RESTORATION PROJECTS

Restoring natural characteristics of a Southern California wetland.

San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is transitioning from open water and mudflat habitats to salt marsh and riparian habitat as a result of urban pressures. Highways, a railroad, and nearby infrastructure all contribute to restricted tidal flushing and degraded water quality in the reserve.

As population expands in Southern California, the ecology of the wetland will continue to be impact by both historical and future development.

There is a long-range plan under way to restore the lagoon to a more natural state. San Elijo Lagoon is a biodiversity hot spot, one of few remaining wetlands in Southern California. The 915–acre reserve hosts more than 700 species of plants and animals, many rare and endangered. Seven miles of trails for hiking, bird watching, and wildlife photography offer people a natural environment for solace and inspiration.

San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project
The San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project (SELRP) will restore and maintain San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve to perpetuate native plants and animals characteristic of Southern California, as well as to restore and maintain estuarine and brackish tidal flushing.

Wetlands are essential to our quality of life. Especially in densely-populated areas, these native habitats provide peaceful places to connect with nature. It is only through experience, and recreation, that we gain a better appreciation for conserving natural history and ecology.

Coastal Dunes Restoration Project
A separate, but interconnected habit restoration project is focused in the four-acre coastal dunes site of San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve. This extremely rare ecosystem is all but nonexistent in Southern California. Public access is restricted because the dunes host sensitive and endangered plant and animal species, such as the Western Snowy Plover, silvery legless lizard, and California Least Tern, among others. For more information, read more about the project here.

Click on sidebar links to learn more about the San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project.