Doug Gibson, the executive director of the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, together with regional and local officials including Encinitas Mayor, Catherine Blakespear, and Senator Patricia Bates, gathered last week at the lagoon’s nature center to break ground on a historic restoration of the nearly 1,000-acre reserve.
The first phase of the restoration, which kicked of November 29, calls for the clearing of vegetation from the lagoon and constructing a series of dikes along the main lagoon channel and inlet, with the main goal to control water levels.
The dredging of 450,000 cubic yards of high quality sand from the central basin that will be used for sand replenishment along the coastlines of Solana Beach and Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and the refilling of the dredging pit with lagoon sediment, will also be included in the phase one.
During the ceremony, Gibson said that as a result of the restoration efforts, visitors to the lagoon will see healthier waters, more wildlife and better access to the lagoon.
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy will also host ‘Reviving Your Wetlands’ – an open house event on December 11, with venue support by City of Encinitas, at the Encinitas Community Center for conservancy supporters and community members interested in learning more about Phase I of San Elijo Lagoon Restoration.
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