Restoration & Conservation

Our Work

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program works to protect and restore natural areas within the Morro Bay watershed. Our projects support naturally occurring plants and animals, which are those that are best adapted to our climate and soil and are present due to natural processes. Healthy habitats provide homes to many plants and animals, protect water quality in the estuary, and preserve the scenic beauty and recreational opportunities that residents and visitors love.

The Estuary Program works with many partners in our community to protect the estuary and the lands that surround it. To enhance water and habitat quality, we have completed a range of projects with many partners in our community. These projects include but are not limited to:

  • restoring and replanting floodplains and other areas
  • removing invasive plant and animal species in order to benefit native species
  • removing barriers to allow fish to move up and down local stream
  • working with landowners to install fences to limit cattle use of streambeds for erosion prevention
  • conserving and storing water for use during dry seasons
  • improving dirt roads to reduce the amount of sediment that ends up in the estuary

Our Partners

The Estuary Program partners with landowners to implement restoration and conservation projects in the Morro Bay watershed. Local partners include but are not limited to: California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly), California Conservation Corps, Camp San Luis Obispo, Creeklands Conservation, Morro Coast Audubon Society, California State Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and more.

Partnering with the Estuary Program on projects has proven to be extremely beneficial to the university’s cattle operation and range-improvement practices. We are very fortunate to be located in this watershed and be able to take advantage of their cost-share programs."

Aaron Lazanoff
Beef Operations Manager
Cal Poly

Project Examples

Eelgrass Restoration
Steelhead
Floodplain Restoration

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