American Canyon Wetlands Restoration Plan

City of American Canyon
American Canyon shoreline
Grant Amount:

$450,000 in the initial grant, augmented with $67,500 in May 2023.

Location:

City of American Canyon, Napa County; Measure AA Region: North Bay

Measure AA Program Category:

Safe, Clean Water and Pollution Prevention Program; Vital Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program; Integrated Flood Protection Program; Shoreline Public Access Program.

Partners:

American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, Napa County Resource Conservation District, and the American Canyon Open Space Advisory Committee.

Summary:

2023 UPDATE:  The City of American Canyon hosted an online webinar to initiate feedback and public outreach on the project in October 2022. The grant agreement was augmented in Spring 2023 to increase funding and modify the schedule to accommodate additional work being completed by the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation specific to the Ecology Center portion of the Plan. 

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2022 UPDATE: Following a period of staff transition, the City of American Canyon resumed work on their project in the Fall of 2021 by forming a Technical Advisory Committee, which helped to select a contractor. Work on the feasibility studies began in March 2022, including fieldwork to assess hydrology on site, cultural resources research, and development of an outreach and engagement plan

 

The City of American Canyon will conduct feasibility studies, form a Technical Advisory Committee, prepare a Wetlands Restoration Plan, and prepare a Monitoring Plan. The American Canyon Wetlands Restoration Plan will summarize opportunities for projects that will protect, restore, and enhance wetland and upland habitat along the City’s shoreline in Napa County. The feasibility studies will address strategies for flood protection and habitat restoration; opportunities for education, community engagement, and public access; strategies for managing wastewater overflow; and potential impacts of sea level rise to the project area.

The City of American Canyon identified five main issues within the project area, including habitat degradation, flooding, wastewater contamination, limited public access, and susceptibility to rising seas. The wetlands surrounding the North Slough are divided by an eroding levee road and culvert system, which impedes the natural flow of water, fish and mammals. The stretch of levee road (Eucalyptus Drive) over the culverts has been decommissioned and now functions as a part of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Seasonal flooding of the Bay Trail at the levee road limits safe trail access and threatens nearby infrastructure located approximately 700 yards away. Alternative flood management strategies are needed to improve habitat and reduce flood risk. In the upland habitat within the southern region of the project area, the wastewater overflow pond sits adjacent to the Corporation Yard, which was historically used for wastewater treatment. The wastewater overflow pond poses a contamination threat to the adjacent wetlands and uplands; and therefore, new strategies are needed to manage wastewater overflow for improved water quality.

Throughout the entire project area, there are limited education and recreation opportunities due to minimal public access to the water and wetlands. The Plan aims to evaluate opportunities to provide both education and recreation opportunities within the project area. Lastly, the project area and nearby homes and other infrastructure are threatened by projected sea level rise. Resilience strategies are needed to lessen the impacts on the habitats and structures along the shoreline. Development of the Plan is needed to help inform future restoration actions within the project area.

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