A Laguna Beach environmental nonprofit is gaining traction for its vision of restoring a South Laguna estuary to create a scenic gateway to the town that would also create a habitat link between the ocean and the nearby canyons and wildlands area.

For decades, the marshy area of the estuary at the end of Aliso Creek and the sand berm at Aliso Beach have been swamped by runoff draining from inland development along the 35-mile watershed that starts in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains and drains to Aliso Beach.

Starting in 1970, environmentalists from the South Laguna Civic Association have been raising the alarm about growing pollution in the water prompting discussions of restoring the lagoon into a healthy estuary ecosystem that supports native wetlands, rare fish, and other wildlife.

Now, city officials have embraced moving the plan forward. Laguna Ocean Foundation, a nonprofit formed 20 years ago as stewards of Laguna Beach’s coastal and marine resources, recently presented a conceptual review to the council of what the restoration could look like.

“The bluebelt, the greenbelt, that’s what makes Laguna unique,” said Councilmember Alex Rounaghi. “Any project like that demands our attention. I don’t think any of us can be proud of the amount of pollution coming out of Aliso Creek; it’s not in line with our values. It should have been addressed years ago.”

There are several types of estuaries in Southern California. Tidal wetlands such as Upper Newport Bay have an open connection to the ocean. But the lagoons at the mouth of coastal creeks like Aliso and San Mateo creeks are usually closed off from the ocean by sand that builds up. This would be the first attempt in Orange County to restore a mostly closed estuary, Laguna Ocean Foundation officials said.

The foundation, with its grantors and donors, has raised most of the $20 million it is expected the Aliso Creek estuary project would cost. The restoration team – it includes scientists, legal analysts and site designers – and its funding partners will seek about $150,000 more from the city to pay for the public review process.

Calling the estuary a “tremendous natural resource of regional importance,” Ed Almanza, the foundation’s vice chair and program manager, told the council the 9-acre area has suffered habitat loss and, in its present condition, has little public value except being a source of “polluted water.”

On Oct. 22, the council voted unanimously to proceed with steps to make the conceptual plan an actual project. Previously the council contributed $100,000 toward the project.

The Laguna Ocean Foundation will return to the city’s Planning Commission for a formal design review, which will trigger an environmental review process, including more study data, while taking in comments from the public and associated agencies.

The Planning Commission will review the plan before turning it over to the California Coastal Commission, which would consider the project before it went to the council in likely March or April.

Before restoration work begins, permits would have to be issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

To reach this point, the conceptual plan underwent a multi-year study funded by state and federal agencies. A team of wetland restoration scientists determined restoration of the estuary’s ecosystem is feasible, Almanza said, adding that 18 state and federal agencies support the plan.

The project was also recommended by the Wetlands Managers Group of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and, in 2013, was supported by the SCWRP Board of Governors.

“The Aliso Creek Estuary is the last piece of the puzzle to link the bluebelt and the greenbelt,” Almanza said. “It’s something lots of people would like to see.”

Almanza used historical photos from the late 1800s and early 1900s, among other visual aids, to illustrate the expanse of the wetlands area against the backdrop of Aliso Canyon during his council presentation.

“We’re not proposing to recapture all of that, but just enough to make the system viable again,” he said.

The project would be divided into three phases: estuary lagoon expansion and restoration, decreasing the estuary mouth breach, and reducing dry weather flow, which benefits water quality.

The foundation’s plan includes increasing the wetlands area on the inland side of Coast Highway by removing grass and parking spaces and adding natural wetland plants. The same is being planned for the lagoon near the sandbar berm.

By removing invasive plants, the estuary’s ecosystem should be able to support tidal mudflats, salt marshes and shallow freshwater habitats that, Almanza said, would support a wide diversity of fish and wildlife species.

Other amenities would include pedestrian loop trails, a pedestrian bridge, an ocean awareness center and playground areas.

Nick Garrity, a hydrologist and civil engineer who presented the project with Almanza, said the estuary’s restoration would be based on other thriving wetlands.

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“The best example would be the Devereux Slough Restoration on the UC Santa Barbara campus,” he said, adding that the project included removing 350,000 cubic yards of earthfill from a golf course to restore an intermittently tidal estuary.

While councilmembers were supportive of the concept, they had questions about a possible increase in mosquitos, what would happen to the existing playground, parking limitations when the estuary is enlarged, and the cost of removing the invasive plants.

More than two dozen people spoke during public comments at the recent council meeting, with a majority favoring the project. A few cautioned the council about moving ahead, questioning its necessity and transparency.

Greg Vivanni, a three-generation Laguna Beach resident and a surfer, was concerned about the opportunity for skimboarding and surfing a standing wave that forms when the berm at the mouth of Aliso Creek breaches into the ocean – the Laguna Ocean Foundation plan would allow the berm to form and release naturally.

Some will dig out the sand berm to get the wave going – drawing complaints in the past when the county controlled the South Laguna shoreline that there needed to be more enforcement to stop the illegal activity and keep the polluted water from pouring into the ocean.

“I’d like to strike a compromise that would allow the wave-riding community to breach the berm as needed, like in the past with OC Parks’ authority and OC Lifeguards where there wasn’t a problem,” said Viviani. “By breaking the berm that holds the stagnant runoff, the longer it sits, the more stagnant the pollution levels get.”

Paul Naude, a surfer who lives next to the creek and is also the president of the Surf Industry Members Association, celebrated the opportunity to restore the estuary’s natural state.

“When the city gets a chance to restore a working estuary, they should rejoice at their good fortune,” he said. “Working estuaries are incredible habitats for living organisms. I think that could be beneficial for the surf community of Laguna Beach at large, not just a few who like to ride a standing wave of poor quality for a short amount of time.”

Charlotte Masarik, a Laguna Bluebelt Coalition board member and resident, said the project would “certainly help conserve and enhance the ecological and natural habitat of our bluebelt. I don’t see how anyone could be in favor of stewardship and not support restoring our estuary.”

With her was Cindy Love, a member of the South Laguna Civic Association, who said the restoration could become a “centerpiece for the community.”

“The estuary,” Love said, “will become a place for all to enjoy and a source of pride for generations to come.”

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