Napa Plant Site Restoration Project
Project Description
The Napa Plant Site Restoration Project is located roughly 1 mile northwest of American Canyon in Napa County, across the Napa River from the Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration Project. In 2003, the State of California purchased 1,460 acres of land in the North Bay as part of the Cargill Salt Ponds acquisition, which also included 15,100 acres of ponds in the South Bay. The Napa Plant Site was the processing facility for Cargill’s North Bay solar salt production operation.
The goal of the Napa Plant Site Restoration Project was to restore and enhance wetlands and transitional habitats along the Napa River while providing wildlife-oriented public access. Managed by the California Department Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the project involved the acquisition, restoration and enhancement of nine former commercial salt ponds and nine crystallizers (salt harvesting ponds) to tidal marsh and ecotone habitat for a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife.
The project was implemented in three phases.
Location | Acreage | Year Completed | |
Phase 1 | North Unit | 205 | 2008 |
Phase 2 | Central Unit | 175 | 2009 |
Phase 3 | South Unit | 1080 | 2010 |
Project components included:
- Multiple breaches of Napa River levees;
- Construction of interior swales to mimic historic tidal sloughs;
- Desalinization of crystallizers;
- Lowering perimeter levees;
- Establishing managed wetland and ecotone areas; and
- Constructing public access features, including trails, interpretive signage, benches, parking, and a boat launch.
The Central and South Units of the project now comprise the Green Island Unit CDFW’s Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area. Once monitoring is complete, the North Unit is planned to be incorporated into the Fagan Slough Ecological Reserve Tidal restoration has improved habitat and water quality conditions at the project site.
Project planning, permitting, and design were supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Construction funding for the North and Central Units was provided by the California Resources Natural Agency’s Wildlife Conservation Board.
Contact
For the most recent information on the Napa Plant Site Restoration Project, please contact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Biologist, Karen Taylor at Karen.Taylor@wildlife.ca.gov
Latest News
- Request for Partnership Proposals/Letters of Interest for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program FY 2025NOTE: This is a call-for preproposals for projects who would like to partner with the California State Coastal Conservancy to apply for US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program funding. This is NOT the official NCWCG call for applications. Projects hoping to receive NCWCG funding are NOT required to apply […] (Read more on Request for Partnership...)
- Job Posting: Contracts & Procurement Analyst (Staff Services Analyst)THIS IS A REPOST. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY APPLIED FOR THIS JOB VACANCY, YOUR APPLICATION IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESUBMIT AN APPLICATION. “Love the California Coast, the environment, and working with contracts and grant agreements? This might be the job for you!” The State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) Contracts & Procurement Unit is […] (Read more on Job Posting: Contracts...)
- Coastal Conservancy Awards Grants for Coastal Access, Restoration, and Climate Resilience2/15/2024 – Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy authorized a number of grants to restore, protect, and expand access to the California coast. Grants approved included: A grant of an amount not to exceed $35,000,000 to The Nature Conservancy to complete permitting and implement the first phase of the Ormond Beach Restoration Public Access […] (Read more on Coastal Conservancy Awards...)