Restoration Authority Awards $3m Augmentation for Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project
Funding for public access ammenities
The Governing Board of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority authorized disbursement of to $3,000,000 to the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (the District) to augment the grant of $7,929,855 previously authorized by the Authority on December 6, 2019. The augmentation will fund the public access portion of the project - an extensive network of trails and associated amenities, offering wildlife-compatible recreation and broad views of the restored wetland habitats, Suisun Bay, and Mount Diablo. Planned public access amenities and trails include four miles of trails, bridges, boardwalks, water access points, a parking area, and an interpretive/ education center.
The original construction estimate for the public access portion of the project was based on the concept design evaluated in the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that was adopted in 2019. During construction of the tidal restoration portion of the project, which was completed in 2022, a number of key project conditions changed. These changes necessitated different engineering requirements, which, in turn resulted in an increased construction cost estimate.
