Underwater Meadows of Life
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West Basin Prepares to Receive Tidal Flow along Coast Highway 101
If you are driving along Historic Coast Highway 101 or walking on the overlook at Harbaugh Seaside Trails, you can see the latest in Reviving Your Wetlands lagoon restoration activities in the West Basin. The West basin is the portion of the lagoon located between the 101 highway and the railroad.
Above: The amphibious excavator is excavating within the fenced area to widen and deepen the main channel. The removed sediment is carried by a dump truck to the onsite over-dredge pit.
Familiar with the ponds just north of Harbaugh Seaside Trails? This part of the estuary does not have optimal tidal flow. This is changing, so that salt marsh plants, birds and animals can thrive within the mix of fresh water and salt water.
The pond just north of Harbaugh Seaside Trails cannot accommodate the smaller dredge currently working in the Central basin, so the amphibious excavator is excavating bottom sediments from the pond. A dump truck then hauls away the removed sediments to the onsite over-dredge pit located in the Central Basin.
The shallow area (in the photo below) shows how the first pond is drained. Soon you will see the construction of a temporary berm in the pond just north of this shallow area. This berm will be constructed so that crews can install a culvert that will greatly enhance tidal flow within this part of the estuary by connecting tidal flow to the entire West basin.
Above: A longer view of the ponds north of Harbaugh Seaside Trails
The temporary berm will be removed when the culvert is in place, and that sediment will also go into the over-dredge pit.
Above: The area circled shows the West Basin, and how tidal flow will reach all parts of the West basin once the restoration is complete.
Other work in the westernmost part of the Central Basin includes the City of Solana Beach retrofit of its pump station. This is unrelated to restoration work but is within the “get in, get out” approach of coordinating environmental work with the least impacts.
Please note that for the next few weeks traffic may be impacted along Rios Avenue as the City of Solana Beach completes this upgrade, and as sediment from the West basin restoration project is moved to the over-dredge pit.
Reviving Your Wetlands is one of the biggest wetland restorations in California. San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is guiding the environmental work, as we focus on our mission that we exist to drive a passion for nature, for all. Come out and see the progress!
We believe that if we help people discover a passion for nature, they will want to protect it and value everything it has to offer. Thank you for following Lagoon Connections, your direct link to the news and views of Reviving Your Wetlands restoration.
