This ongoing project aims to restore Urrutia pond, part of a former sand and gravel mine located one mile upstream from the confluence of the American River and the Sacramento River, to provide high quality salmonid spawning and rearing habitat.

Most recently, cbec developed concept restoration alternatives that integrate Urrutia pond as a terrestrial and aquatic habitat feature on the American River Parkway. Earlier in the project, cbec was instrumental in the development of a successful grant application for Department of Water Resources’ FloodSAFE Environmental Stewardship and Statewide Resources Office (FESSRO). This funding would go on to support design and implementation of the river bank restoration portion of the project. Current conceptual bank restoration designs feature removal of disused concrete gravel on the riverbank, creation of an inset floodplain terrace, and establishment of riparian upland and shaded riverine aquatic habitat (SRA). This project required working knowledge of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Standard Assessment Method (SAM) for habitat creation projects. The site will be used to provide environmental mitigation for local levee projects in the Sacramento area.