A work truck rumbles down the road. Field technicians disembark from the vehicle to unload tools at Dutch Slough. Weed whackers, root slayers, hori horis, and rakes are handed down from the truck bed. The task of the day: to remove Himalayan blackberry, pepperweed, and mustard from the site, common invasive plants that encroach on the wetland habitat. The team is working as a part of the Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration Project, an ongoing effort to restore the 1,187-acre site to tidal marsh habitat in Oakley.
More than two centuries ago, from a bird’s-eye view you could see the vast interconnected network of freshwater tidal marsh habitat that made up the Delta’s topography. That landscape began changing rapidly after the California Gold Rush brought an influx of settlers and intensified agricultural development. Levees were constructed to exclude tidal and flood waters, and marshlands were drained and converted to farmland. As more land was converted for farms, so started the decline of habitat being lost. As of the 21st century, roughly 2% of tidal marsh habitat remains in the Delta.
Habitat loss on this scale cannot simply be undone, but restoration projects can recover some of the ecological functions that have disappeared. In 1998, John Cain, at the time working for American Rivers, identified Dutch Slough as a restoration site. DWR and project partners acquired the land in the early 2000s and began planning its restoration with the goal of transforming it back into habitat for wildlife. Dutch Slough is a part of DWR’s California EcoRestore initiative. Launched in 2015, EcoRestore is a multi-agency effort to restore 30,000 acres of habitat across the central valley. The Contra Costa Resource District (CCRCD) now contributes to the ongoing stewardship of Dutch Slough. On the horizon, the CCRCD plans to complete a large-scale revegetation of native plants at an area of Dutch Slough that runs along the Big Break Regional Trail.
Ongoing efforts to restore the fresh water tidal marsh have been promising. Native plant populations are improving. Birds, rabbits, and coyotes frequent Dutch Slough for food and shelter. The protection and stewardship of this land comes from the collective efforts of countless passionate people.
Back in the field, the technicians continue to pull out invasive plants. Meanwhile, Antioch Dunes evening primrose and seep monkey flowers flutter in the breeze. After a day of hard work, it is time to go. As the truck exits the site, a cloud of dust is kicked up behind it, settling down upon land cherished by humans and animals alike.
