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The Falconer

The Falconer
The Falconer

San Elijo Lagoon wildlife decline

The marine life in the San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve is facing a population decline due to the drop in water levels as an excess of sand spills into the lagoon, according to NBC 7 San Diego.

In 2022, a $120 million dollar restoration project of the San Elijo Lagoon was completed by Nature Collective, a nonprofit organization in San Diego County that works to restore habitats and keep ecosystems like the San Elijo Lagoon healthy. The project was funded by the half-cent Transnet tax, a local tax administered by San Diego Association of Governments and used for San Diego’s transportation infrastructures. According to NBC 7 San Diego, the restoration project succeeded in installing a pipeline to aid the lagoon’s tidal flow, which “increased flow by about three times [more].” However, more sand entered along with the increased tidal flow.

“This year we had to open [the inlet to the lagoon] twice, and we were finding the rate of [sand] accumulation was higher than it ever has been in the past, and we were unable to keep up with that,” Jennifer Bright, the COO and Chief Philanthropy Director of Nature Collective, in an interview with ABC 10news San Diego said.

The overflow of sand has forced an inlet closure that is fatal for marine life in the lagoon. These conditions cause insufficient oxygen levels in the brackish water, putting the entire ecosystem at risk. Furthermore, the lagoon’s hypoxic, or oxygen deficient, state was further increased by the recent heat wave, which raised water temperatures, according to Nature Collective.

These conditions have caused visible damage to many organisms. An abundance of dead, floating fish have recently been spotted by local residents, according to ABC 10news San Diego.

According to the Nature Collective, “Over 1,000 plant and animal species pass through – or make their home in – San Elijo. Many are rare or endangered.” As a vital part of the region’s ecosystem, the lagoon is protected for its biodiversity.

As the sand continues to stream into the San Elijo Lagoon, Nature Collective is hoping to raise enough funds for an aquatic dredge to remove the sand and open up the inlet. In an interview with NBC 7 San Diego, Bright said that Nature Collective will need at least $1 million for the aquatic dredge.

Nature Collective aims to “clear the sand as soon as possible [and restore] tidal flow” before this year ends.

by Joanne Liu

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