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What you need to know: The Lookout Slough project restores 3,400 acres of vital habitat for sensitive fish species and other wildlife while also reducing flood risk in the Central Valley. The state is advancing multi-benefit projects like this to protect both communities and ecosystems from climate-driven extremes in weather.
SACRAMENTO - Thanks to the largest tidal wetland restoration project to date in the Delta, tidal waters are now flowing to 3,400 acres of restored habitat for the first time in a century, supporting fish and wildlife and providing 100-year flood protection for surrounding Central Valley communities.
State officials celebrated the completion of the Lookout Slough project today with a levee breaching at the eastern edge of the project in Solano County. This site alone provides over 40,000-acre feet of additional flood storage within the Yolo Bypass, which will help protect surrounding communities and infrastructure during future floods.
“California is building on our global climate leadership with innovative solutions that work with nature to safeguard our communities, ecosystems and local economies on the front lines of climate-driven floods and drought. This project and the strong partnerships at the heart of its success demonstrate how we can meet the needs of Californians while protecting our rich natural heritage for generations to come.” - Governor Gavin Newsom
This multi-benefit project supports the state’s ambitious targets for nature-based solutions that combat the effects of climate change, and is part of the state’s effort to build more, faster through upgrades to critical infrastructure and other projects across California.
Lookout Slough broke ground in June 2022 and included building over three miles of a 25-foot-tall setback levee, which provides 100-year flood protection with allowances for future sea level rise; excavating 26 miles of open tidal channels; and restoring native habitat through natural revegetation and other strategies. Lookout Slough will also provide recreational opportunities for wildlife viewing, fishing, and more.
Lookout Slough is one of more than a hundred ongoing projects statewide led or supported by the Department of Water Resources aimed at creating habitat and protecting special status species in California’s waterways to help manage the water needs of millions of Californians and balance that with the needs of our environment and ecosystems.
More information about the project and content from today’s levee breaching can be found here.