Last week, dredging of the San Elijo Lagoon mouth began in an effort to increase the tidal flow from the ocean. Overtime, sediment from the 77 square mile watershed collects in the lagoon and lagoon mouth, so periodic dredging is required to maintain a balance of fresh and salt water. The mouth is dredged once every few years.
Image 1: panorama of lagoon mouth at Highway 101 (click for larger image)
The process to dredge the lagoon mouth is very involved and requires heavy machinery. The tidal flow is stopped for several days by plugging up the lagoon with sand so the flow of water won’t interrupt construction. This means that the lagoon isn’t being flushed with salt water twice a day by the high tides, so the health of the estuary is compromised during this process. However, the sand removal only takes a few days so this project will enhance the health of the lagoon in the long run.
Image 2: barrier created so the equipment can move the dirt.
Image 3: Heavy equipment used to move sand and sediment.
Image 4: The sand is placed on the beach to be distributed by the waves.
Image 5: Lagoon mouth plugged up on east side of 101.
1 comment:
I think this is a great thing for the area.
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