During the month of May, the City of Davis and UC Davis are looking for early community input on a possible joint habitat enhancement and public access project called “Putah Creek Wetlands,” which would be located on a 32-acre parcel along the South Fork of Putah Creek near the Old Davis Road Bridge.

Residents are invited to attend onsite community meetings and walks during the following dates and times:

• Wednesday, May 11, at 12 p.m.
• Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m.
• Wednesday, May 18, at 5 p.m.

Community meetings will help UC Davis and the City of Davis evaluate tentative design concepts and basic project objectives. Groups will meet in the parking lot on Levee Road east of Old Davis Road (MAP) and walk to the site while talking with City and UC Davis staff about this potential habitat restoration project on UC-owned property. No reservation is necessary. Please note that this site is currently not ADA accessible. Making the site accessible to all is one of the project’s goals, and the City has engaged its ADA Committee in the project.

The potential restoration site was historically a soil mining area used to export soil for nearby freeway interchanges. At present, the elevation of the post-mining surface is too high for wetland and riparian vegetation but too low for an oak woodland. As a result of this historic mining activity, the site now hosts invasive weeds and eucalyptus trees.

The proposed restoration concept will create an off-channel wetland area, expand the riparian forest and revegetate with native trees, shrubs and grasses. The wetland would be a permanent, year-round feature that would rise and fall with the creek. A connection between the creek and wetland would allow for fish to move between the two areas. Visitors would have access via a pedestrian bridge across the creek from the existing gravel parking area to a walking loop around the site. 

For more information about these community meetings, contact City of Davis Open Space Program Manager Tracie Reynolds at treynolds@cityofdavis.org.