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Knightsen Wetland Restoration Project
Project Overview
Overview
East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy (ECCCHC) and the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) purchased the former Cerri Ranch property in 2016 to protect it from development and restore Delta habitat. ECCCHC and partners are developing a habitat restoration project on a 645-acre property east of the Knightsen community. The project team is currently refining concept plans, considering multiple objectives that will create and restore wetlands and other habitat, manage storm water flows, improve Delta water quality, and explore potential future recreation opportunities.
Upcoming Meetings
Upcoming meetings will be posted here.
Location
Knightsen is located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Contra Costa County. The project site is located along the historic Delta shoreline. Historically this side was a mosaic of tidal marsh, wetland, sand dune, grassland and oak savanna, Most of the property is farmed (irrigated agriculture) with a small portion that is seasonally grazed.
Background
A history of flooding and poor stormwater quality prompted the Contra Costa County Public Works Department, in conjunction with the Knightsen Town Advisory Council, to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best approach to address drainage concerns in this region. This study, as well as other studies undertaken since then, identified the 645-acre project site as a good location to direct and store stormwater, where natural wetlands could clean and filter the water before discharge to the Delta.
The East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy is leading the effort to develop a wetland restoration project that will create habitat to support species. Conceptual alternative designs were completed and 2019 and work to refine the project continues.
Project Partners
Meetings
Upcoming Meetings
Upcoming Meetings will be posted here.
Past Meetings
Online Community Zoom Meeting
March 30, 2022
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
View Meeting Flyer (PDF)
View Meeting Materials (PDF)
View Meeting Notes (PDF)
Watch Video of March 30, 2022 Meeting
Project Site Visit - Open House and Tour
December 4, 2021
9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Knightsen Site Visit Flyer (PDF)
Meeting Material
Posters presented at Open House (PDF)
Drone footage was recorded on Wednesday December 1, 2021. The video is broken into four segments. The descriptions and links are provided below. Please note that the interface allows you to increase the speed of the playback on the bottom left. The map on the right of the display tracks the path and direction of view.
- Walking/Driving Tour Route (part one)
- Walking/Driving (part two)
- Aerial View (part three) – 400 ft elevation
- South East Parcel (part four) – 400 ft elevation
Community Meeting (Remote)
November 9, 2021 - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
2021 Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Meeting Materials
Community Meeting Agenda (PDF)
Community Meeting Presentation (PDF)
Community Meeting Notes (PDF)
Public Meeting 2
Thursday, July 11, 2019
7 pm - 8:30 pm
Meeting Announcement (PDF)
Meeting Materials and Notes (PDF - 4.7 MB)
Public Meeting 1
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
7 pm - 8:30 pm
Meeting Announcement (PDF)
Meeting Materials and Notes (PDF)
In addition to regular agricultural activities on the property, other activities will be occurring intermittently. The following activities are scheduled.
Week of March 7, 2022
Activity: Field Investigations
Test pits are planned in areas of the utility easement on the site.
Reason: Staff will be on the property performing subsurface investigations to evaluate existing conditions of onsite infrastructure that will inform the design of the project.
Week of February 7, 2022
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Soil test pits are planned in areas of the east parcel to evaluate the type of soil materials.
Reason: Geotechnical engineers and hydrologists will be on the property performing field investigations to evaluate existing conditions that will inform the design of the levees to protect adjacent properties, understand potential onsite restored habitats and to support continued groundwater investigation.
Week of September 7, 2020
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Soil test pits are planned in areas of the property north of Delta Road to evaluate the type of soil materials.
Reason: Geotechnical engineers and hydrologists will be on the property performing field investigations to evaluate existing conditions that will inform the design of the levees to protect adjacent properties, understand potential onsite restored habitats and to support continued groundwater investigation.
Week of June 15, 2020
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Soil test pits are planned in internal areas of the property to evaluate the type of soil materials and located areas with soils suitable for use as levee fill.
Reason: Geotechnical engineers will be on the southern and eastern parts of the property performing field investigations to evaluate existing conditions that will inform the design of levees to protect adjacent properties, and to support continued groundwater investigation. Soil analyses will include slope stability including static and seismic loading, settlement and seepage evaluations.
Week of June 8, 2020
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Soil test pits are planned in internal areas of the property to evaluate the type of soil materials and located areas with soils suitable for use as levee fill.
Reason: Geotechnical engineers will be on the southern and eastern parts of the property performing field investigations to evaluate existing conditions that will inform the design of levees to protect adjacent properties, and to support continued groundwater investigation. Soil analyses will include slope stability including static and seismic loading, settlement and seepage evaluations.
Week of June 1, 2020
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) are planned to measure soil structural qualities to explore potential project levee alignments.
Week of May 18, 2020
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
Exploratory borings will be drilled to retrieve soil samples to test areas of the site perimeter along potential project levee alignments; and ground monitoring wells will be installed to support continuing groundwater investigation
Week of December 9, 2019
Activity: Road Improvements
Reason: To ensure that there is safe access to the agricultural pumps year round, the road that parallels Eagle Lane and No Name Slough will be improved to be an all-weather access road. These improvements will allow staff and contractors be safely access the pump station and remove water off the site during wet weather.
Week of December 1, 2019
Activity: Road Improvements
Reason: To ensure that there is safe access to the agricultural pumps year round, the road that parallels Eagle Lane and No Name Slough will be improved to be an all-weather access road. These improvements will allow staff and contractors be safely access the pump station and remove water off the site during wet weather.
Note: Delayed due to rain.
Activity: Geotechnical Field Investigations
These initial investigations will consist of cone penetration tests and drill borings along potential levee alignments.
Reason: Geotechnical engineers will be on the southern and eastern parts of the property performing field investigations to evaluate existing conditions that will inform the design of levees to protect adjacent properties. Initial analyses will include slope stability including static and seismic loading, settlement and seepage evaluations.
Studies, Assessments, and Resources
Online Resources
Technical Studies 2019 - 2021
- Interim Groundwater Investigation Report October 2021 (PDF)
- North Parcel Soil Trenching Memo - February 2021(PDF)
- Geotechnical Data Report - August 2020 (PDF)
- Conceptual Alternatives Report - UPDATED December 2019 (PDF - Large Document 20.4 MB)
- Assessments and Studies Plan (PDF)
- Biological Resource Assessment and Botanical Resource Survey Report (PDF - Large Document 14 MB)
- Surface Water Hydrology Assessment - UPDATED (PDF)
- Wetland Delineation (PDF - Large Document 28 MB)
- Weed Assessment (PDF)
- Utilities Constraint Memo (PDF)
- Baseline Soils Evaluation and Hydrologic Study (PDF - Large Document 9 MB)
Background Documents
Funding for the various stages of this effort including acquisition, studies, assessments and design has been provided by: California Coastal Conservancy, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Wildlife Conservation Board, Contra Costa County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, East Bay Regional Park District, East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, Knightsen Community Services District, Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.