Cross-Border, Nature Based Market Solutions to Protect Blue Carbon Coastal Ecosystems in the Californias

March 2022

Another noteworthy example of coastal habitat loss in Southern California is the La Cienega wetlands complex and adjoining Ballona Lagoon, that once spanned over 2,833 ha and extended

from present day Hollywood to Inglewood. Today, these former wetlands have been incorporated into the urban footprint of the Los Angeles metroplex. 33 See Figure 5 below.

Figure 5: Circa 1840 map of Rancho Ballona (present day West Los Angeles), showing the course of Ballona Creek and willow thicket where Centinela Creek emptied to the Ballona Lagoon wetlands. 34

Map courtesy of Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley.

Among remaining wetlands, the majority are relatively small, and occur mostly Southern California’s

along the fringe of bays, as lagoons, river mouth marshes and salt marshes. Furthermore, many of

33 https://mywaterquality.ca.gov/eco_health/wetlands/images/d_ballona_combo1470w460h.jpg 34 https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/the-lost-wetlands-of-los-angeles

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