Don't see what you're looking for?
the Tidal Wetland Project's Communications Assistant for help finding the information you need.
Important information about the proposed Parsons Slough Enhancement Project
Click the tabs below to help you find the most important and most current information about this proposed project.
- New Items / Events
- General Information
- Detailed Reports
- Related Research
New Items
The Final Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Parsons Slough Sill Project is now available.
Final Initial Study/ Mitigated negative Declaration - High Resolution, pdf, 18.6MB
Final Initial Study/ Mitigated negative Declaration - Compressed version, pdf, 6.9MB
Sign up for the Tidal Wetland Project e-newsletter:
Scheduled Events
Read these flyers to learn more about these recent and upcoming events for the proposed project!
Public Information Meeting 3/16/10 flyer (pdf, 134KB)
Public Information Meeting 12/3/2009 flyer (pdf, 140KB)
Keep up to date by checking in on our Events Page.
General Information
This information will give you an overview of the proposed project without taking up a lot of your time.
Project Objectives
The primary objective of the Parsons Slough Project is to reduce the tidal prism in Elkhorn Slough to minimize tidal marsh loss and habitat degradation as a result of tidal erosion and flooding, while maintaining sufficient tidal exchange and flushing to provide acceptable water quality. A secondary objective is to increase habitat diversity in Parsons Slough such that it better represents historic conditions.
Fact Sheet: Tidal Wetland Project and the Proposed Parsons Slough Restoration Project (pdf, 1.25MB)
Fact Sheet: Why Restore Elkhorn Slough? (pdf, 159KB)
Frequently Asked Questions - a thorough list of your questions about the proposed project and our answers. Read this for answers to general questions.
Engineering Designs and Design Criteria - an overview of the specific project objectives.
Preliminary Project Description - a brief overview of the proposed project.
Supplemental Materials, November 2009 (.pdf 1.09MB) The material found here includes the goals, objectives, maps and other information associateed with the Preliminary Project Description.
Glossary of Terms - find definitions to commonly used words on our website and in our reports.
History and map of Parsons Slough- coming soon!
Detailed Reports (and their Executive Summaries)
These four reports are full of information, and because of that they are also very large. Choose the one that interests you the most, or read them all!
Final Initial Study/ Mitigated negative Declaration for the Parsons Slough Sill Project - an in-depth assessment of the potential positive and negative effects the proposed project could have on the Elkhorn Slough. It is written with the public in mind rather than for a scientific audience, and is one of the best ways to learn about the proposed project.
Final Initial Study/ Mitigated negative Declaration - High Resolution, pdf, 18.6MB
Final Initial Study/ Mitigated negative Declaration - Compressed version, pdf, 6.9MB
Draft still available - High Resolution, pdf, 17.5MB
Draft still available - Low Resolution, pdf, 6.5MB
Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project Hydrodynamic Modeling and Morphologic Projections of Large-Scale Restoration Actions FINAL REPORT (2008) - The final Philip Williams and Associates report on the projected effects of major actions on Elkhorn Slough hydrodynamics, geomorphology and habitats is available for download. It describes the four different restoration alternatives that were considered for fixing the problems in Elkhorn Slough.
Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Strategic Plan (2007) - This document summarizes the results of many technical discussions, scientific evaluations, and resource management decisions made over the past few years by participants in the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project. It is a guide for a variety of restoration projects for many years to come.
Parsons Slough Wetland Restoration Plan Final (2010) - This detailed report examines the opportunities for ecological restoration of approximately 450 acres of intertidal habitats, including Parsons Slough, South Marsh, the Rookery Lagoon and other areas of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Computer Model of the proposed project (2009) by Moffatt and Nichol - Check out this memo for a quick overview of the numerical modeling performed to simulate the proposed project's possible impacts on the slough.
View a detailed map (available to download as a PDF in either 414KB or 246KB) with this Excel map legend (106KB .xls) to get descriptions of the many water control structures in Elkhorn Slough.
Related Research
This information will give you a comprehensive understanding of the Elkhorn Slough's current condition and how it has changed over the years. It is a great background for why the proposed project is needed.
Browse the hundreds of research papers that have been written about the Elkhorn Slough by searching ESNERR's comprehensive bibliography, which includes key research findings from ESNERR's Technical Report Series. You can also purchase our compilation of 80 years of research at our bookstore for a summary of the research done at the Elkhorn Slough over the past eight decades.
Management Plans for the Elkhorn slough can be found in our Key Documents web page.
