This tiny wetland area in SLO County is getting a nearly $1 million makeover
A small wetland area in southern San Luis Obispo County will soon see massive restoration efforts to a freshwater pond, wetlands and coastal dune scrub.
The California State Coastal Conservancy received a $584,909 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to “restore and enhance” a freshwater pond, freshwater wetlands and coastal scrub in a 45-acre area in the Black Lake Ecological Area near Nipomo.
The Conservancy will then contribute $342,981 to the restoration efforts, bringing the total project cost to $927,890, according to the Service.
“This project, when complete, will restore and enhance marsh and wetland habitat, and coastal dune scrub habitat for native animal and plant species,” federal fish and wildlife biologist Becky Miller said in a news release about the grant. “We’re excited that this project also includes work to restore and enhance a freshwater pond which will help improve subsurface groundwater recharge and provides a more diverse wetland habitat for years to come.”
The area, managed by the Dunes Collaborative, is impacted by groundwater pumping, decreased subsurface recharge, increased sedimentation and proliferation of non-native and invasive species, according to the Service.
Access to the 160-acre Black Lake area is closed to the public, except in guided tours by The Land Conservancy.
The area is home to about 25 sensitive plant species, including two species on the federal endangered species list: Gambel’s watercress and marsh sandwort, according to the Conservancy. Federally threatened and sensitive species such as the California red-legged frog, western pond turtle, legless lizard, coast horned lizard and western monarch butterfly all live in the area as well, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Restoration efforts will directly benefit the species, the agency said.
“Coastal areas are highly vulnerable to climate change, and many have already been dramatically altered and stressed by storms, sea level rise, human activity and invasive species,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife wrote in the release. “Coastal wetland habitat conservation is critical to ensure that important habitat, wildlife and coastal communities continue to thrive for future generations.”
The award to the Black Lake area is part of a $27 million grant package from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife for several wetland ecosystem areas around the United States.
State, local and tribal governments, private landowners, conservation groups and others will contribute more than $22.2 million in additional funds to the projects, U.S. Fish and Wildlife said in the release.
The Black Lake area is one of eight sites in California that has received a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildliffe. The others include the Elk River Estuary in Humboldt County, the Elkhorn slough tidal marsh near Monterey Bay, the Loma Alta slough wetlands in Oceanside, the San Franscisco Bay wetlands and the San Diego Bay oyster living shoreline.
The grants of up to $1 million were awarded to states based on a national competition, “which enables states to determine and address their highest conservation priorities in coastal areas,” the release said.
