Nonprofit Hopes To Begin Renovations Of Pacheco Marsh

Time is of the essence, the group says, as the main restoration work must be completed before sea levels rise too much.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A fundraising campaign is underway for a salt marsh restoration effort near Martinez that a local nonprofit preservation group sees as both an educational opportunity and a small component in improving the ecology of the Contra Costa County shoreline.

The John Muir Land Trust, a Martinez-based nonprofit that acquires and oversees open spaces, ranch lands and shorelines in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, has in hand about $4 million of the $5 million it needs for work on the Pacheco Marsh Public Access and Recreation Project.

It is the first phase of a total $24.5-million project to restore the entire marsh to its natural state after decades of human impact.