Vacaville Receives $100,000 for Peña Adobe Park Pond Restoration

The City of Vacaville secured a $100,000 grant from California State Parks for the Peña Adobe Park Pond Restoration Project, aimed at improving environmental conservation efforts for the park.

The grant will facilitate restoration work to safeguard and enhance the ecological integrity of the pond, addressing challenges stemming from fluctuating rainfall patterns which have led to diminished water levels.

For clarification, the grant appears to be for work in the smaller Peña Adobe Park Pond, not the larger pond in the Lagoon Valley open space area.

City staff thanked the Peña Adobe Historical Society, who furnished crucial information and historical context regarding native flora and fauna. Their advocacy, including a supporting letter, played a role in convincing California State Parks of the urgency and significance of the project.

Community engagement efforts, including surveys, reflected local support for the restoration initiative, underscoring the shared enthusiasm and commitment of residents towards preserving Solano County ecological habitats.

The restoration project will focus on activities such as lining, filtration, and aeration of the pond to ensure year-round viability. Enhancements to vegetation and habitat improvements will not only benefit local wildlife but also create accessible pathways.

In a March 29th press release, Melody Ocampo, Recreation Manager with the City of Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department, expressed gratitude for the grant, highlighting its importance in realizing the vision of restoring and enhancing Peña Adobe Park Pond. Ocampo emphasized the funding marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to preserve the natural beauty and ecological diversity of parklands in and around Vacaville.

About Peña Adobe Park

The Peña Adobe Park is located off I-80 on Peña Adobe Road. It’s home to the oldest structure built in Solano County, the Peña Adobe. Built in 1842, it was the former home of the Peña family and is a California historical landmark.

According to the Peña Adobe Historical Society, the families of Juan Manuel Vaca and Juan Felipe Peña were among the first settlers to arrive in Solano County in the early 1800s. The Vaca family home (“The Vaca Adobe”) was destroyed by the earthquake of 1892).

Both the Vaca and Peña families were cattle ranchers and in 1850, Juan Manuel Vaca sold a portion of his settled land to William McDonald with a condition that a town named “Vacaville” be built on the site.