Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project

By Stephanie Rosenblatt

The much-discussed Open Channel Project was the subject at a 3rd District community meeting on September 23, in which Public Works staff gave an update on the final phase of the 20-year Colorado Lagoon restoration.

This project will create an open waterway from the Marine Stadium directly to the Colorado Lagoon, restoring water quality in the lagoon. It will replace the existing, and often clogged, underground culvert running beneath Marina Vista Park. This channel will restore water flow to the lagoon by promoting “full tidal flushing.”

Inserting what resembles a large river into Marina Vista Park means that the existing recreational areas will need to be reconfigured, and bridges will need to be added along Colorado and Eliot Streets. According to Eric Lopez, Public Works Project Management Manager, multiple utility lines under the site will need to be moved after all of the abandoned lines have been identified and decommissioned.

Work is expected to start within 12-15 months once the City has finished the design and selected a contractor.

The community will learn more about the project and get the opportunity to provide input sometime in the fall, according to Gabriela Yates, District Office Manager for Councilmember Suzie Price.

The $26 million funding is coming from Port of Long Beach mitigation funds, the first time such mitigation has been funded by the Port within the city.