the river valley
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Lagoon Restoration Update Updated: August 24, 2010
Southern California Edison recently presented a community outreach event to give the public a progress report on the San Dieguito Lagoon restoration. David Kaye (SCE Manager of Environmental Projects) summarized the project accomplishments to date. Mike Furby ( Marathon Construction) discussed the dredging operations and Dick Bobertz (JPA) outlined the existing and proposed trail connections. 160 acres of wetlands have been restored. Berms have been constructed and vegetated to contain the river flow during potential floods and to protect two major new wetlands north and south of the river.Three new nesting sites have been created, power lines relocated and treatment ponds built adjacent to a commercial area. ADA access trail has been constructed at North Beach. A boardwalk now crosses the wetlands south of the fairgrounds and a trail allows passage under the I-5 freeway and will soon lead hikers to El Camino Real. The old Grand Avenue Bridge had been converted to a View Point for the lagoon. Outstanding projects at the western end of the lagoon are scheduled to be completed in the next 9 months. Just east of Jimmy Durante Boulevard the river makes a sharp bend where intensified flow undermines its southern bank; new rip-rap will armor the river bank. Sand has accumulated in the inlet channel over the past and hinders tidal flow.65,000 cubic yards of sand will be removed in the coming winter months. A floating dredge will first operate east of Jimmy Durante Boulevard and will pump sand to a stockpile area where it will be dried and placed on upland sites. Sand suitable for beach use will be added to the Del Mar beach. A reconfiguration of the inlet will move the river channel northward. Southern California Edison is committed to keep the inlet open to tidal flow in perpetuity. by Jacqueline Winterer and Freda Reid Note: This article also appeared in the September 2010 edition of the Sandpiper, courtesy Friends of San Dieguito River Valley.
 Hydraulic Dredge clearing sand bar. Photo © Marathon Construction San Dieguito Wetland Restoration Project Updated: June 04 2010
At its October 12 2005 meeting, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the creation and substantial restoration of 115 acres of wetland habitats in the San Dieguito Lagoon area. The proposed San Dieguito Wetland Restoration project was designed by Southern California Edison (SCE) to comply with Coastal Commission permit conditions regarding the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) located in northern San Diego County. The Coastal Commission, through a long series of permits and amendment actions, required SCE to implement an extensive package of measures to mitigate marine resources impacts caused by the operation of SONGS Units 2 and 3.
The SONGS permit conditions require SCE to restore or create 150 acres of wetlands to compensate for reduction of marine fish standing stocks caused by the cooling system for SONGS Units 2 and 3. The conditions authorize up to 35 acres of credit for maintaining tidal flow in perpetuity. The coastal permit conditions established specific parameters for wetland site selection and performance measures that must be met to ensure that the restored wetland is successful and provides real compensation for impacts caused by SONGS operation. SCE teamed up with the San Dieguito River Valley Joint Powers Authority to prepare a comprehensive restoration, access, recreation, and interpretive plan for the San Diguito River Valley. This plan includes all the components that SCE must carry out to meet its mitigation requirements, trail, access improvements and water quality that the JPA will implement.Some of the project components already completed are: Still to be accomplished: • Initial and long-term periodic excavation of the tidal inlet to maintain marine water exchange between the ocean and restored wetlands in perpetuity (35 acres credit).
Quarterly Reports (1 page PDF files):
FSDRV has been an active supporter of the plan for the restoration of the San Dieguito Lagoon. This plan, funded as an environmental mitigation project by Southern California Edison (SCE), will dredge the lagoon to increase the tidal flushing action and keep the river outlet open to the ocean. Background information on this project can be found at the SCE web site. Permit applications, reports and other supporting documentation for the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration project can be found at: www.projectdesign.com/sandieguito
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