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YOUR HOMETOWN NEWS | SERVING EAST COUNTY
Vol. 23, No. 45
November 5, 2021
First phase of wetland restoration County project in Oakley nears completion short of by Tony Kukulich Correspondent
OAKLEY A years-long effort by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to restore about 1,200 acres of tidal marsh to a natural state accomplished a major milestone when levees surrounding the property were breached last month. With the levee breach, tides will once again allow nutrientrich water to flow in and out of newly restored wetlands. The ability of marshes to create food for the bottom of the food chain and the ability of the tides to carry those nutrients into the main river channels are expected to result in an improved ecosystem over time. A DWR press release about the Dutch Slough Tidal Restoration project stated, “Tidal habitats are those that were his-
The first phase of a project to restore about 1,200 acres of tidal marsh to a natural state in Oakley is almost complete. A map of the project is seen here. Photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources
torically prominent in the Delta, and their restoration is considered a critical action to increase the number of native sensitive species and improve the general ecological health of the Delta.” The Delta once supported 360,000 acres of wetlands, and
only a small fraction of those remain today. According to DWR, most of those Delta wetlands fell victim to the construction of levees at the turn of the last century. Isolated from tidal flows, the production of nutrients in the marshes, and the process of
transferring those nutrients into the main river channels, came to a halt. With less food and less habitat for wildlife, the health of the Delta began to degrade. “I first came out here in see Dutch Slough page 22A
Contra Costa County prepares to offer COVID-19 vaccine for eligible children by Jake Menez Staff Writer
REGIONAL Contra Costa Health Services announced on Nov. 1 that the county is expected to receive roughly 20,000 doses of the pediatric version of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as part of preparations for vaccine eligibility to expand to children ages 5-11. “I know a lot of parents have been waiting a long time to be able to get their younger kids vaccinated,” Diane Burgis, chair
of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, said in a Contra Costa Health Services press release. “We’re almost there. If everything goes right, parents will be able to get their children fully vaccinated before the winter holidays.” The pediatric version of the COVID-19 vaccine is one third the dosage of the adult shot and will be packaged differently, according to the press release. Much like the standard inoculasee Vaccines page 22A
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The pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is one-third of the adult dose.
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water-use goal by Tony Kukulich Correspondent
REGIONAL In July, Gov. Gavin Newsom urged a 15% voluntary reduction of water use compared to 2020 levels, and as he recently expanded the state’s drought emergency to all 58 counties, he noted the state had achieved only a 5% reduction to date. “As the Western U.S. faces a potential third year of drought, it’s critical that Californians across the state redouble our efforts to save water in every way possible,” Newsom said. “With historic investments and urgent action, the state is moving to protect our communities, businesses and ecosystems from the immediate impacts of the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience to help the state meet the challenge of climate change impacts making droughts more common and more severe.” Data provided by the City of Brentwood shows that per capita water consumption during August and September was 4.1% lower than the same period in 2020. The city saw major reductions in water use in 2015 when usage rates dropped by approximately 40% compared to 2013. Since then, usage rebounded to some degree, but still settled well below 2013 levels. The challenge facing the city is where to go from here. “Now, basically every see Drought page 22A
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