Conservation of 247 acres by the Pajaro River preserves habitat, safeguards farmland, and builds climate resilience.
December 10, 2024—By conserving the 247 acres at Beach Ranch adjacent to Pajaro Dunes, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and its partners are working to create a resilient physical landscape that preserves habitat and prime farmland while buffering the surrounding community from severe storms and rising seas.
Preserved Habitat & Reduced Flood Risk
The project will expand rather than further marginalize the estuarine habitat that many vulnerable avian and aquatic species depend on, including the federally endangered tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi) and federally threatened South Central California Coast steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus). Twenty-five species of fish have been observed in the estuary. The double crested cormorant, osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, and merlin also make their home here.
The first area to be restored to estuarine habitat will be 47 acres of agricultural land that local growers have identified as poor for production purposes. Over time, restoration will move the wetland habitat margin inland, reducing coastal flood risk by expanding the active floodplain and spreading the energy of floodwaters across a greater area. Overall, the restoration will increase estuarine habitat in Santa Cruz County by 16%.
Cleaner Water Flowing into the Bay
The Watsonville Slough and Pajaro River are listed as impaired by the EPA regarding nitrate. The Land Trust is installing woodchip bioreactors to remove nitrate from agricultural drainage. These systems, proven effective at the Land Trust’s Watsonville Slough Farm, are projected to remove over ten metric tons of nitrate from agricultural drainage water before it enters the estuary. Over time, this will improve the water quality of tributaries to the Monterey Bay.
A Leveraged Funding Model
The Beach Ranch project provides a model of how California can protect agricultural lands and restore an important estuary that will be home to the coastal habitat areas of the future—providing benefits to nature, the climate, and people.
Because the property was listed on the open market in the Fall of 2022, to complete the acquisition, the Land Trust worked with The Conservation Fund who were able and willing to finance a rapid purchase to avert sale to a non-conservation buyer. They successfully acquired the property in March 2024 and served as the interim landowner providing time for the Land Trust to complete fundraising efforts through The State Coastal Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Board, Department of Conservation, and the local community.
National Grant Launches Restoration Efforts
In related news, the Land Trust, along with 20 partners from across Monterey Bay was awarded a grant of over $71M as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. The project, led by the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, will address the highest priority climate risks for California’s Monterey Bay region. It was the only project that the Resilience Regional Challenge funded in California.
Of the $71M, the Land Trust will receive $6M to begin restoration and the application of the strategic land retirement approach being piloted at Beach Ranch to other nearby properties. This was among the top project-specific awards in the collaborative. By awarding this funding, NOAA is clearly recognizing that our coastal habitat restoration work at Beach Ranch is a project of national significance!
With this grant, the Land Trust is taking its seat at the table with other climate resilience organizations across the region and the nation. We are not only creating regional coastal resilience, but we are also demonstrating to other communities how it can be done.
Many of you provided support for the project and the impact you are having through your ongoing commitment to the Land Trust is not just local. We can't wait to share more with you as the restoration work progresses. Together, we are making climate resilience a reality in the Monterey Bay and beyond!
Visit the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County’s website to learn more about Beach Ranch.
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