San Diego, CA
Caltrans, SANDAG complete San Dieguito Lagoon wetland restoration project
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.
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
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