After its initial announcement last May, Colorado Lagoon improvements will officially kick off next week, adding to the many ecological resources meant to enhance the lives of marine animals and birds, the city announced this week.
The improvements are slated to start Monday, September 19. While the playgrounds and picnic areas will remain open, the water area will remain closed through early 2017, the project’s estimated time of completion.
Reported just after Heal the Bay awarded the lagoon an “A” grade for its water quality, after years of improvements, the next phase will focus almost exclusively on the “ecological value” of the lagoon, according to the release.
“The Colorado Lagoon is a huge success story,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “We have greatly improved the water quality, and we are continuing to restore it as a unique natural gem in Long Beach.”
According to a city press release, crews will make the water shallower by dredging and moving sediment from the central basin to the north arm of the lagoon, near Monrovia Avenue, which will facilitate “hydrological conditions for eelgrass, salt marsh, sage scrub and freshwater plants to grow.”
Other improvements include:
- Replacing the asphalt road with a vegetated bioswale and pedestrian trail
- Extending the floating pier and footbridge to span the expanded subtidal areas
- Adding 16 new piles to support the structure
- Repainting the pier replacing the stairs with ADA-compliant ramps
- Installing pedestrian amenities such as log seating, benches, bike racks and interpretative signage
“This phase of the restoration will build on years of hard work and continue to help realize the community’s vision for a clean, healthy, and accessible Lagoon that will support a diverse range of aquatic plants and animal communities,” said Councilwoman Suzie Price in a statement.
For more information on the repairs, click here.