Monday March 27, 2023
The Mercury News —
A planned wetland in far eastern Contra Costa County is not likely to affect the nearby groundwater, a new report concludes – but it remains to be seen if that will sway some neighbors who fear the project could harm their drinking water drawn from wells.
The 645-acre wetland project aims to curb potential flooding and poor stormwater quality while fending off encroaching development and improving habitat for threatened wildlife such as red-legged frogs, fairy shrimp and burrowing owls. The undertaking officially called the Knightsen Wetland Restoration Project, is spearheaded by the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy and the East Bay Regional Parks District, which bought the land in 2016.
Residents will have a chance to hear about the restoration project’s potential effects on the area’s groundwater at an online community meeting on Wednesday.
To help allay some of the neighbors’ worries, the conservancy commissioned a study to evaluate the current conditions and potential effects of proposed wetlands on groundwater. The conservancy will present the findings at the meeting.