Bolsa Chica Wetlands
Bolsa Chica Wetlands Restoration Project
Introduction
The Bolsa Chica Wetlands is a reserve located near Huntington Beach, California, off the Pacific Coast Highway. The wetlands cover 1,200 acres and inhabit a variety of species, including Herons, Blacked Neck Stilts, and Black Skimmers. The Wetlands also inhabit a variety of unique plant life, lizards and ground squirrels.
We will be discussing the importance of maintaining the Wetlands, for the sake of the environment and the species that inhabit the Wetlands, as some of the species are almost extinct and the battle that exists between the environmentalists and the Land Development Companies.
There is currently a proposed residential development by Hearthside Homes Company that could critically harm the habitat while adding contaminated runoff, traffic and pollution problems associated with additional housing.
There are currently eight state and federal agencies currently involved with the planning and environmental compliance processes necessary to design and obtain regulatory permits for the Restoration Project involving the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. This project will provide the best ecologically appropriate restoration for the wetland and all the combined species.
History
The Wetlands Reserve was formed through an agreement between the Amigos de Bolsa
Chica and the Signal Bolsa Corporation (Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve). The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a non-profit organization that assists the Operation of the reserve. In 1978, new culverts were installed, and allowed the wetlands to be reconnected to the ocean, which in turn, brought back the salt marsh, as it had been before. In 1989 the reserves became a freshwater marsh when access to the ocean was dike off, and the salt water was not allowed to influx (Bolsa Chica, 2004).
In 1992 the Koll Development Company proposed to build over 4,800 houses on the wetlands, and
Introduction
The Bolsa Chica Wetlands is a reserve located near Huntington Beach, California, off the Pacific Coast Highway. The wetlands cover 1,200 acres and inhabit a variety of species, including Herons, Blacked Neck Stilts, and Black Skimmers. The Wetlands also inhabit a variety of unique plant life, lizards and ground squirrels.
We will be discussing the importance of maintaining the Wetlands, for the sake of the environment and the species that inhabit the Wetlands, as some of the species are almost extinct and the battle that exists between the environmentalists and the Land Development Companies.
There is currently a proposed residential development by Hearthside Homes Company that could critically harm the habitat while adding contaminated runoff, traffic and pollution problems associated with additional housing.
There are currently eight state and federal agencies currently involved with the planning and environmental compliance processes necessary to design and obtain regulatory permits for the Restoration Project involving the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. This project will provide the best ecologically appropriate restoration for the wetland and all the combined species.
History
The Wetlands Reserve was formed through an agreement between the Amigos de Bolsa
Chica and the Signal Bolsa Corporation (Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve). The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a non-profit organization that assists the Operation of the reserve. In 1978, new culverts were installed, and allowed the wetlands to be reconnected to the ocean, which in turn, brought back the salt marsh, as it had been before. In 1989 the reserves became a freshwater marsh when access to the ocean was dike off, and the salt water was not allowed to influx (Bolsa Chica, 2004).
In 1992 the Koll Development Company proposed to build over 4,800 houses on the wetlands, and