Local leaders and community advocates celebrated the completion of the second phase of the San Dieguito Lagoon wetland restoration project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 30, alongside El Camino Real.

“Today we celebrate all of the wildlife and natural beauty our region has to offer,” said Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner, who also serves as SANDAG second vice chair, in a news release. “The San Dieguito Lagoon Wetland Restoration project gives back to our community by creating a healthy habitat for our region’s biodiversity and a walkable and enjoyable destination that promotes healthier lifestyles for our residents and visitors.”

Caltrans and SANDAG began construction on the $87 million restoration project in 2021 as a mitigation for transportation projects in the region. The agencies worked together with the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority to create a project that would complement the neighboring lagoon restoration completed by Southern California Edison in 2012.

The project converted about 84 acres of degraded land and former tomato fields into the refreshed tidal wetlands and salt marsh habitat. The project also includes a new one-mile trail along the marsh, accessed from the northern loop of the Dust Devil Nature Trail off El Camino Real.

The restoration served as environmental mitigation for the I-5 Carpool/HOV Lanes and LOSSAN Double Track improvements as part of the North Coast Corridor program. The restoration project will also be used as mitigation for the City of San Diego’s El Camino Real Bridge replacement project, projected to begin construction in 2026.

“Although Caltrans is known for building highways, we have also developed a level of expertise in restoring wetland habitats and we’re proud that SANDAG chose us to do this restoration,” said Acting Caltrans District 11 Director Everett Townsend in the news release.

The restoration project will improve the overall function and health of the lagoon ecosystem and benefit wildlife species, including federally endangered and threatened birds such as the Ridgeway’s Rail, Least Bell’s Vireo, coastal California gnatcatcher and Belding’s Savannah Sparrow. According to a news release, these protected species have already been seen enjoying the restored habitat, as well as five Canadian goose goslings who hatched and left their nest for the first time this spring.

“The community, habitat, and climate resilient enhancements included in the restoration of the San Dieguito Lagoon reflect the region’s commitment to preserve wetlands,” said City of San Diego Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava, who serves as the chair of the San Dieguito River Park JPA, in a statement. “Successful projects of this magnitude require shared objectives from the start and the foresight to maintain. The San Dieguito Lagoon is a product of this collaboration and planning, proving to be an ecological asset for generations to come.”

The new trail segment has been named the Tidal Trail. The Tidal Trail not only provides a connection to the 1.75 miles of looping Dust Devil Nature Trail overlooking the lagoon, but it will eventually connect to pedestrian lanes along the new El Camino Real Bridge across the river, providing a link to the Coast to Crest Trail. According to San Dieguito River Park Executive Director Shawna Anderson, a bench along the new trail will be dedicated to the memory of two special community volunteers, Jan and Bob Fuchs.

Bob Fuchs died in December 2023 and Jan passed away six months later in June 2024. Jan Fuchs was a founding member of the San Dieguito River Park Citizens Advisory Committee and chair of its project review committee for over 20 years. A longtime member of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board and its regional issues subcommittee, she was an environmental visionary who advocated for Carmel Valley and San Diego open spaces, especially in the river park in the lagoon area. Bob, a Del Mar Rotarian for nearly 30 years, was also dedicated to his community. As a Rotarian, he helped install the planks in the boardwalk on the river park’s lagoon trail near Del Mar.

Anderson said the bench is planned for a “perfect spot” along the beautiful new habitat and close to the wildlife undercrossing under El Camino Real which Jan really fought for.