Johnson Cosumnes Mitigation Bank Approved in Sacramento County, California

Galt, California – July 13, 2026 - Westervelt Ecological Services (WES) announces the approval of the Johnson Cosumnes Mitigation Bank, a 217-acre floodplain restoration project in Sacramento County, California. The bank was approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Credits will be immediately available to support regional mitigation requirements, with an additional release of credits this fall when construction is completed.

The Bank protects habitat along the Cosumnes River, expanding the floodplain of the last undammed river in California’s Central Valley. The addition of the Bank marks Westervelt’s fifth restoration project adjacent to the 50,000-acre Cosumnes River Preserve, continuing to add to the corridor of conserved lands along the river. Together, these landscapes form a broader conservation network that support local species and enhance ecological resilience throughout the region.

WES will restore the Bank site by converting existing agricultural fields into floodplain habitat. Planned improvements include lowering and removing sections of agricultural berms and establishing a network of channels designed to mimic natural flow patterns. These enhancements will enable seasonal inundation from the Cosumnes River and support the exchange of water, sediment, and nutrients essential to healthy floodplain ecosystems.[AD1] [HH2]

As part of the Bank approval, WES worked in partnership with CDFW and the State’s Cutting the Green Tape program to streamline the project’s CEQA process. The Bank was the first mitigation project to successfully get approved for the CEQA Statewide Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP), previously only benefiting public or grant-funded restoration projects.

The Bank site is permanently protected through a conservation easement held by the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, with long-term management funding provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to ensure its ecological functions are maintained in perpetuity.

For more information about the Johnson Cosumnes Mitigation Bank and credit availability, contact Amanda Dwyer at (925) 783-9924 or [email protected].