Elkhorn slough - nerrs PAC the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $499,985 in federal funding to the state of california through the inflation reduction act

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $499,985 Project Grant to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, a non-profit organization located in Royal Oaks, California. This grant, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, will support the design and permitting for the future removal of an aged pedestrian levee system that currently crosses and circumnavigates the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve's South Marsh at three locations. The project aims to replace the removed trail sections with more sustainable trail sections, with conceptual plans to be determined through a separate BIL-funded planning process. The key objectives are to determine the best design for the removal and replacement of the aging South Marsh pedestrian levee, stabilization of the Whistlestop Levee, and removal and replacement of the Cattail Levee. This work will be conducted under the Coastal Zone Management Estuarine Research Reserves (CFDA 11.420) federal grant program, which supports scientific research, environmental education, and coastal resource management across the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

This funding will build the ability of the elkhorn slough national estuarine research reserve within california to design and permit the future removal of an aged pedestrian levee system that currently crosses and circumnavigates the reserves south marsh at 3 locations. Removed trail sections will be replaced with more sustainable trail sections, with conceptual plans to be determined, in part, with a BIL-funded process. The objectives of this design project are: to determine the best design for the removal of the aging south marsh pedestrian levee, stabilization of whistlestop levee, and removal and of the cattail levee; to use conceptual designs emerging from the bilfunded planning process to inform decision making process; obtain engineering designs for the removal and replacement of the aging south marsh pedestrian levee, shoring up of whistlestop levee, and removal and replacement of the cattail levee and to initiate permitting required for the construction phase.