Re-Wild Mission Bay Conceptual Plan

This project will develop conceptual plans to enhance and restore 170 acres of tidal wetland habitat in the northeast corner of Mission Bay, including the enhancement of 40 acres of existing tidal wetland habitat, and the creation of approximately 100 acres of tidal marsh and mudflat habitat and 30 acres of transitional/upland habitat.

As in much of Southern California, wetlands in Mission Bay have been drastically altered and destroyed over the past 200 years. Approximately 5 percent of the historic wetlands (i.e., salt marsh, mudflat, salt pan) in Mission Bay remain today. This systemwide destruction has left much of Mission Bay without the functional benefit of wetlands to provide sediment trapping, nutrient uptake, and habitat/cover for native biota. Anticipated sealevel rise poses a significant threat to the remaining wetlands, since little transitional habitat is available for migration. The planning area is the most likely area in Mission Bay where wetlands and their associated ecosystem processes can be recovered. In addition to the wetland habitat, the planning area also includes areas that could be restored to native upland habitats, areas for upslope marsh migration as sea levels rise, and public recreation and education opportunities.