Yosemite Meadow Saved: Largest Wetland Restoration!

Yosemite National Park has successfully completed a monumental wetland restoration project at Ackerson Meadow. This initiative, the largest of its kind in the park's history and the biggest in the Sierra Nevada by fill volume, revitalized a critical ecosystem.

The project, which ran from August 2023 to June 2025, addressed a century of degradation caused by human activities. Erosion gullies had drained 90 acres of wetlands and were actively eroding an additional 100 acres.

This restoration effort focused on filling the extensive erosion gully, returning 94 acres of lost wetlands and protecting 84 adjacent acres. The 230-acre headwater meadow system is now functioning hydrologically on its own.

The restoration included extensive replanting with native seeds and plants, along with the reintroduction of willows. This work is crucial for supporting at-risk species such as the great grey owl and little willow flycatcher.

Beyond wildlife, the project enhances water quality, increases groundwater storage, sequesters carbon, and improves resilience to drought and wildfires. It also supports downstream communities in the Tuolumne River watershed.

This large-scale initiative was a collaborative effort involving multiple organizations, including the National Park Service and American Rivers, alongside significant volunteer contributions and tribal participation.

Ackerson Meadow now stands as a model for future wetland restoration projects, demonstrating that even severely impacted landscapes can be healed through dedicated conservation and community involvement.