Why Do We Need to Do Something?

More than a century of abuse and neglect by humans has severely damaged the Ballona Wetlands. Natural wetlands were obliterated when tons of dirt were dug up to build Marina del Rey and dumped onto the Ballona Wetlands, creating an unnatural layer of dirt up to 25 feet thick on top of the actual wetlands. Ballona Creek was straightened and paved into a concrete channel, back when people thought that was a solution to flooding. As a result, most native plants and animals were forced out and invasive weeds have taken over more than half the Reserve. Chain-link fences keep the public out and provide a haven for illegal uses that further endanger the wildlife still trying to eke out an existence in this once-thriving estuary.

Undoing some of the damage at Ballona Wetlands would bring back plants, birds, and other wildlife.  Possibilities range from removing weeds and fixing fences, all the way to re-creating salt marshes and a meandering creek to attract the frogs, fishes, birds and wildlife that call a healthy wetlands home. A restored Ballona Wetlands could be a refuge for thousands of migratory birds and an important nursery for baby halibut, oysters, and other fish and shellfish. 

The need for action at the Ballona Wetlands is also a Federally recognized issue. In 2012, a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to address the sediment and exotic vegetation impairments by setting targets to restore a diversity of healthy wetland habitats. The goals outlined in the TMDL are to eliminate the presence of invasive exotic vegetation and ensure that water quality standards are met within the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.