Tidal Wetland Project Newsletter
November 2009
The Tidal Wetland Project (TWP) is an initiative of the
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
and is also supported by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation. |
Parsons Slough Restoration Public Meeting
After much research, discussion, and weighing of options, Tidal Wetland Project staff and advisors have chosen a best option for restoring the lost salt marsh habitat at Elkhorn Slough. TWP has decided to move forward with the design and implementation of a sill, a structure similar to a tidal barrier or an underwater retaining wall, at the entrance to the Parsons Complex.
In light of this leap forward in the planning stages of the project, TWP is planning a public information meeting to discuss the impacts of this structure on the Elkhorn Slough and surrounding communities. We invite neighbors, recreational users, businesses, and interested citizens to learn more about the project as it moves foreward. During the meeting we will provide background on the project and will discuss questions, concerns and ideas with the audience.
The Parsons Slough Project is intended to help rebalance the ecologic processes that have been drastically altered by natural and human activities and to restore the historic tidal range of Parsons Slough, a 450- acre complex of mostly mudflats that was predominantly salt marsh prior to historic human alterations.
TWP plans to achieve these goals by constructing a sill, which will slow the movement of water in and out of the Slough each day and will reduce bank erosion. By reducing marsh erosion, the sill will improve salt marsh survival and sustain wetland habitats in Parsons Slough and throughout Elkhorn Slough.
To learn more about plans for the construction of the sill at Parsons Slough, how it will work, and how it will impact your watershed, come to the public meeting and speak face to face with the TWP team.
WHEN: Thursday, December 3rd, 6:30-8:30 pm
WHERE: Elkhorn Slough Reserve Conference Room
1700 Elkhorn Rd., Watsonville
WHAT: A pubic meeting to share information on the anticipated impacts of the
Parsons Slough Restoration Project
WHY: Learn about the progress with the Elkhorn Slough restoration and
|
Elkhorn Slough Research Symposium: Call for Abstracts and Registration
The Elklhorn Slough invites both oral presentations and posters from anyone conducting research in the Elkhorn watershed. It is anticipated that there will be about twelve oral presentations and a poster session over lunch. If you would like to present, please email brent@elkhornslough.org to obtain an abstract template. The deadline for submitting this template is December 4, 2009.
If you would like to attend without presenting, please register by emailing your name and affiliation to brent@elkhornslough.org. Seats are limited and will go first to presenters, then will be reserved on a first-come basis. A catered lunch may be provided; details and a lunch order form will be sent to attendees.
The symposium will be hosted by Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Elkhorn Slough Foundation, and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 9 am - 4 pm
WHERE: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
WHAT: A dozen presentations and various posters on research
in the Elkhorn Slough watershed
WHY: To enhance collaborations between researchers at different
organizations and to share the latest findings about Elkhorn
Slough ecosystems with organizations that can use this
information to improve conservation strategies |
| The Tidal Wetland Project Staff Welcomes New Staff
TWP would like to welcome two new staff members hired in October!
Guilherme Lessa - Estuarine Scientist
Gui is a coastal oceanographer and geomorphologist who works with both estuarine hydrodynamics and sedimentology, investigating how the tidal flow has adapted to changes in estuarine geometry in the last few thousand years. The Tidal Wetland Project has granted him the opportunity to now monitor swift changes in tidal flow and estuarine morphology associated with large scale restoration measures at Elkhorn Slough. He received an M.S. in Physical Geography at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and a PhD in Marine Sciences at University of Sydney (Australia).
Quinn Labadie - Communications Assistant
Quinn Labadie, Communications Assistant holds an M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco, where she focused her studies on tidal salt marsh ecology and restoration, and a B.A. in Environmental Policy from UCSD. Prior to working for ESF Quinn worked for an environmental consulting firm on the peninsula. She joins the TWP team in order to help facilitate stakeholder engagement through the distribution of outreach literature and meeting coordination. |
