Protecting the Moro Cojo

This June, thanks to your contributions and a grant from the Ocean Protection Council, Elkhorn Slough Foundation acquired 34-acres of wetlands in the Moro Cojo watershed for permanent protection.

Amid rolling farm fields of artichokes, the Moro Cojo Slough — a southern tributary of Elkhorn Slough — winds through Moss Landing and Castroville. Like Elkhorn Slough, the Moro Cojo supports a diverse array of birds and wildlife, including fish, such as the endangered tidewater goby.

ESF land committee members tour the property, which will soon be restored and opened to the waters of the Moro Cojo Slough.

Photo by ESF

The extended Tottino family, who have an enduring legacy in establishing the now legendary artichoke industry in Castroville and the lower Salinas Valley, agreed to sell the property for wetland restoration. The project brings the conservation and farming communities together to enhance habitat and water quality.

Central Coast Wetlands Group water quality treatment wetlands on the Moro Cojo.

Photo courtesy of CCWG

As part of the acquisition, Elkhorn Slough Foundation is partnering with Coastal Conservation and Research (CC&R) and the Central Coast Wetlands Group (CCWG) at Moss Landing Marine Labs, who are working to restore habitat and implement water quality improvements.

CCWG Director Ross Clark looks on as biologist Kevin O’Connor and daughter, Quinn, measure water quality at the site.

Photo courtesy of CCWG

“We’ve had great success working with the farmers," says CCWG Director Ross Clark. “We see restoration as a powerful tool to solve several issues at once: improving water quality, creating wildlife habitat and protecting open space.”