Executive Summary
of sand, rock, rock type, vertical relief and depth of sand cover. Key indicator species (plants and
invertebrates) would be inventoried for type and abundance. Photographs and video would be used for
recordation. Sediment markers and buoys would be established. For the first two years, monitoring would
occur periodically and thereafter annually. Sampling reports would be required as surveyed, annual reports
every year, and then a final report at the conclusion of monitoring (after four years).
The Navy committed to a four-year lagoon monitoring program at Agua Hedionda Lagoon, Batiquitos
Lagoon, San Elijo Lagoon, San Dieguito Lagoon, and Los Peasquitos Lagoon to evaluate lagoon mouth
closures and/or increased sand accumulation rates. SANDAG is currently participating in an annual lagoon
monitoring program as part ofthat program. The intent of lagoon monitoring would be to determine to what
extent sand deposition and lagoon mouth closures are related to the Regional Beach Sand Project versus
other sand sources and coastal processes. The determination would be made by the USACOE in
consultation with the resource agencies. Project monitoring would rely on a comparison of surveyed beach
transects which bracket each lagoon mouth between current year changes and historical data, comparison
of triangulated irregular network (TIN) maps and transects to recent lagoon monitoring, aerial overflights,
as well as an evaluation of non-project inputs (i.e., other beach replenishment projects including
maintenance dredging) versus project inputs to determine how much of the material in the lagoon, if any,
is project-related. This monitoring effort would also occur for four years subsequent to the action. If the
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monitoring effort is unable to determine to the satisfaction of the resource agencies, the project impact at
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a specific lagoon, then quantities up to the potential, worst-case sedimentation derived in Appendix C may
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be used.
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Post-Project Mitigation (If Necessary)
If monitoring documents a significant, long-term adverse impact to sensitive marine resources resulting from
discharge activities based on the resource agency/SANDAG consultation and review of the monitoring
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reports (twice yearly and at project completion), then restoration of like habitat at a 1:1 ratio would be
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proposed as a first priority. Consideration would be given to the construction of artificial reefs as mitigation
to offset project impacts at a 1:1 ratio if like habitat restoration efforts were not feasible as determined by
the USACOE, in consultation with the resource agencies. Like the Navy, SANDAG would negotiate a
"not-to-exceed" cap on mitigation costs as a key part of the permit conditions related to mitigation. The
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potential worst-case acreage for 1:1 enhancement/replacement is similar in size to the prior Navy project
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and a similar mitigation fund (
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.1 million) would likely be negotiated.
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Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
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