Goat Island Tidal Marsh Restoration

The Solano Land Trust and the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) are well on our way to completing plans and submitting permit applications for a restoration and public access improvement project at Rush Ranch. 
The restoration project is the last of a 15-year program of four interrelated projects at Rush Ranch to ensure the unique and beautiful marsh and upland ecosystem here thrives well into the future. The project will restore 80 acres of diked marsh to tidal action, allowing its species to return and thrive; protect unique “transition zone” between marsh and upland; and stabilize eroded and damaged areas. (most updated design pending permits approval shown in Figure 1)

The benefits include new habitat for threatened and endangered species, fishes, amphibians and reptiles, marsh plants, and migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway, water quality improvement helping keep Suisun Bay and San Francisco Bay clean and healthy, and room for habits to move with sea level rise.

The public access improvement project will improve and expand existing trails used by thousands of Rush Ranch visitors every year. To inform the amenities design, in 2024 we conducted a community engagement workshop and had numerous individual conversations with Solano County community leaders in education, accessibility, business, and natural resource management. This robust engagement process resulted in community-informed amenities design, pictured below (most updated design pending permits approval shown in Figure 2).

We are planning for about two miles of Outdoor Accessible trail, boardwalks over the restored marsh, additional loops trails including access to Goat Island itself, where visitors can look over Suisun Slough and see seals catching fish, migratory birds and views of Suisun Marsh and Mt Diablo. Our goal is to significantly improve visitor experience and provide more access to more people of Solano County and beyond. 

Overall, this project will directly help fulfill the state and region’s ambitious goals for habitat restoration, stewardship and public access, as well as increasing access to nature for underserved communities.

We plan to submit permit applications in summer 2025 and if funding is in place, start construction and restoration in 2026. The planning phase of this project is possible through the generous support of the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, and the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee.

Goat Island Tidal Marsh Restoration and Public Access Project

The Goat Island Tidal Marsh Restoration and Public Access Project is a transformative initiative led by Solano Land Trust, aiming to revitalize nearly 100 acres of critical wetland habitat within the Suisun Marsh at Rush Ranch Open Space. This project not only focuses on ecological restoration but also emphasizes community engagement and improved public access.