Yosemite Updates Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project

Yosemite, CA – Yosemite National Park is touting its largest restoration project in park history being nearly complete.

The Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project is one of the largest publicly owned mid-elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada and is home to the state-endangered great grey owl and little willow flycatcher, as well as additional at-risk wildlife. A century-old erosion gully network drained much of the wetlands in the meadow complex. The project aims to restore 103 acres of lost habitat and protect the remaining 84 acres of existing wetland from soil erosion, rapid water runoff, and drying vegetation. The project is a significant effort to preserve and restore the wetland, and Yosemite officials provided these 2024 accomplishments:

• More than 150,000 cubic yards of soil and mixed wood chips were placed to completely fill the large erosion gully.
• 90 pounds of seeds were sown from 23 native species.
• 2 acres of salvaged willows were planted.
• 128,785 wetland container plants were planted on the restored meadow surface.

Park officials relay that in 2025, staff will plant 297,000 additional container plants on the newly restored channel surface. This restoration project was made possible by a partnership between American Rivers and the U.S. Forest Service—Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite Conservancy, and Yosemite National Park.