Watch CBS News

Sonoma County Farmland To Return To Natural Wetland

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) - A Sonoma County restoration project aims to make 1,000 acres of farmland a tidal marsh basin over the next 25 years.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that supporters and partners of the Sonoma Land Trust gathered Sunday to watch an excavator break through a Sears Point levee, allowing saltwater to flood over the reclaimed oat fields.

Officials say it will take decades for the marshland's vegetation and wildlife to return.

The Sonoma County Land Trust has excavated a channel for the tidal water to enter the field and built a new levee protecting the railroad tracks about a mile to the north, which will become the new northern edge of San Pablo Bay.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.