Pond 20 Wetland Mitigation Bank

The Port of San Diego engaged our team to determine the feasibility of developing a tidal wetland mitigation bank on the Pond 20 parcel and to develop the restoration plan for the site and support the project’s permitting package and regulatory reporting. Pond 20 is a 95-acre former salt evaporator pond located in southern San Diego Bay, adjacent to several restored tidal wetland complexes. In the Phase I feasibility assessment, we developed a preliminary conceptual design and restoration plan, determined an initial cost estimate for the project, verified that the wetland credits produced would be fungible with market needs, and conducted a market analysis within Southern California to codify the business case for conversion of the Site to a mitigation bank.

As prime for Phase II of planning and permitting of the bank, we developed the wetland restoration plan and coordinated with the Interagency Review Team (IRT) for development of the mitigation banking instrument. To inform the restoration plan and other project elements, we conducted baseline site condition surveys, a preliminary biological resources survey, soil sampling and characterization, and a wetland delineation. Restoration design included preliminary development of the planting, irrigation, and grading plans; and preparation of construction documents to the 60% design level.

When completed, Pond 20 will be one of the largest tidal wetland mitigation banks in California, providing critical habitat for migrating birds, numerous native tidal wetland species, eelgrass, and upland vegetation. In addition to providing over 70 acres of new habitat, Pond 20 provides benefits in the form of carbon sequestration and sea level rise and storm surge protection for the surrounding Imperial Beach community. Improved public access to native wetland habitat was also an important goal for this project, as the existing Bayshore Bikeway runs along the northern edge of the Pond 20 parcel with direct sight lines into the wetland.

Construction is set to begin in 2025.