11/18/2017
This Is the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve
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The Ballona Wetlands were once a 2,000-acre expanse of marshes, mud flats, salt pans, and sand dunes that stretched from Playa del Rey to Venice and inland to the Baldwin Hills. Today, only approximately 600 acres of open space remain of the former wetlands. The land is owned by the State of California and comprises the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve.
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The Reserve today looks very different from its past. A once-meandering Ballona Creek was cemented into a straight, concrete channel nearly 100 years ago. Most of the wetlands – once home to abundant fish and waterfowl – were filled in to build Marina del Rey in the 1960s. Invasive plants, or weeds, have taken over much of the Reserve, crowding out native plants and providing little sustenance for local wildlife. People used to come here to fish, hunt, swim and hike, but now, the Reserve is off-limits to the general public. After years of state budget cuts and no funding for management, illicit and damaging dumping of trash and encampments of homeless people are the most common uses of the Reserve today.
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The following infographics concisely focus on various aspects of the current state of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, including environmental impacts such as water restrictions, sediment placement, and invasive plants. Additionally the column on the left describes the restoration Alternatives proposed in the draft EIR/S. Each graphic shown opens a PDF.
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See: http://ballonarestoration.org/ballona-infographics/
