Twitchell Island
Encyclopedia
Twitchell Island is an island
in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Sacramento County, California
, 35 kilometres southwest of Sacramento
. At 2 metres below sea level, the 1200 ha (2,965.3 acre) is bounded on the north by Seven Mile Slough, on the east and south by the San Joaquin River
, and on the west by Three Mile Slough. The island is entirely within the Rio Vista Gas Field
, although well pads and associated infrastructure make up only a small part of its land use.
Twitchell is eighty-five percent owned by the State of California.
Twitchell Island is the site of an experiment being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey to study whether growing tules and cattails on the sinking islands of the Sacramento Delta can reverse the soil loss caused by wind, rain and farming. The soil under the 15-acre site has risen 1 to 2 feet since the project started in 1996.
The plants not only help rebuild the level of the soil, but sequester quite a bit of carbon as well. It is believed that farmers in the delta might be able to make money with so-called "carbon-capture" farming by planting tules and cattails rather than row crops and get paid by companies who need to meet state greenhouse gas limits.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Sacramento, which is also the state capital. As of 2010 the county had a population of 1,418,788....
, 35 kilometres southwest of Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. At 2 metres below sea level, the 1200 ha (2,965.3 acre) is bounded on the north by Seven Mile Slough, on the east and south by the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
, and on the west by Three Mile Slough. The island is entirely within the Rio Vista Gas Field
Rio Vista Gas Field
The Rio Vista Gas Field is a large natural gas field in the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in northern California. Discovered in 1936, and in continuous operation since, it has produced over of gas in its lifetime, and retains an estimated reserve of approximately . p. 62. In 2008 alone,...
, although well pads and associated infrastructure make up only a small part of its land use.
Twitchell is eighty-five percent owned by the State of California.
Twitchell Island is the site of an experiment being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey to study whether growing tules and cattails on the sinking islands of the Sacramento Delta can reverse the soil loss caused by wind, rain and farming. The soil under the 15-acre site has risen 1 to 2 feet since the project started in 1996.
The plants not only help rebuild the level of the soil, but sequester quite a bit of carbon as well. It is believed that farmers in the delta might be able to make money with so-called "carbon-capture" farming by planting tules and cattails rather than row crops and get paid by companies who need to meet state greenhouse gas limits.