Ballona Wetlands: New Walking Trails Opened at San Elijo Project

Above: The San Elijo Lagoon, near Encinitas, and its tidal inlet. Like the Ballona Wetlands and most other southern California tidal wetlands, San Elijo was gradually filled in over a century. Bulldozers unfilled it over the past 18 months. Photo: Marathon Construction Co.

I believe one of the best ways people can learn about the coming Ballona Wetlands Restoration is to experience similar restorations already completed and talk to the people in those neighborhoods. San Elijo Lagoon is one such place.

Not quite two hours south of the Ballona Wetlands, the 721-acre San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve was once a fully tidal wetlands system like Ballona. In the 1880s, farming and grazing activities began filling in the wetlands. Between 1934 and 1973, sewage from various sources was discharged into the lagoon, and numerous dikes and levees were installed to construct duck ponds for hunting. Highway 101, the railroad and Interstate 5 successively added more fill and interrupted the natural tidal and creek flows into the wetlands.

The property was eventually acquired to preserve and eventually restore the original coastal wetland habitat and was designated a state ecological reserve in 1983, just as was done with Ballona. The current San Elijo project digs fill dirt out of formerly infilled areas to increase tidal wetlands habitat and expands a public trail system surrounding the lagoon. See The Nature Collective’s website for detailed information about San Elijo, including public activities offered there.

Above: Native shrubs planted, irrigated and weeded next to San Elijo's constructed trails are fully grown after only a few years. Photo: Marathon Construction Co.

Bordered by the cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach, San Elijo offers 7+ miles of hiking trails via 6 trail entry points. The state's present plans for the Ballona Wetlands will similarly provide 6 miles of new foot trails and nearly 4 miles of bike paths, all accessible from multiple entry points.

Above: View northward across the newly planted Harbaugh Seaside Trail. Photo: Marathon Construction Co..

San Elijo project construction crews recently completed a coastal segment of the project's trails plan. Named after a charitable foundation that helped preserve San Elijo land, the Harbaugh Seaside Trail follows the coastline and connects with other lagoon trails to the east via a new footbridge spanning the wetlands' inlet channel (see photo below). This connecting trail will link every lagoon trail experience in one continuous journey — from salt marshes and coastal dunes — inland to riparian forests and upland habitats.

Above: Construction crews remove temporary water control pipes which allowed the permanent trail footbridge to be built without interrupting tidal flows. Photo: Marathon Construction Co.

The state similarly proposes three new footbridges at Ballona, crossing over Lincoln and Culver Boulevards, and a third across Ballona Creek at Lincoln.

Above: Landscaping plan for the Harbaugh Seaside Trail at San Elijo, showing the various constructed habitats that will be seen by the walking public. Photo: The Nature Collective.

Some people opposed to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Ballona Restoration have often criticized such restorations and trails because they are "constructed." In addition to San Elijo, new public trails are planned at the nearby 440-acre San Dieguito Wetlands just south of San Elijo. San Dieguito was also a “constructed” restoration with 6 miles of trails.

Above: Wetlands view from one of the San Dieguito walking trails.

Take a day trip to San Elijo or San Dieguito, walk the new trails yourself and talk to the neighborhood folks enjoying them. Ask them how they like their newly restored “constructed” wetlands. Then decide what you want for Ballona and tell your elected representatives.

To visit San Elijo, take I-5 south to the Manchester Avenue exit just past Encinitas. Turn left and follow the signs to the Nature Center.

To visit San Dieguito, take I-5 a few miles further south to the Via De La Valle exit. Turn left to San Andres Drive, then right. Park free after entering the gate at the trails entrance.

Enjoy your Ballona, San Elijo and San Dieguito Wetlands!

References:

1. Final EIR for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/5/Ballona-EIR

2. San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy. https://thenaturecollective.org/

3. San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy. https://sdrvc.org/

4. Personal communication. Mike Furby, Marathon Construction Company, San Diego, CA. March 2020.