On Feb. 12, federal, state and local officials joined Channelside Water Resources to commemorate the breach of Pond 15, the return of tidal flow to the area for the first time in 50 years. This is a historic milestone for the Otay River Estuary Restoration Project as Pond 15 has not seen active tidal flow since the 1970s.
Construction began Friday on a project aimed at restoring around 125 acres of coastal wetlands and salt marsh habitat in the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The Otay River Estuary Restoration Project, a joint effort of desalination developer Poseidon Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies, seeks to restore salt ponds located within the refuge in order to create new habitat for native fish, wildlife and plant species. Among the species most impacted by the loss of coastal habitats are migratory shorebirds and other salt marsh-dependent species, according to officials.
Partners in a plan to restore 125 acres of degraded coastal wetlands as a mitigation project for the Carlsbad seawater desalination plant celebrated the start of construction Friday morning in Imperial Beach.
The Otay River Estuary Restoration Project in South San Diego Bay is a joint effort by the desalination plant operator Poseidon Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies to improve the habitat for native fish, plants and birds, particularly migratory shorebirds and other salt marsh-dependent species.
