How San Diego's ReWilders Are Turning the Tide on Habitat Loss
By Savannah Stallings
A new report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reveals that as of 2019, wetlands—95 percent of which are freshwater—occupied less than 6 percent of the contiguous United States, a figure that represents half of their extent since the 1780s. The report further indicates a 50 percent increase in loss rates since 2009, cautioning that without further conservation efforts, the decline of these ecosystems will persist, diminishing their benefits for people, as well as their role as habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants.
However, there’s been a mighty force behind wetland advocacy here in San Diego. For almost 10 years, local environmentalists have been displaying the community’s commitment to the future of wetlands, demonstrating that we can defy the prevailing trend of wetland degradation in our backyard.
Wetlands rank among the most fertile and species-rich environments, providing a home or breeding ground for 40 percent of all plant and animal species, including numerous threatened and endangered ones, like Ridgeway’s Rail. In fact, about half of the species protected under the Endangered Species Act in the United States depend on wetlands. These habitats are crucial for over 4 billion migratory birds and serve as nursery grounds for many vital fish species.
In addition, wetlands offer significant social and economic benefits, such as water purification, shoreline stabilization, and deep cultural significance to Native Americans. These are just some of the reasons why efforts to restore wetlands in Mission Bay have been ongoing since 2015, through the ReWild Mission Bay project.
Wetland degradation has been a nationwide issue since at least the mid-1990s, driven by urban development, agriculture, and other anthropogenic factors. For example, Mission Bay, or ‘False Bay’ in San Diego was a 4,000 acre tidal marsh before being transformed into a man-made park starting in the late 1940s, through dredging and fill. Now, only 1% of the historic wetlands remain in the bay, at Kendall-Frost Marsh and its adjacent parcels. Similar tales of wetland conversion, and losses, are prevalent across the Southeast and Great Lakes regions.
Simultaneously, initiatives to revive and rehabilitate these areas have been gaining momentum, alongside a greater Rewilding movement. Examples include a golf course that went wild in Santa Barbara, NOAA’s Barataria Basin restoration project in Louisiana, and the Glacial Ridge Project in Minnesota, which is restoring both native prairie and wetlands. Across the nation, groups are advocating for and actively participating in wetland restoration efforts.
Here in San Diego, ReWilders have championed the restoration of 225 acres of tidal wetland in the De Anza Natural Plan, aiming to return 5% of the bay to its natural state. The plan is supposed to be helping the City of San Diego reach its Climate Action Plan goals for wetland restoration, but the implementation by 2030 may be a harder fought battle.
The future of wetlands holds promise, despite the historical losses. By leading in wetland restoration, San Diego can counter the national trend and create positive news and momentum. It’s easy to be daunted by the magnitude of the task ahead, but it's important to take a moment to acknowledge the progress made. Celebrate your involvement, advocate for continued action, and embrace the tangible progress of wetland restoration in our community, steering away from the path of ongoing decline.
Continued Decline of Wetlands Documented in New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report, Mar 22, 2024. https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2024-03/continued-decline-wetlands-documented-new-us-fish-and-wildlife-service-report
Savannah Stallings is the Conservation Advocacy Coordinator for the San Diego Audobon Society