The Ballona Wetlands stretch from Playa del Rey to Venice. The site is owned by the state and managed by the California Department of Fish and Game as an ecological reserve. The California Coastal Conservancy and the California State Lands Commission are partners in the planning and restoration of the wetlands.
The development decades ago of Marina del Rey and the Ballona Creek Flood Control Channel severed the connection between the ocean and the freshwater Ballona Creek, leaving the wetlands unable to support many of the native species that once lived there.
The Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project aims to return the daily ebb and flow of tidal waters, maintain freshwater circulation and improve the overall ecosystem to give native species a chance to survive. Once restored, the wetlands could resume its role as a refuge for the millions of birds that travel from South America to Alaska each year.
Video is a G2 Gallery Production. Written and narrated by David Kay. Directed, filmed and edited by Erik Friedl. Music by Nathanael Barbey.
