San Diego City Wire

The Port of San Diego has taken yet another step toward its goal of creating a living shoreline around the city. 

The intention of this project is to create an area to attract and grow native oysters to the shoreline. As an added bonus, the project would help to protect the shoreline against what is, at this point, an inevitable sea level rise. The Port of San Diego has teamed up with the California State Coastal Conservancy organization to help make this happen. 

The project is expected to commence in the spring of this year and will take place not far from the Chula Vista Wildlife Reserve in the southern region of the San Diego Bay. The project will begin with the construction of reefs to attract oysters to the area and be complex enough to feel natural. It should also attract other water wildlife such as fish, birds and plants. In addition to creating a more vibrant underwater ecosystem in the Bay, the project will also improve water quality in the area through filtration.

“Living shorelines are an excellent resiliency strategy in the face of sea level rise due to their ability to naturally adapt and grow over time. The Port has long been concerned about sea level rise and undertakes several efforts to evaluate and assess the possible impacts. For this project, and many others, we work with our regional partners to share information, plan for and come up with solutions to protect our diverse ecosystem," Ann Moore, chair of the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, said.

On Dec. 8, the project was approved by the Board of Port Commissioners after submitting its Port Master Plan. The next step in the process is for the Port to pass along the Port Master Plan Amendment to the California Coastal Commission. There, they will certify the plan and provide the necessary permits to ensure that the project is in compliance with the California Coastal Act. 

“Sea level rise is already impacting our shorelines and we need to take immediate actions to test and implement shoreline resilience projects. This project is at the cutting edge of techniques that protect and enhance our shoreline habitats and infrastructure," Sam Schuchat, executive officer of the California State Coastal Conservancy, said.

Experts expect the project to help address that problem and several other problems that the city and region could face.