Famosa Slough
Famosa Slough is a small but very rewarding City of San Diego Wetlands Preserve. Even though it covers only a little over 37 acres, it is rated as the number five birding hot spot in San Diego. While the preserve is heavily used by walkers, students, classes, birders, and neighbors, the trails have degraded over the decades. The purpose of this project is to improve the trails to allow the Slough to be visited safely by a broader range of visitors.
About This Project
Who is proposing this project?
Lead Organization: Friends of Famosa Slough
Website: famosaslough.org
Supporting organizations:
- City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department
What is proposed?
The Famosa Slough project aims to enhance the trail network within the Slough area to improve accessibility. The 37-acre preserve is a serene coastal marshland teeming with a variety of wildlife and wetland ecosystems. Its marshes and vibrant birdlife make it a captivating and important natural sanctuary.
The project focuses on addressing various trail-related issues, such as narrow pathways, steep cross-slopes, concrete obstructions, and broken trail edge fence posts. These challenges have made some parts of the trails difficult to navigate and have limited access for visitors, particularly those with mobility challenges.
The problem trails are mostly along the steep west bank of Famosa Slough. Some of the trails that need improvement are on property owned by the City of San Diego and some are on property owned and managed by Friends of Famosa Slough. The trails vary from very broad and level to very narrow, uneven, and sometimes muddy and slippery.
To improve the trails, the project aims to install a puncheon through a 90-foot long muddy and uneven segment, allowing for easier passage and eliminating the need to step over tree roots. Additionally, trail edge boards will be added in certain areas to reduce cross-slope and elevate the trail over concrete obstructions. The replacement of broken it weak trail edge fence posts and damaged trail edge cables is also part of the project, ensuring the safety and reliability of the trail system. In some cases, a fresh layer of suitable trail mix will be applied to rejuvenate the paths.
Overall, the Famosa Slough project seeks to make the entire Slough accessible to all, addressing the various challenges posed by the current trail conditions.
Project Location
Famosa Slough is situated in San Diego and was once the southern end of Mission Bay. However, in the 1950s, the San Diego River’s mouth was channelized, isolating the Slough from Mission Bay. Nonetheless, the Slough still contains saltwater and experiences tidal flushing, in addition to receiving runoff from its 300-acre watershed. This blend of environments, including upland, saltmarsh, open water, freshwater, and riparian vegetation, provides a diverse habitat for various wildlife species.
Why is this project on the 30×30 list?
Restoring the Famosa Slough trail network advances the goals of the 30×30 initiative by addressing key aspects of climate resilience, biodiversity preservation, and community benefits.
First, the project increases resilience to climate change. The area’s emphasis wetlands and perennial vegetation directly bolsters climate resilience by providing essential carbon sequestration capabilities. This not only helps mitigate the effects of climate change, but also safeguards the local environment against its impacts.
Secondly, the project champions biodiversity conservation. Famosa Slough is a haven for a wide spectrum of wildlife, and the enhancements introduced by this project amplify its habitat value. This richer ecosystem benefits terrestrial, aquatic, and avian species.
Finally, this project will benefit the community by making the Slough more accessible for people with limited mobility and more attractive to classes, individual students, nature lovers, birders, and the community as a whole.
How will this project be completed?
We anticipate that this project will be completed with a combination elements:
- Estimating costs and seeking grant funding
- Contracting with a landscape consultant for advice on adjusting some trail routes to make them more usable by a broader range of park visitors, more attractive to visitors, and more maintainable.
- Working with the Parks Department on plans to improve problem trail segments on City land.
Trail improvements will be completed with the help of volunteers and hired construction companies. Some projects may also be completed by Eagle Scout candidates.