Restored Solano County wetland ceremonially flooded to save endangered Delta fish

RIO VISTA - The endangered delta smelt is on its way to having a new wetland home.

On Wednesday, the California Department of Water Resources held a levee breaching ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project in Solano County.

The State of California is required to offset impacts to species, including delta smelt, that become endangered by the operation of the State Water Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The water project is one of the largest in the world, serving 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland, according to state officials.

Wednesday's event, attended by state and local officials, involved an excavator removing the last segment of a levee about five miles north of Rio Vista, flooding 3,400 acres of restored habitat.

"More intense droughts and floods require these solutions," said DWR Director Karla Nemeth, who was joined by DWR's Tribal Affairs Executive Manager Anecita Agustinez and Director Wade Crowfoot.

A project of environmental restoration firm Ecosystem Investment Partners, it is designed to support fish and wildlife species and provide new flood capacity in Solano County.

At 3,400 acres, Lookout Slough is the largest tidal wetland restoration project in the Delta, according to the Department of Water Resources. After breaking ground in June 2022, construction included building a 25-foot-tall setback levee to help provide flood protection with allowances for future sea level rise. The site also provides over 40,000-acre-feet of additional flood water storage within the Yolo Bypass, said DWR.

It was the first of nine planned breaches at the site. Once complete, the public may access the new tidal channels for wildlife viewing, fishing, and hunting via a ramp for non-motorized boats at the northern most breach.