Coastal Wetlands Recovery Projects               [ Forward | Back | Home ]
Trip Guide: Steve Aceti, CalCoast Executive Director, and member of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (SCWRP); Doug Gibson, Co-Chair, SCWRP San Diego County Task Force; Hany Elwany, President, Coastal Environments.

The north county San Diego coast consistes of uplifted marine terraces and numerous coastal lagoons that cut through the terraces. Lagoons and river valleys now provide natural barriers between coastal communities. In the past, these low-lying areas were considered swamps and they were filled and diked for roads, railroads, homes, agricultural uses and power plants. Efforts are underway at several remaining lagoons to increase tidal flushing, reestablish wetland areas and improve the overall habitat and scenic quality. The coastal wetlands recovery tour will visit two San Diego lagoons where scientists and project managers will discuss the constraints and restoration opportunities unique to each lagoon.

At San Elijo Lagoon, flooding of Highway 101 during severe storms has resulted in significant deterioration of the coastal wetlands in this lagoon system. An innovative partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Transportation, Amtrak, and several cities has resulted in the plan to elevate Highway 101 and the railroad tracks by constructing a bridge to allow the natural flushing of the wetlands and preserve this sensitive ecosystem. San Dieguito Lagoon is being considered for an extensive restoration effort by Southern California Edison and the San Onofre Power Plant Partners. The main effort at this lagoon is to keep the mouth open and maintain regular tidal flushing to the lagoon.

LegoLand
Trip Leader:
Self-Guided Tour

This is the first LegoLand in the United States, and it's designed specifically for children ages three through 12 and their parents, adult collectors, and civil engineers who still like to build with Legos for fun. Located 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, it is ideally suited for a late afternoon visit following the conferences sessions.

LegoLand celebrates one of the most popular children's toys of all time. It contains a total of 5,000 Lego creations. While there are many "hands on" activities, some attractions such as Miniland are for viewing enjoyment only. In Miniland, over 2 million Lego bricks have been used to model detailed reproductions of New York City, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., the California coastline, and a New England harbor town - all built to 1:20 scale. The city areas are filled with moving LEGO people and vehicles. The park also contains activity areas, rides, eating areas, and specialty shops - including the Big Shop, which has the largest selection of Legos in the nation.

Legoland: http://www.lego.com/legoland/california/home.asp
Legos User's Groups: http://www.lugnet.com