Location: Los Angeles County
Project Type: Restoration Planning
Status: Current
Cost: $23,086,251
Funding Gap: $12,000,000
Area Affected: 41 acres
Project Footprint: 1500 feet stream miles
Assembly District: 50
Senate District: 27
Congressional District: 33
Project Lead/Grantee:
Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, Rosi Dagit (rdagit@rcdsmm.org)
For more information, visit scwrp.org
The Topanga Lagoon Restoration Planning Project will advance the long-term planning effort for the restoration of Topanga Lagoon. Steelhead in the Santa Monica Bay are on the brink of extinction and Topanga Creek is the only stream with a reproducing population. However, the conditions in Topanga Lagoon are not optimal to support growth and rearing opportunities for steelhead and the existing narrow channel opening under the bridge over Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) limits the opportunities for steelhead to enter Topanga creek or for smolts to emigrate. The remnant lagoon is currently less than one acre and is bordered by 30-foot tall banks of fill.
Between 2019 and 2024, numerous technical studies were completed resulting in the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report was circulated for a 60 day review period between February 12, 2024 and April 12, 2024. The current project covers approximately 91 acres and all project alternatives include development of parking, advanced onsite wastewater management, and other visitor services along Topanga Canyon Blvd. The alternatives included: 1) No Project, 2) Maximum Lagoon Restoration, 3) Maximum Historic Preservation, and 4) Maximum Sea Level Rise Resilience. Twelve local, state and federal agencies, nine non-governmental organizations and 81 individuals provided comments. After extensive review and preparation of Response to Comments, the three project landowners identified the preferred hybrid alternative which was released in the Final Environmental Impact Report on July 12, 2024 for a 30 day review period.
The preferred hybrid alternative combines the Alternative 3 bridge and roadway with the Alternative 3 footprint that retains up to 15 structures of the Topanga Ranch Motel on the north side of PCH. The footprint of Alternative 2 was selected for the south side of PCH as it has preferred placement of the helipad. The FEIR is anticipated to be certified by the end of August 2024 and the project will proceed into the design phase.
