Next summer, Marin County plans to reconnect Lewis Gulch Creek to the Bolinas Lagoon by reorganizing the Bolinas wye and restoring its surrounding wetlands and ecology. The shortcut road at the wye will be removed and the intersection of Olema-Bolinas Road and Highway 1 will be shifted 200 feet to the southeast. Instead of running through a shallow channel west of Olema-Bolinas Road, the creek will run five feet below a 60-foot-long bridge and into the floodplains at the north end of the lagoon, depositing freshwater and sediment along the border of the lagoon and rejuvenating the habitat. Veronica Pearson, an ecological restoration planner for the county, said that sediment is currently being carried out into the lagoon rather than spread along the surrounding floodplain. When the lagoon is silted in from sediment, it becomes more vulnerable to sea-level rise, which studies show poses a serious threat to the lagoon. “The project is about wetland restoration, but it’s complicated because we have to work in the wetland to enhance it,” she said. “It’s not an issue where we need to dredge the lagoon, but we do want to take advantage of all the sediment that is coming in from the tributaries so that wetlands can persist through sea-level rise.” The county released a draft document in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act this month and is receiving public comments on it through Aug. 8. The draft concludes that, with the implementation of mitigation measures, the project would not result in significant environmental impacts. Mitigation measures include water quality and tree protection, caution around endangered species, and the creation of noise buffers and safety measures for residents and visitors. Lewis Gulch Creek has populations of federally threatened steelhead trout and red-legged frogs and the state-threatened California black rail, a tiny marsh bird. Construction will start next summer and take place in phases to avoid nesting seasons and unwanted soil runoff during rains. During the first summer, the shortcut road will be used while a bridge is built over Olema-Bolinas Road. In the second year, traffic will use the new bridge while the crossover road is decommissioned and the lower part of the creek is connected to the lagoon. The current box culvert is 5 feet wide and only a few feet deep, making it insufficient to carry larger storm flows. Last winter’s atmospheric rivers routinely flooded the road and left debris in their wake. Traffic studies also found that the project will improve traffic flow and safety at the wye, which can confuse drivers and lead to accidents. Traveling southbound on Highway 1, the turn onto Olema-Bolinas Road will be sharper, offering drivers leaving Bolinas more sight and requiring incoming drivers from Highway 1 to slow down. “Being a historic highway, the State Route 1 does not meet current design standards, so we’re making improvements on the road, hopefully making things better for residents and visitors,” Ms. Pearson said. To view the study and comment, go to https://www.parks.marincounty.org/projectsplans/land-and-habitat-restoration/wye-wetlands-bolinas-lagoon?tabnum=3.