In short, the San Dieguito Lagoon Wetland Restoration project was set on restoring the saltwater wetlands, enhancing and maintaining the natural flood control channel and developing new pedestrian trails.
If one zooms out though, the project is a complement to recent restoration efforts in the lagoon, encompasses 194 acres of land and is part of the overall wetland strategy included in the Public Works Plan and Transportation and Resource Enhancement Program and the City of San Diego El Camino Real Bridge/Road Widening Project.
The wetlands are a former agriculture site, so the project team had to find the best approach to repair damage caused by the agriculture practices and restore the wetland. This includes amending the soil to create optimal growing conditions, improving the integrity of riparian zones and creating a sustainable ecosystem.
To achieve these goals, the team had to overcome certain challenges, including removing vegetation and grading all 194 acres of the area to create the proposed habitat distribution.
“Specifically, the project involves establishing a coastal wetland system composed of tidal salt marsh west of the utility corridor and brackish marsh east of the utility corridor,” Danny Richards, vice president and operations manager of Pacific Restoration Group, Inc., said.
However, Richards said soil management was the greatest challenge for the project as initial soil tests showed high salinity levels and low organic content. To combat this, the team hydraulically applied topsoil restorative that converts depleted subsoils into substrates to support the establishment of healthy vegetation while locking down seed and soil.
Currently, the project is meeting future year goals, and the construction phase is near completion pending completion of the trail system, and the habitats planted over the last year are ahead of coverage in diversity and richness.
