Agriculture and Land Based Training Association

Wetland Restoration

DD&A worked with the Agriculture and Land Based Training Association (ALBA) on a 40 acre wetland restoration project located in the Elkhorn Slough watershed in northern Monterey County, California. The project is located on the 195-acre Triple M Ranch, which supports a mixture of natural areas, such as wetland and riparian habitat, and agricultural practices, row crops and chicken ranching. Historically farmed wetlands exist over a large part of the project site and ALBA intended to restore these areas in order to improve water quality on the site, connect the Carneros Creek to its historic floodplain, provide flood storage, and improve/provide breeding and upland habitat for three listed amphibian species: California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, and Santa Cruz long-toed salamander. 

DD&A engaged the state and federal regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the project and produced a Biological Assessment for use in the Section 7 consultation process between the ACOE and Service.  In addition, DD&A prepared the application package for the County of Monterey’s entitlement process, including an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration in compliance with the CEQA, and provided permitting services, including applications for the Clean Water Act Section 404 (ACOE) and Section 401 (RWQCB) permits, 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement (CDFW), and a Safe Harbors Agreement for state listed species (CDFW).  The project received unanimous approval from the Monterey County Planning Commission in October 2010 and a Coastal Development Permit was issued for the project.