Ballona Wetlands: Restoration Project Moves Forward

The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project (Project) is moving forward again, following six years of delay and millions of taxpayer dollars spent responding to lawsuits that now appear to have been big nothing-burgers.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Project will convert hundreds of acres of fill dirt into wetlands that once existed south of Marina Del Rey. In addition to the obvious fish and wildlife benefits, the restored Ecological Reserve will be ringed by well-regulated footpaths for the public to enjoy. The land is protected from development in perpetuity.

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Above: Renderings of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, as restored per the state's plan.

Members of the public are urged to express their support for the Project by sending an email to BWERcomments@wildlife.ca.gov (subject line: Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project REIR Comments). Simply state that you support the project and urge CDFW to recertify the EIR.

The lawsuits, brought by Walter Lamb's Ballona Wetlands Land Trust and three other plaintiffs, alleged more than two dozen deficiencies in the Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The assigned judge found only two deficiencies, which the CDFW has now remedied in a Revised EIR (REIR). The REIR can be found here. Public comment on the document is open until 12/07/2026.

Above: This footpath at Malibu Lagoon, with interpretive signage, is typical of the paths that will be included at Ballona.

The key lawsuit issue involved the EIR analysis of flood impacts. That is, would the proposed Project change existing flood conditions in Ballona Creek? The original EIR found no impact to flood conditions from the Project, based on a historical maximum probable flood flow of 53,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). To put that number in perspective, the largest flood flow ever recorded in Ballona Creek was 32,500 cfs in November of 1967.

The judge was nevertheless persuaded that the EIR should assume a cataclysmic flood flow of 68,000 cfs, a value estimated in one recent study. The now revised EIR reanalyzed flood impacts based on that higher value. The results: flood impacts from the Restoration Project would not change, even at the higher flood flow. No change to the Project design or footprint is necessary, and the Project can now move forward as designed into the permitting phase.

Above: With or without the Restoration Project, a once-in-500+ year cataclysmic flood of 68,000 cfs in Ballona Creek would minimally overtop the Marina Jetty near the UCLA boat dock. Boats would get wet!

Lamb and his co-plaintiffs received $560,170 in settlements from taxpayers for their lawsuits. In an email on October 22, 2026 to interested parties regarding the REIR, Lamb stated "we believe this draft is legally deficient, but only time will tell how a CEQA judge may rule."

I for one expect another lawsuit won't get very far.

Enjoy your Ballona Wetlands!

More related articles:

Ballona Wetlands: When the Winners are Really the Losers. Marina Del Rey Patch. patch.com/california/marinadelrey/ballona-wetlands-when-winners-are-really-losers

Opinion: Ballona Wetlands Shakedown. Marina Del Rey Patch. patch.com/california/marinadelrey/opinion-ballona-wetlands-shakedown

Ballona Wetlands: The Big Storms of 2024. Marina Del Rey Patch. patch.com/california/marinadelrey/ballona-wetlands-big-storms-2024

Author's disclosure of affiliations:

Dr. David W. Kay served on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Friends of Ballona Wetlands from 2007 until 2015, and served as Board President in 2012-13. He presently serves on the Board of Ballona Discovery Park in Playa Vista. Dr. Kay is a staunch advocate for the state of California's plans to restore the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.