Spotlight on Tule Red Restoration Project

A celebration ceremony for the completion of the Tule Red Restoration Project – one of the most significant tidal wetland rehabilitation efforts in California’s recent history – took place recently at the edge of the Suisun Marsh in Solano County’s Grizzly Bay region.

The Suisun Marsh is the largest brackish water marsh on the west coast and part of the San Francisco Bay tidal estuary. As a landscape subject to tidal ebb and flood, a section of marsh was diked off in the early 1900’s by duck club enthusiasts to create freshwater habitats for game.

In August 2019, Dutra was contracted by the State and Federal Contractors Water Agency (SFCWA) and the California Department of Water Resources to begin excavation work so that tidal water could flow back into the southern Suisun Marsh and effectively restore 400 acres of wetlands.

“Projects like Tule Red and the Winter Island Habitat Restoration project we completed earlier this year really showcase Dutra’s skills in performing effectively among difficult marsh environments,” said Ryan Abood, project manager for Dutra.

“Even with unforeseen timeline setbacks, our team performed expertly to get the job done.”

The Tule Red Restoration Project is part of a larger, multi-phased effort to meet a requirement set forth by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rehabilitate 8,000 acres in the Delta region for native fish and plant species to thrive.

The $1.8 million project required strategic channel excavation, demolition of existing water control structures– including lowering of the outer dike – and the relocation of 15,000 cubic yards of earth among the murky terrain.