Bufferlands History
Today
Since the Bufferlands were established, many projects and research efforts have been conducted to help species and habitat thrive. Meanwhile, public tours and events have become a regular part of the Bufferlands mission, and a collaborative program called Project AWE offers educational opportunities for youth at the newly renovated historic site, the Nicolaus Dairy.
In 2000
In 2000, a comprehensive Bufferlands Master Plan was developed to specify a long-term, cost-effective management strategy for the Bufferlands that provides for future expansion and changes in operation while protecting and enhancing the area’s environmental resources. The master plan provides guidelines and policies for alternative land uses, visitor use and access, and vegetation and wildlife management.
1990s
In 1990, our board adopted the Urban Forest Master Plan which recommended land use and management guidelines. These recommendations included maintaining open space, providing forested landscapes, providing abundant and high-quality habitats, and allowing for limited public enjoyment and education.
In 1991, the Bufferlands 5 Year Plan outlined specific tasks and responsibilities and proposed staffing levels to meet those responsibilities. Work was completed on the Upper Beach Lake Wildlife Area, the first habitat restoration project on the Bufferlands.
1980s
In 1983, the year after the treatment facility was finished and began operations, a Land Use Management Plan for the Bufferlands was developed to establish a framework to guide land management and specific land uses.
The plan encouraged the maintenance of land uses that were compatible with the operation and expansion of the treatment facility, such as open space, agriculture, recreation, and wildlife conservation. Residential, commercial, and industrial uses were considered incompatible.
1970s
In the 1970s, a large undeveloped buffer area was established between the newly constructed centralized sewage treatment facility–now called the EchoWater Facility–and the surrounding neighborhoods in southern Sacramento County. That farsighted decision led to the conservation of increasingly scarce wetlands, grasslands, and riparian forest habitats on 2,500 acres of designated “Bufferlands.”
Historical use of these lands centered around agricultural endeavors, primarily ranching, dairying, and farming. Several ranch complexes, including functioning dairy farms, still existed when the land was purchased to build the treatment facility.
