A plan for the restoration of Topanga Lagoon and a portion of the historic Topanga Ranch Motel has been approved by California State Parks, officials announced. The approved restoration plan, identified in the Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) as Preferred Hybrid Alternative 3A, was developed and selected after extensive public, agency, and land manager feedback.
With State Parks’ certification of the FEIR and approval of Preferred Hybrid Alternative 3A, the project embarks on the design phase. Members of the public can learn more about the project and its key elements, and review the FEIR on the project’s website at TopangaLagoonRestoration.org/whats-new. The FEIR describes the range of design alternatives that were considered for the project, identifies the preferred hybrid alternative, and states the reasoning behind how this design was selected. The project will not only protect two critically endangered fish and associated habitats but will improve coastal access and visitor services, while building the resilience of beach areas.
Additional public meetings will be scheduled to get public input on the design and use of the visitor services features. The public is also invited to provide their feedback via the project website’s inquiry form. Website visitors may also sign up for the project’s mailing list. The Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project is a multiagency cooperative effort that seeks to protect and restore the Topanga Lagoon ecosystem, one of the last coastal wetlands in Southern California. The restoration seeks to preserve and expand the unique biological, cultural and recreational resources of Topanga Lagoon. The lagoon is a natural filtration system, stormwater buffer and hosts rare and endangered species. The project also aims to create an integrated program for coastal access, emergency response and interpretation, and proactively address the effects of sea level rise. The project site is east of Malibu and includes Topanga State Park, managed by California State Parks; Topanga Beach, managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors; and Caltrans Right of Way along PCH and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. The RCDSMM is the project’s grant manager. Funding for the project has been provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board, State Coastal Conservancy, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California State Parks, as well as through the efforts of former Assemblymember Richard Bloom.
