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March 16, 2010 Project Update Meeting: The Tidal Wetland Project will be hosting an informational Project Update Meeting on Tuesday, March 16th, from 6:30-8:30 at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve Conference Room, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville. The purpose of the meeting will be to communicate recent progress with the proposed project to the general public.

For information on the latest changes to the proposed Parsons Project, please click here.

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Events
Read these flyers to learn more about these recent and upcoming events for the proposed project!

The Public Scoping Meeting has been moved to the week of March 15, 2010.
More information to come.

Public Information Meeting (12/3/2009)

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.

Background Information

FAQ - a thorough  list of your questions about the proposed project and our answers.  Read this for answers to general questions.  Coming soon!

History of Parsons Slough - a historical look at how people  have used Parsons Slough over the years, from 1872 to present.

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.

Map of the Elkhorn Slough - check out this map to see where the proposed project is located in the Slough (Area 6). 

Glossary of Terms - find definitions to commonly used words on our website and in our reports.

Press Archive - read what has said about the proposed Parsons Slough project.

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!

Project Description and Initial Study - an in-depth assessment of the potential positive and negative effects the proposed project could have on the Elkhorn Slough, including natural, social, and economic impacts.  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. Coming this April!

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 posted here.  It describes the four different restoration alternatives that were considered for fixing the problems in Elkhorn Slough.  You can download the entire report (43 MB), or just the executive summary (Coming soon!). 

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.  Download the entire Strategic Plan in low resolution (3 MB) or high resolution (21 MB), or pick a section to read here.

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. The report includes information on existing conditions (3.7MB), alternatives (2.11MB) including water control structures and sediment additions, the analysis (8MB) of trade-offs including costs , and a recommended path forward (2.7MB). You can find the executive summary here (133KB), or download the entire report (16.6MB).

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 downloading this comprehensive bibliography, or 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.

The most recent research papers are free to download on our Research & Management web page and on the ESNERR Research web page, which are two great places to start if you are looking for even more research on the Elkhorn Slough.

Previous Management Plans for the Elkhorn slough can also be found on the bottom of our Research & Management web page.

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