Newport Bay Mitigation Project

Under contract to Orange County Parks (OC Parks), MBC conducted an eelgrass transplant to offset adverse impacts to eelgrass habitats as a result of construction and dredging necessary to replace an aging Newport Beach Harbor Patrol and Coast Guard Facility in Newport Harbor, California. MBC transplanted 310 square meters of eelgrass into two areas for mitigation; one area that was to be created by recontouring the beach adjacent to the OC Parks Project site, and a small rectangular area inshore of the southeast end of the guest docks. The transplant mitigated for a loss of 258 square meters of eelgrass coverage at a 1.2 to 1 ratio. The transplant was conducted in 2011. MBC continues to monitor the site, which has consistently exceeded the milestone criteria. Monitoring was completed in 2016.