The McCormack-Williamson Tract (MWT) was purchased in 1999 by The Nature Conservancy with CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP) funds. Though today it looks like many islands of the central Delta, it is situated in a unique position at the intersection between the historical north and central Delta, at the downstream end of the Mokelumne River delta. While it represents only a small portion (<0.2%) of the historical Delta, it lies in an area of hydrologic and ecological importance along the third largest river of the Delta, the Mokelumne River.

The MWT is particularly important today as the site of one of the few significant restoration efforts underway in the region; it is looked at as one of the key “building blocks” for a more ecologically healthy Delta. Thus, understanding its potential function within the larger Delta system is critical to the region. The MWT study is related to the larger Delta Landscapes Project

The report highlights opportunities for both short-term and long-term restoration planning based on an understanding of how features of the historical landscape connected and functioned, and what components are still useful for landscape-scale restoration.

Project Status

This Project was completed in March 2013.

Funder

The Nature Conservancy

Project Downloads


Presentation: Historical Ecology and Landscape-Scale Restoration. Application to the McCormack-Williamson Tract (110 Mb)

Programs and Focus Areas: 
Resilient Landscapes Program
Delta Science & Management
Historical Ecology
Center for Resilient Landscapes
Location Information