NOAA Funding Improves Visitor Access and Safety at Research Reserve

The Takeaway: On the way is a new stormwater filtering system and upgraded parking, walkway, and school bus areas.

About 4,000 students yearly visit the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve to explore this living laboratory of wetlands, woodlands, and the creatures that live there. More visitors are sure to come once a redesigned entrance and parking area are put in place. These enhancements are made possible by a $685,000 grant from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management.

The existing water catchment system will be made more efficient at capturing and filtering stormwater runoff. This runoff nurtures habitat for rare amphibians and a multitude of migratory birds. The bus drop off, parking improvements, and designated walkway will make conditions safer for students and the public to access the research reserve.

“By investing in the accessibility and safety of the reserve, NOAA encourages students, tourists and researchers to visit the Central Coast and learn about our outstanding biodiversity,” says U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA). “This grant will help ensure that future generations can appreciate the natural beauty and value of studying and conserving these waters.”

The Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve and visitor center feature environmental research opportunities, teacher workshops and materials, field trips, and after-school programs as well as five miles of trails exploring the wetland. (2018)

More Information: Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve