LAGOON ENHANCEMENT PLAN
Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan: Original (1985)
With help from the California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), LPLF worked with local residents and other key stakeholder groups to develop and certify the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan and Program (Lagoon Enhancement Plan) in 1985. The Lagoon Enhancement Plan was instrumental in implementing an adaptive approach to managing the Lagoon that included restoring tidal circulation using mechanized equipment to excavate the inlet area, identifying key land parcels to acquire in the near-term, and establishing the longest continual biological monitoring program for coastal wetlands in the region.
Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan: Final (2018)
Since the Lagoon Enhancement Plan was certified in 1985, conditions within Los Peñasquitos Lagoon and its watershed have been modified because of land use changes, including the expansion of urban and industrial areas. As a result, management of the Lagoon and future restoration requires adaptive measures and new strategies, which necessitate updating the 1985 Lagoon Enhancement Plan. Since 2012, LPLF has worked closely with State Parks and other key stakeholder groups to develop comprehensive strategies to improve Los Peñasquitos Lagoon through a watershed-based approach.
Building upon their experience in developing the 1985 Lagoon Enhancement Plan, the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation developed a draft vision and set of goals and objectives needed to update the 1985 Lagoon Enhancement Plan. This effort was performed in collaboration with partners from State Parks, City of San Diego, Torrey Pines Association, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR), and the State Coastal Conservancy. Draft goals and objectives were developed to include the following key aspects: (1) native habitats and species; (2) hydrology and geomorphology; (3) water quality; (4) public health and safety; (5) global climate change; (6) public outreach, education, and access; (7) long-term maintenance; (8) regional value of Los Peñasquitos Lagoon; and (9) coastal stewardship as it applies to Los Peñasquitos Lagoon.
Stakeholder Driven Process
The update to the Lagoon Enhancement Plan was initiated through a stakeholder driven process that refined the draft goals and objectives, identified opportunities and constraints, and developed a phased approached to implementing the enhancements to meet these goals. Building on the tradition of bringing together sound science and coastal stewardship through stakeholder involvement in the development of the original 1985 Lagoon Enhancement Plan, the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation held six public workshops from October 20, 2012 to April 20, 2013. Participants in these workshops included local community members, land owners, local municipalities, partner non-profits (e.g. Torrey Pines Association and Torrey Pines Docents) and regional planning authorities. The workshops were designed to facilitate stakeholder involvement through a progressive series of steps, beginning with review and refinement of Lagoon Enhancement Plan goals and objectives. This refined set of goals and objectives was then used in subsequent workshops as the basis for participants to identify, assess, and evaluate opportunities and constraints to meet these goals. Workgroups were formed to focus around habitat, community access, and sustainability oriented goals. Participants were free to move independently between each of these workgroups to provide input. Based on the stakeholder discussions of the constraints and opportunities, a phased approach to meeting the goals and objectives was identified and further developed.
An implementation approach for lagoon improvements that include large-scale restoration of historical salt marsh was broken down into three phases, or timelines, Phase 1 (0–5 years), Phase 2 (5–25 years), and Phase 3 (25–50 years). The identified opportunities were then assigned to one of the three phases based on anticipated timelines to plan, design, and implement these opportunities, existing physical constraints (e.g., railroad berm), and, regulatory driven goals (e.g., Lagoon Sediment TMDL). The opportunities were also defined by management zones that each has a unique set of characteristics (e.g., inlet – Zone 1 compared to intact salt marsh – Zone 2). The workshops concluded with a defined set of activities and projects (opportunities) to be considered for implementation during each of the three phases. The outcomes of this stakeholder process were used to develop and assess the Project Concepts presented in Chapter 7 – Chapter 9 of the updated Lagoon Enhancement Plan.
Request for Qualifications for Consultant Services – Implementation of the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan
The Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Foundation (LPLF) seeks to create a bench of qualified on-call grant writing consultants and/or firms to provide tailored grant writing expertise and services needed to fund and implement programs and projects that support the goals and objectives of the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan. Prospective consultants and firms will need to demonstrate specific grant writing skills across various areas (biology, restoration ecology, hydrology, engineering, etc.) and the ability to support LPLF in project implementation. Responding individuals or firms must provide evidence that they have previously written grants that have successfully secured state and federal funding from government agencies and provided services that led to implementation and successful completion of grant-funded programs or projects. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been prepared and posted on Construction Bid Source (https://www.constructionbidsource.com/) and EnviroBidnet (https://www.envirobidnet.com/). A copy of the RFQ is also available by clicking on this Link.
Click on the images below to download information from the public workshops and a copy of the final Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Enhancement Plan.
Public Workshops
Lagoon Enhancement Plan: Final (2018)
Lagoon Enhancement Plan – Appendices