California Construction News staff writer
Construction is underway on a $6 million project to restore the Loma Alta Slough, a coastal wetland at the mouth of Loma Alta Creek in South Oceanside.
Work began in June and is expected to continue through April 30, 2027. Blue Pacific Engineering & Construction Inc. is serving as the project’s prime contractor.
The city has secured more than $6 million in state and federal grants since 2018 to fund planning, design, permitting and construction. Funding comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Ocean Protection Council.
The 5.8-acre habitat restoration project will focus on restoring tidal function, expanding wetland habitat and improving the area’s resilience to flooding and sea-level rise.
Loma Alta Slough serves as the outlet for the 6,300-acre Loma Alta Creek watershed. Historically, the coastal wetland covered about 44 acres of salt marsh, but development, roads and infrastructure have reduced the wetland to less than 10 acres.
The slough currently functions as an intermittently tidal estuary. A sand berm at Buccaneer Beach opens and closes throughout the year, creating changing freshwater and saltwater conditions that support wildlife.
Construction will include excavation of historic urban fill to lower ground elevations and allow tidal water to move more naturally through the marsh.
Crews also will remove invasive vegetation and plant native species across a range of habitats, including coastal salt marsh, brackish marsh and upland coastal sage scrub.
The project will include construction of gradual transition slopes, known as ecotones, designed to allow the wetland to migrate inland and uphill as sea levels rise.
A 1,050-foot nature trail also will be constructed, with educational interpretive signs connecting South Coast Highway to Buccaneer Beach and future segments of the Coastal Rail Trail.
The restoration is expected to expand habitat and improve conditions for sensitive coastal species, including the endangered tidewater goby and the rare light-footed Ridgway’s rail.
The restored wetland also is expected to improve coastal water quality by allowing wetland soils and native plant roots to filter pollutants and sediment before runoff reaches the ocean at Buccaneer Beach.
New tidal channels will provide additional capacity for the slough to absorb stormwater during heavy winter rains, helping reduce flood risks.
Construction is scheduled to continue through April 30, 2027, as crews complete earthwork, habitat restoration, trail construction and other improvements.
For project inquiries, please contact Project Manager Bronti Cash at (760) 435-5914 or email bc***@*********ca.org.
