Lagoon Restoration

The 220-acre freshwater Buena Vista Lagoon is located within the cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad. While portions of the lagoon are privately owned, most of it is owned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and managed as a State Ecological Reserve.

This wetland habitat is home to more than 100 bird, 18 mammal, and 14 amphibian and reptile species, with more than 200 bird species observed during spring and fall migrations. Over time, increased sediment, overgrown cattail plants, pollution, and restricted circulation from bridges and dams have led to mosquito issues and degraded the lagoon’s value to wildlife and humans.

In 2012, after years of negotiation, the cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad asked SANDAG to become the lead agency to complete the environmental review for the project. Under SANDAG’s leadership, the invested parties achieved consensus on restoration plans. The SANDAG Board of Directors certified the project’s environmental impact report and approved the Modified Saltwater Alternative in 2020.

Between 2021 and 2022, SANDAG received $4 million in state grant funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to move the project forward into design. We anticipate reaching the 30% design milestone at the end of 2025. Our next steps will be to seek additional funding to reach the 60% design milestone.

Project Partners

• Buena Vista Lagoon Audubon Society
• Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Caltrans
• City of Carlsbad
• City of Oceanside
• North County Transit District (NCTD)
• Private lagoon landowners
• Tribal partners

The San Dieguito Lagoon project area covers approximately 154 acres of land east of I-5 and adjacent to the San Dieguito River. It serves as a critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and sensitive bird species, provides essential nursery grounds for coastal fisheries, and creates a buffer against flooding and sea level rise.

In partnership with the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority, we began construction on Phase 2 of the San Dieguito Lagoon Wetland Restoration project in 2022. This work is expanding and enhancing the efforts of Southern California Edison (SCE), which began restoring wetlands in the lagoon in 2011 (Phase I). Phase 2 of the project serves as mitigation for the North Coast Corridor (NCC) program—a joint effort between SANDAG and Caltrans—and the City of San Diego’s El Camino Real Bridge and the San Dieguito River Park Coast to Crest Trail projects.

The project accomplished three primary objectives:

1. It created and restored wetland habitat by establishing approximately 64 acres of tidal salt marsh and 15 acres of brackish wetlands and enhancing an additional 5 acres of riparian habitat.
2. It protected against future sea level rise and floods by creating a sustainable system that provides transitional habitat between the restored salt marsh and the existing San Dieguito River channel.
3. It improved trail connectivity and public access by creating a new trail along the southeastern edge of the project area, parallel to El Camino Real, that links to the Dust Devil Nature Trail at the southern end and (will eventually link) to the Coast to Crest Trail at the northern end.

We completed construction on this project in 2024. SANDAG and Caltrans are currently overseeing the long-term monitoring of the project through 2034. This project was funded primarily by TransNet with some federal funding.

Project Partners

• 22nd Agricultural District
• Caltrans
• City of Del Mar
• City of San Diego
• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
• San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority
• Southern California Edison (SCE)

The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve spans 979 acres in the city of Encinitas and hosts over 700 species of plants and wildlife, including some rare and endangered species. Like the other lagoons in our region, this area serves as a critical ecosystem for wildlife and humans.

Over the years, narrow tidal channels and human infrastructure led to poor water circulation, increased sediment, and invasive plants. The County of San Diego finalized the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for this project in February 2016, and construction began in December 2017. The project included new mudflats and tidal dredging to provide vital habitat, wider bridge spans and enhanced tidal channels to deliver tidal flow farther and deeper into the lagoon, and new trails to connect our communities.

Enhancement of San Elijo Lagoon served as net-benefit mitigation for the North Coast Corridor (NCC) program—a joint effort between SANDAG and Caltrans. Caltrans completed construction of the project in 2020. This project was funded by TransNet.

With restoration complete, we will continue to work with our partners over the next several decades to monitor the impact of our work.

Project Partners

• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Caltrans
• County of San Diego
• Nature Collective