Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) was awarded a $2.1 million state grant last month for the Alma Bridge Road Newt Passage Project, aimed at protecting the health of local newt populations and promoting habitat connectivity.
The grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board will allow preliminary designs to be completed for newt passage improvements along approximately 5 miles of Alma Bridge Road near the Lexington Reservoir. Santa Clara County owns and maintains the road, and Midpen is working with the county and other partners to help implement the project.
Each year during the rainy season, California and rough-skinned newts migrate from their dry-season habitats in Midpen’s Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve to wet habitats beyond the preserve boundaries where they breed and lay eggs. The migration path for this population of newts includes crossing Alma Bridge Road to reach Lexington Reservoir, resulting in high newt mortality due to vehicle strikes. The issue was first documented by concerned community members in 2017.
According to a recent study that Midpen helped fund, without intervention this population of newts could be at risk of local extinction within 60 years.
In October, the project team identified two viable options featuring elevated sections of roadway coupled with wildlife passages underneath. Midpen and Santa Clara County, working together under a partnership agreement, are advancing designs and conducting environmental studies required under California law. Other stakeholders include Valley Water and Peninsula Open Space Trust, as well as neighbors, recreational groups, community scientists and environmental advocacy groups.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $28.5 million to $33.5 million. For more information, visit openspace.org/newt-passage.
