Frequently Asked Questions
Background
Restoration Project
Project Organization
Environmental Review
Background
Where are the Ballona Wetlands?
Stretching from Playa del Rey to Venice, the Ballona Wetlands once occupied a 2,000-acre expanse of critical coastal habitat. Currently covering an area of 600 acres, the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve represents the largest opportunity for coastal wetland restoration in Los Angeles County.
What is the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project?
The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project is a long-term, science-based plan to return the Ballona Wetlands into a thriving ecological reserve. By healing this highly degraded site, the restoration project will create a diverse, resilient and dynamic ecosystem while providing a distinct opportunity for the community to reconnect with southern California’s natural heritage.
Why Restore the Ballona Wetlands?
More than a century of human neglect and abuse have left the Ballona Wetlands in a highly degraded state. Dredge spoils were dumped into the wetlands during the construction of Marina del Rey and the Ballona Creek Flood Control Channel, effectively separating the creek from its floodplain. The loss of the Ballona Wetlands historic connections to the ocean and its natural freshwater sources has resulted in the loss of many of its ecological functions and many native species can no longer live at the wetlands because of the degraded habitat.
Restoring the intrinsic structure and function of the Ballona Wetlands will give native species a chance to recover and thrive. The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project will return the daily ebb and flow of tidal waters, maintain freshwater circulation and support a more natural and healthy ecosystem. Creating these suitable habitats and natural conditions will allow wetland vegetation to flourish and attract the insects, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, birds and mammals that call wetlands home. As a restored site, the Ballona Wetlands will play a critical role as a migratory refuge for the millions of birds traveling from South American to Alaska each year. Further, this revitalization will provide the community with a valuable educational resource and an opportunity to create meaningful connections with the natural environment.
What are some of the long-term benefits of wetland restoration?
The long-term restoration of the Ballona wetlands will provide flood control, improve fish nursery habitat, create a safe haven for endangered and threatened species, improve regional air and water quality and improve public recreational opportunities. Recent studies highlighting the long-term benefits of restoration projects have shown that healthy wetland efficiently store carbon, helping to combat climate change.
Are there any examples of successful wetland restoration projects in southern California?
Yes! Carpinteria Salt Marsh (http://nrs.ucop.edu/Carpinteria-Salt-Marsh.htm), Bolsa Chica Wetlands (http://www.bolsachicarestoration.org) and the Tijuana Estuary (http://trnerr.org/) are just a few of several successful wetland restoration projects in southern California. The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project has been designed to build off the successes, and learn from the challenges, of previous coastal wetland restoration projects. And, the construction of Huntington Beach Wetlands (http://www.hbwc.org/current.htm) was just completed and will prove to be a valuable learning experience for the development of Ballona’s restoration plan.
Restoration Project
What are the goals of the project?
The project goals were developed by the project working group and science advisory team during the initial planning process that took place between 2004 and 2006. The goals represent a merging of community values, as well as scientific and ecological needs:
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Ecosystem Restoration: Restore, enhance and create estuarine habitat and processes in the Ballona ecosystem to support a natural range of habitat and functions, especially as related to estuarine dependent plants and animals
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Habitat: Preserve, restore, enhance and create a variety of functional wetland and estuarine habitats representative of the Ballona ecosystem o Biodiversity: Preserve and increase the native biodiversity of the Ballona ecosystem. Identify and protect multiple levels of diversity (e.g. species, habitats, biogeographic provinces and trophic structure)
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Physical/Chemical Processes: Maintain and establish physical and chemical processes consistent with the restoration goals
- Sustainability: Facilitate the conservation and restoration of natural resources in a manner that maintains and improves the ecological integrity, function, diversity and productivity for future generations
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Social and Socioeconomic Values: Create opportunities for aesthetic, cultural, recreation, research and educational use of the Ballona Ecosystem that are compatible with the environmentally sensitive resources of the area.
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Public Access: Design enhanced access to and within the Ballona Ecosystem consistent with ecosystem preservation and restoration values in a safe, consistent, coherent and functional manner
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Cultural Access and Preservation: Initiate formal and informal consultation with representatives of the Gabrielino/Tongva Tribal Council to develop guidelines that contribute to the preservation of sacred and cultural sites
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Recreational Use: Design site to accommodate an appropriate level of fishing, boating, walking, and other activities consistent with the Ecological Reserve Designation and ecosystem restoration values
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Public Safety and Security: Design public access so that the wetlands are a safe place to visit
What studies are underway to help inform the project?
The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and its partners are currently conducting a baseline-monitoring program to collect physical, chemical, biological and human use date at the Ballona Wetlands. Monitoring the site will enhance our understanding of the existing conditions in the Ballona Wetlands and data collected will be used to develop adaptive, long-term restoration and monitoring plans for the wetlands. This baseline information, coupled with long-term study and research, will establish an informed, scientifically valid watershed management plan designed to protect, prevent and reduce pollution to the wetlands. Surveys will continue to be employed across all habitats within the Ballona Wetlands, including Ballona Creek, estuarine wetland habitats, freshwater and riparian habitats, seasonal marshes, transitional areas and upland habitats.
Topics included in the current monitoring program:
- Physical and Chemical Monitoring
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Biological Monitoring
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Human Activity
Project Organization
Who owns and operates the Ballona Wetlands?
The Ballona Wetlands is owned by the state of California and managed by the California Department of Fish and Game as a state ecological reserve. The California Coastal Conservancy and California State Lands Commission are participating partners in the planning and restoration efforts of the wetlands.
Who is funding the restoration project?
In 2004, the Coastal Conservancy approved state bond funds to support the planning and restoration of the Ballona Wetlands. The Ballona Wetlands is the largest and best opportunity to restore estuarine habitat in Los Angeles County. Restoration of Ballona Wetlands will provide crucial habitat for threatened and endangered species, while also providing opportunities for the public to access and appreciate this natural treasure.
Who makes the final decisions about this project?
The Project Management Team will make decisions with regard to the restoration project. The project management team is composed of staff from the Coastal Conservancy, the Department of Fish and Game, the State Lands Commission and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission. The team has committed to a transparent, science-based planning process. Throughout the project, the Project Management Team has obtained input from the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Working Group, the Ballona Wetlands Science Advisory Committee and the Agency Advisory Committee.
How were the restoration alternatives developed?
Alternatives were developed in 2006 at an all-day collaborative design session that included more than 100 participants. The session was open to members of the public and included concerned citizens, agency staff, elected officials and scientists. Participants provided input on restoration alternatives based on the project goals and existing conditions. Input from the session was refined into five restoration alternatives that covered a very wide range of restoration options.
How were the restoration alternatives evaluated?
The consultant team, led by Phillip Williams and Associates, evaluated the feasibility of all five of these alternatives. In addition, with input from the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Working Group (BWRWG), the alternatives were evaluated against the project’s goals and objectives (described above). Based on input from the BWRWG and the SAC, two alternatives were determined to have the best potential to achieve the project’s goals.
These two alternatives have been further refined based on direction from the BWRWG, SAC and the Agency Advisors. In addition, the Project Management Team and its consultants held a series of meetings to identify critical constraints, such as public infrastructure, existing easements and potential cultural resources. The revised alternatives were further refined based on the information gathered at these meetings.
Technical Reports and other documents can be found at: http://www.santamonicabay.org/smbay/Portals/0/ballona/SAC%20recommendation.pdf
http://www.santamonicabay.org/smbay/ProgramsProjects/HabitatRestorationProject/BallonaWetlandsRestoration/BallonaDocuments/tabid/153/Default.aspx
How will public access be affected during and after restoration?
One of the main goals of the project is to create public access opportunities at the Ballona Wetlands. Currently there is no public access to the state owned property. However school children, college students and other members of the public can access the site through organized tours and educational programs run by nonprofit organizations or educational institutions.
The Project Management Team is working with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to create additional opportunities for the public to access the site. Larger public access improvements, such as new walking trails, boardwalks and overlooks will be incorporated into the restoration project.
When will the restoration begin?
Before any restoration activities can begin, the Project Management Team must complete CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) and NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) requirements and obtain permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, the National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Game. It is anticipated that the restoration will begin in 2012.
The project will be implemented in phases in an effort to achieve the most benefit to the wetlands and the public with minimal impact.
Environmental Review
What are NEPA and CEQA and how do they apply to the restoration project?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) are federal and state laws, respectively, that require federal, state and/or local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of a project and, if feasible, to avoid or mitigate those impacts. The environmental review mandated by NEPA/CEQA imposes both procedural and substantive requirements, including identification of all project impacts, evaluation of alternatives and public notice. The environmental review and permitting process is anticipated to take approximately 18 to 24 months, beginning in 2010.
Under NEPA and CEQA, the Ballona Wetlands Restoration project is required to prepare a rigorous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to thoroughly evaluate all short-term and long-term environmental impacts and benefits of the project and alternatives so that a successful and comprehensive project can be implemented.
For more information about the NEPA process please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/
For more information about the CEQA process please visit: http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/
Who is preparing the CEQA analyses?
A multi-disciplinary team led by ICF International has been selected to prepare the EIR and oversee associated data collection and analyses. The ICF team has extensive experience working with complex habitat restoration projects such as the Malibu Lagoon Restoration and Enhancement Plan.