WEBB TRACT PROJECT UPDATES - AUGUST 2025

Owned by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Webb Tract is an island in the central Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is deeply subsided—as much as 24 feet in some places—and it is the focus of a Delta Conservancy Nature-Based Solutions Grant aimed at stopping or reversing subsidence, improving the carbon emissions balance, and providing habitat for migratory birds and other species while enhancing the Delta as an evolving place.

The Webb Tract Rice Conversion Project Selects Farming Partner

Metropolitan concluded its Request for Proposal process for an agricultural lessee to plant a rice crop on the island, one of two projects taking place on the island to promote sustainability and improve habitat for local species (Figure 1). Through this process, Metropolitan selected Bouldin Farming Company as the farming operating partner for the Webb Tract Rice Project, which provides grant funding to help offset the cost of land leveling needed to adapt the fields (identified in gray on the map below) for rice propagation.

Webb Tract Wetlands Restoration Project Advances in Planning and Permitting

The design team has reached 90% design for the wetland restoration project on Webb Tract, which is funded by the Delta Conservancy Grant and seeks to restore approximately 2,200 acres of wetland to an ecosystem that supports wildlife. This milestone allowed Metropolitan to test the design for feasibility in a week-long workshop in early May. Metropolitan staff and the planning team applied for a SERP after consultation with CDFW’s Cutting Green Tape program staff. After a rigorous review process, the CDFW approved the application. With this SERP, the Webb Tract wetlands project can move forward and seek the additional permits required.

The Ecocultural Working Group remained actively engaged in the planning process, contributing meaningful input to the design—most notably, proposing a water delivery approach that reflects the natural flow of pre-reclamation sloughs that once crossed the tract.

The design team is now working to finalize plans and obtain necessary permits to initiate the construction bid process. Final designs are expected to be completed this fall, aligning with the anticipated completion of permitting.

To learn more about the Webb Tract projects, click here. For additional information about the projects, contact Project Manager Malinda Stalvey at mstalvey@mwdh2o.com...

Figure 1: Planned Wetland Restoration Project and Rice Conversion Project. Gray areas represent areas where rice will be planted.