Johnston Ranch Habitat and Water Supply Improvement Project

Project Description:

San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD), Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), are improving habitat and agricultural water security at the historic Johnston Ranch at the southern end of Half Moon Bay. The Johnston Ranch Habitat and Water Supply Improvement Project is the result of decades of efforts to align habitat and agricultural solutions that consider the specific goals, constraints, and land uses of the property.

By improving and expanding existing ponds and creating new water storage to capture winter rainfall, the project will provide water for irrigating farm fields and support grazing, reducing the need for summer diversions from Arroyo Leon Creek. This integrated, multi-benefit approach will bring fallowed farm fields back into production, protect streamflow for threatened steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), expand wetland and riparian habitats, enhance breeding habitat for endangered California red-legged frogs (Rana draytonii) , provide reliable stock water for grazing livestock, address chronic erosion issues, restore a historic stream channel, and install efficient irrigation infrastructure. By improving how water is stored and managed, the project demonstrates that farms can remain productive while protecting the streams, fish, and wildlife that depend on them.

Contact:

Ryan Silsbee, ryan@sanmateoRCD.org