Twitchell Island Eco-Cultural Burn Pilot Project

The Twitchell Island Eco-Cultural Burn Pilot Project is a collaborative research initiative led by the California Department of Water Resources to conduct a single 10-acre wetland cultural burn and carbon sequestration study. Located in the East End wetlands of Twitchell Island within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the project aims to reintroduce fire to remove excessive dead biomass, thereby enhancing ecosystem function and wetland carbon sequestration on subsidence reversal wetlands. This pilot project serves as a maintenance effort to ensure long-term habitat health and will help determine the feasibility of using ecocultural burning as a management tool for Delta wetlands. The project is scheduled to take place on a weather-permitting day between January and March 2026, specifically when wind speeds are between 2 and 8 mph and air quality conditions are favorable. The execution of the burn will be orchestrated by Dr. Don Hankins from CSU Chico, a pyrogeographer and Plains Miwok cultural practitioner, with carbon sequestration measurements conducted by Dr. Kyle Delwiche and researchers from the UC Berkeley Biometeorology lab, alongside Dr. Patty Oikawa from CSU East Bay. To ensure safety and containment, contingency lines will be established in advance, and local fire departments will be on-site to monitor and assist. Additionally, the River Delta Fire Academy is invited to participate for training purposes. The project has been granted a Class 1, Section 15301 categorical exemption under CEQA, as it is classified as a maintenance effort with no anticipated significant environmental impact. Tyler Anthony serves as the lead agency contact for the Department of Water Resources.