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RESTORING ANTIOCH DUNES

The Port’s commitment to improving the environment success of the project in its first year, the three
extends into each program that is implemented on a agencies held a special dedication ceremony in
daily basis. High on the list of initiatives is a proactive September 2014 at the Antioch Dunes National
e ort to protect the region’s waterways and air quality Wildlife Refuge. Attendees were able to view the
coupled with continued educational opportunities for kiosk, listen to guest speakers from the partner
business partners and the general public. The Antioch agencies, watch an educational video and most
Dunes Restoration Project is just one significant importantly, take a walking tour along the Antioch
example of the Port’s Delta Environmental Dunes National Wildlife Refuge to witness first hand
Enhancement Program. Since 2012, the Port, in the location of such delicate and rare species.
collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), have The Port has made great strides that provide many
partnered to place over 40,000 yards of sand at benefits with the dredge material reuse program.
the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. After In past years, excavated sand was placed on Sherman
placement, the sand forms into natural dunes that Island or used for levee restoration to improve stability
serve as the necessary habitat for three endangered along the Delta. Moving forward, the Port will continue
species: Lange's Metalmark butterfly, Antioch Dunes to search for the best and most environmentally-
evening primrose and Contra Costa wallflower. The friendly places to deposit the sand removed each
refuge and surrounding lands are all that remain of year from the Stockton Deep Water shipping channel.
a nine-kilometer stretch of sand dunes. The goal for 2015 is to place additional sand at the
Antioch site beginning in August and continue this
“The Corps is responsible for keeping the shipping restoration each year for the next decade. The creative
channels at their authorized depths by dredging on project is a successful accomplishment for all agencies
an annual basis and the Port is responsible for locating involved and allows each of them to meet their
placement sites for dredged material,” said Gary individual goals and objectives, not to mention
Kamei, project manager for the Corps. “To their credit, keeping three natural and beautiful species from
the Port of Stockton coordinated with the U.S. Fish becoming extinct.
and Wildlife Service for the sand placement – it was
their idea.”

In an e ort to enhance the refuge site further and
continue to engage the public, the Port commissioned
a permanent informational kiosk that provides great JEFF WINGFIELD
detail on the restoration project as well as the history Director of Environmental, Government
of the dunes and surrounding area. To celebrate the & Public A airs

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