton University.