Otay Reed Mitigation Site

Otay Reed Mitigation Site

The project involves the approval of the Otay Reed Mitigation Site project (project) in accordance with the Substantial Conformance Review (Process Two) for consistency with the Municipal Waterways Maintenance Plan Site Development Permit and Final Environmental Impact Report (PTS No. 616992, SDP No. 2392210, EIR SCH No. 2017071022). The project involves the development of a compensatory mitigation area consisting of the creation, restoration, and enhancement of wetland habitat at the Otay Reed Wetland Mitigation site. The project, through implementation of a Wetland Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (HMMP), will provide mitigation for impacts to aquatic resources (as required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE], Regional Water Quality Control Board [RWQCB], California Department of Fish and Wildlife [CDFW], and City) from the 2015-2016 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) emergency channel maintenance projects that occurred in the Pueblo San Diego watershed at Auburn Creek (specifically Map 70 of the Master Storm Water System Maintenance Program [MMP] and Home Segment 1 of the MWMP). It would also provide Advanced Permittee Responsible Mitigation (APRM) for future maintenance projects in the Primary Service Area (San Diego Bay, San Diego River and Tijuana River Watershed Management Areas [WMAs]) and the Secondary Service Area (Mission Bay, Los Penasquitos, and San Dieguito River WMAs). Projects located within the Primary Service Area will be given priority over those located in the Secondary Service Area for fulfillment of mitigation at the Otay Reed Mitigation site. The HMMP proposes a total of up to 5.00 acres of USACE/RWQCB jurisdictional wetland waters mitigation,- 5.04 acres of CDFW riparian habitat mitigation, and 5.21 acres of City mitigation that includes 5.04 acres of wetland and 0.17-acre of upland habitats. The proposed mitigation site is approximately 6.48 acres and includes approximately 581.5 linear feet of the Olay River. The total project acreage includes the proposed 5.04-acre wetland mitigation areas, 0.17-acre upland mitigation area, 1.21-acre weed free buffer area, 0.01- acre guy wire access area, and 0.07-acre staging/stockpiling area (including 0.02-acre overlap with proposed weed free buffer area). Proposed wetland habitat mitigation consists of up to 5.04 acres of wetland habitat establishment (creation), restoration (re-establishment/ rehabilitation), and enhancement to offset impacts resulting from the Storm water Department's past MMP and future MWMP channel maintenance activities outside the Coastal Zone and within the WMAs listed above. Specifically, and depending on the agency, the mitigation site will provide up to 0.21 acre of wetland establishment (creation), 0.22 acre of re-establishment (restoration), 1.67 acres of wetland rehabilitation (restoration), 2.94 acres of wetland enhancement, and 0.17 acre of upland restoration (Tier 1 - maritime succulent scrub). Mitigation will be achieved through the establishment (creation)/re-establishment (restoration) of wetland habitat in place of disturbed land and Eucalyptus Woodland (EW); rehabilitation (restoration) of EW, disturbed wetland (Arundo-dominated), and tamarisk scrub; and enhancement of Southern Willow Scrub (SWS) and Mule Fat Scrub (MFS). Grading activities will involve the use of large earth-moving equipment (i.e. motor grader, excavator, backhoe loader, bulldozer, and dump truck) to excavate 0.5-acre of the total 6.48-acre project site. At the northern portion of the project site, grading will involve lowering existing elevations between 0.5 and 18 feet below the existing ground level, designed to decrease the potential for erosion. Minimal grading will occur on the southern portion of the project site to lower the elevation, by one to two feet, to the elevation of the surrounding wetlands. Targeted removal of invasive non-native species, including tree species and annual herbaceous non-native species, will occur within the entire project site, and may occur prior to or during grading activities. Appropriate herbicide (i.e., wetland-approved herbicides) may be used during non-native plant control, if necessary. Once grading and non-native plant removal has been completed, a mixture of container plantings, cuttings, and seed will be installed in the mitigation area, as specified in the planting plan of the HMMP. This mitigation project conforms with the City's MSCP Subarea Plan because the mitigation area will be converted from its current disturbed habitat state into improved native habitat (via grading, non-native plant removal, native planting/seeding, and maintenance) that will provide increased and improved hydrologic, biogeochemical, and habitat functions and services. Specifically, drainage functions will be improved, and non-native plant species will be treated and removed, reducing seed sources and providing improved habitat for native flora and fauna, anticipated to commence in Fall 2024 (outside of the City's bird breeding season; January 15 to September 15) and is expected to last approximately four months. The project site is located partially within the MHPA of the City's MSCP; therefore, an MHPA Boundary Line Adjustment in accordance with the MWMP Section 4.2.1.2 and the substantial conformance review process adopted with Ordinance No. 0-21201 is proposed to fully encompass the project site into the MHPA.

San Diego

San Diego

Citywide, Countywide

San Diego