On Tuesday, the Carlsbad City Council awarded $373,687 in grants to support certain agricultural, coastal or wetland restoration projects that enhance quality of life in Carlsbad, including a “living shoreline” project that will restore a section of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Funding for the grants comes from fees that are paid by developers when agricultural land in the city’s coastal zone is used for development. A seven-member citizens committee appointed by the City Council reviewed the grant applications and recommended the projects for funding.
The largest grant, $230,000, was awarded to Carlsbad Aquafarms to create a living shoreline project on 3,500 square meters (or 11,483 square feet) of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, east of I-5 near the strawberry fields.
Living shorelines use natural materials such as plants, sand or rocks to stabilize a coastal edge. Unlike a concrete seawall or other hard structure, which inhibit plant growth, living shorelines grow over time.
The Carlsbad Aquafarm project involves installing native Olympia oyster reefs and Eelgrass meadows along a section of the lagoon.
The aquafarm project would install native Olympia oyster reefs and Eelgrass meadows to provide a foraging area and habitat for a diverse community of fish, invertebrates and birds, helping to improve water quality and stabilize the shoreline.
Any more details? How would it impact or benefit the aquafarm?
The project will take about three years to complete, including planning, restoration and post-restoration monitoring.
Other grants awarded include:
$62,000 to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation for improvements to its Discovery Center, including replacing doors and new interior flooring.
$50,000 to the Flower Fields for a pilot project in a controlled area testing whether recycled water mixed with drinking water can be used in flower production. (Recycled water on its own has too much salt.)
$30,687 to the Buena Vista Audubon Society to spruce up and increase energy efficiency at its Nature Center.
Nicole Piano-Jones, Program Manager, nicole.pianojones@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2191
