Sediment is a critical yet often overlooked component of healthy stream, wetland, and bayland ecosystems. In the Petaluma River Operational Landscape Unit (OLU), decades of development, land-use changes, and channel modifications have disrupted natural sediment transport and reduced the amount of sediment reaching bayland habitats. As tidal elevations continue to rise, providing a reliable sediment supply is crucial to maintaining the ecological functions of tidal marshes, mudflats, and other coastal habitats.

To address this need, the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), along with critical input from many local and regional organizations and agency partners, developed a Sediment Beneficial Reuse Strategy specific to the Petaluma River OLU under the Sediment Solutions project, funded by a U.S. EPA Region 9 Water Quality Improvement Fund grant. This Strategy builds on existing regional guidance, such as Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s San Francisco Bay Sediment and Soil Beneficial Reuse Action Plan for Wetland Restoration and Adaptation, and focuses on the practical, place-based actions needed to increase sediment reuse in the Petaluma area.

The Strategy describes the environmental setting of the Petaluma OLU, the development process and partners involved, and detailed guidance, data, and next steps for implementing sediment beneficial reuse, including sections focused on:

• Centralizing Information: collating detailed information within this strategy that documents current and future potential sediment sources, project sites needing sediment, and key contacts
   
• Addressing Costs: assessing transportation, disposal fees, and funding strategies (e.g., grants, cost-sharing) to ensure reuse remains cost-neutral or cost-beneficial for all parties.
   
• Streamlined Matchmaking: establishing a clear process for sediment producers (e.g., flood control agencies) and sediment receivers (e.g., restoration projects) to identify potential reuse matches, prioritizing locations based on proximity and sediment characteristics
   
• Near-term and Longer-term Actions: proposing near-term opportunities, such as pilot projects and securing interim trucking funds, as well as longer-term actions that involve adjusting regulatory frameworks, developing a long-term reuse fund, and integrating sediment reuse into ongoing adaptation and restoration initiatives.

The Strategy envisions a Petaluma River OLU where sediment reuse is part of routine management, allowing a regular flow of coarse sediment into priority restoration efforts. This OLU-scale approach not only improves bayland sustainability and flood protection but also serves as a model for other areas in the San Francisco Bay region seeking to harness every grain of reusable sediment to build resilience and ecological integrity.