Ballona Wetlands: Another 80 Acres Restored at San Dieguito

At Del Mar this week, officials dedicated the latest tidal wetlands addition to the Ballona Wetlands’ southern sister, San Dieguito. Tap the photo to see the video.

“To see it go from rows of dried out tomato plants to this is a stunning transformation “, said Solana Beach Mayor Lisa Heebner at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Above and Below: The San Dieguito Wetlands are now 80 acres larger with the addition of the 19th wetland restoration area, designated W19

CalTrans and the San Diego Association of Governments funded the $87 million San Dieguito W19 Restoration Project to compensate for wetlands impacts from highway widening projects. Per state regulations, four acres of wetlands must be created or restored for every one acre impacted by development. This project offsets about 20 acres of wetlands impacted by road construction by adding 79 acres of new wetlands.

Above: A Joint Powers Authority manages the San Dieguito Wetlands for the benefit of local cities and the county

This restoration adds acreage to the initial project completed by Southern California Edison in 2012 and a smaller addition by the Del Mar Fairgrounds several years later.

Above: The Del Mar Fairgrounds previously restored about 20 acres of wetlands at San Dieguito, formerly occupied by their south parking lot

Bulldozers and other heavy mechanized equipment removed 1.1 million cubic yards of fill dirt and invasive plants, allowing ocean tides to wash over the land. Nursey-grown wetland seedlings and seeds naturally spread from adjacent wetlands will vegetate the new area in short order.

This is similar to the method proposed for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project, which will be funded and managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Anti-bulldozer activists continue to delay the Ballona restoration with multiple lawsuits.

Above: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife proposes to dig out about 3 million yards of fill dirt from this weedy expanse south of Fiji way and restore Ballona Wetlands that were buried there by Marina Del Rey construction

Three endangered bird species - the Ridgeway’s Rail, Least Bell’s Vireo, and Belding’s Savannah Sparrow - will be supported by the newly created habitat at San Dieguito and have already been spotted in the restoration area.

Above: A Great Blue Heron hangs out in a eucalyptus tree at San Dieguito

Enjoy your Ballona Wetlands!

References

KPBS. San Dieguito Lagoon Project Restores Habitat and Adds Trail.

SANDAG.org. SANDAG and Caltrans Celebrate Completion of San Dieguito Lagoon Wetland Restoration in North County

TransNet. San Dieguito Lagoon Restoration Project

Marina Del Rey Patch. Ballona Wetlands: When the Winners are Really the Losers.

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Author’s disclosure of affiliations:

Dr. David W. Kay served on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Friends of Ballona Wetlands from 2007 until 2015, and served as Board President in 2012-13. He presently serves on the Board of Ballona Discovery Park in Playa Vista. Dr. Kay is a staunch advocate for the state of California's plans to restore the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.

From 1984 until 2022, Dr. Kay was employed by Southern California Edison Company, exclusively in the company's environmental services organizations. His many responsibilities included restoration of the 440-acre San Dieguito Wetlands near Del Mar. He retired in 2022 as Senior Manager for Major Project Environmental Management at the company, after 38 years of service.

Dr. Kay earned bachelor and masters degrees in biology and a doctorate in environmental science.

See Dr. Kay’s Patch Community Contributor profile here.