KNIGHTSEN, Contra Costa County — October 28, 2026. East of Knightsen, a 645-acre restoration project is being designed to bring back wetlands and other Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta habitats while addressing long-standing drainage and stormwater-quality concerns. Contra Costa County’s official project page continues to describe the effort as concept planning and preparation, with several field activities recorded during 2026.
Where is the project?
The site is the former Cerri Ranch property east of Knightsen in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy and the East Bay Regional Park District acquired it in 2016 to protect it from development and pursue restoration. The county describes the land as historically including a mix of marshes, wetlands, sand dunes, grasslands and oak savanna. Its more recent use includes agricultural activities and seasonal grazing.
What work was identified in 2026?
The county’s project resources include a February 2026 Version 3 project summary. Its on-site activity schedule lists geotechnical field investigations during the week of July 27, 2026, with test pits intended to examine the soil materials available for building proposed levees. It also lists vegetation and tree work in March and pilot native dune restoration work in February.
These are activities in the planning and site-management process. They do not constitute an announcement that the entire 645 acres have been restored, that a new levee has been completed or that major construction has begun.
Why wetlands and drainage are being considered together
The county explains that past flooding and poor-quality stormwater helped prompt a feasibility study, undertaken with input from the Knightsen Town Advisory Council. That work identified the site as a potentially useful location to direct and hold stormwater, where wetlands could help filter water before it enters the Delta. Restored habitat is also expected to benefit species native to the Delta landscape.
What should residents watch next?
People living near Byron Highway, Delta Road and the broader Knightsen area can follow the project’s published design summaries, environmental documents and future public meetings. The county’s page says future meetings will be posted there. Readers should not assume a new meeting date or construction schedule has been announced when the county hasn’t supplied one.
Official documents
Contra Costa County — Knightsen Wetland Restoration Project, design summaries, past meetings and 2026 on-site activities. The linked county portal includes environmental documents and updates from the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy and project partners. Checked October 28, 2026.
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