For immediate release                                                                                                             
June 30, 2009                                                                                                                                               

Contact: Bryan Largay or Diane Tworog 
Bryan: (831)-728-2822/ Diane: 728-5939
bryan@elkhornslough.org  or
diane@elkhornslough.org

Elkhorn Slough Foundation receives $3.95 million in federal stimulus funds

Funds will improve health of Elkhorn Slough ecosystem while creating jobs & stimulating local economy

Watsonville, CA- Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) has received $3.95 million in federal stimulus funds to support the Parsons Slough Project, a collaborative effort to preserve tidal marshes and other estuarine habitats in Elkhorn Slough. The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and California Department of Fish and Game have led the planning effort that developed the project and secured the funding. This funding was awarded by the Restoration Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau of the Department of Commerce.

The two-year Parsons Slough project is expected to create or save approximately 132 jobs, crucial in Monterey County where the unemployment rate is 16%. Direct hiring and retaining workers will create or save 70 jobs. The purchase of supplies and equipment will create or save an additional 32 jobs. An additional 30 jobs will be saved as those 102 people employed directly as a result of the project spend the money they earn in establishments throughout the region. It is estimated that this initial investment of $4.0 million will generate $5.8 million in economic activity in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.

Natural events and human activities, including the opening of Moss Landing Harbor in 1947, have changed tidal flow in Elkhorn Slough and in Parsons Slough, a 450- acre complex of tideflats and other wetlands in the Elkhorn Slough estuary. The tides now flowing in and out of Parsons Slough are stronger and higher than ever before. The slough bed has been eroded, causing the channel to deepen and widen.  As a result, tides extend further into the slough. The end result is that high tide is now higher throughout the estuary. It has risen by a foot over the past sixty years. Hundreds of acres of salt marsh, now flooded too much of the time, are dying. Freshwater resources are also impacted.

“We must address the channel erosion and the dying salt marshes. This is vital to the health of Elkhorn Slough,” emphasizes Brian Largay, Director of the Tidal Wetland Project. “Hundreds of species, including twelve threatened or endangered species, rely on this ecosystem.  It’s also important to local communities who depend on it for recreation and revenue from tourism.”

This project is an outcome of the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project, an effort established in 2004 to address the erosion of habitats and the die back of salt marshes in Elkhorn Slough. Over 100 scientists, natural resource managers, citizens and elected officials have participated in the process of identifying the underlying causes and developing solutions. The Parsons Slough Project is the first project to arise from the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project.

The Parsons Slough Sill project intends to restore the historic tidal range of this area, which will help rebalance the ecologic processes that sustain wetland habitats.  A sill, a tidal barrier similar to an underwater retaining wall, will be installed at the entrance to Parsons Slough.  This structure, which will be several feet under water, will slow the movement of water in and out of the slough each day. It will reduce bank erosion, improving salt marsh survival throughout Elkhorn Slough.  It should also retain freshwater runoff by reducing the tidal mixing, and retain fine mud, which can protect the coastal aquifer from seawater intrusion. It is expected to have no adverse effects on the movements of sharks, sea otters or other fish and wildlife. It is also designed to be adjustable and built with a detailed monitoring program so any adverse affects can be detected and minimized. 

“The benefits of the Parsons Slough Project are far reaching,” concludes Largay.  “It will create jobs, stimulate the economy, protect wildlife, reduce erosion, and improve the overall ecosystem. Although we are looking at a two-year project, the ramifications will help preserve these resources for generations.”

Elkhorn Slough Foundation, who received the 4 million in funding for the Parsons Slough Project, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a the mission to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed.

For more information, visit http://www.elkhornslough.org/tidalwetlandproject

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