The Long Beach Harbor Commission gave its unanimous approval on July 8 to provide more than $26 million in funding for the city’s Colorado Lagoon Restoration project, which will allow the city to create an open channel from the lagoon to Marine Stadium in exchange for environmental mitigation credits that would allow for future development at the port, the mayor’s office announced this week.
“Now, by restoring the channel to the ocean, we will not only improve the environment for marine and coastal life, [but] we will [also] create a new, unique recreational experience for residents and visitors— including the many athletes who train and condition here,” Mayor Robert Garcia stated in an email newsletter.
The project calls for re-establishing the tidal flow between the Colorado Lagoon and Alamitos Bay via an open channel, aimed at increasing the biodiversity of marine and saltwater species while simultaneously enhancing the coastal ocean environment, the port stated in a press release.
The project still requires final approval from the city council, and will take several years to complete, the press release stated.
The Long Beach Public Works Department would be responsible for implementing this final step of the restoration project, the port said.
