Construction continues in Mission Trails Regional Park to upgrade the San Diego County Water Authority’s untreated water supply system. The estimated completion of the project has been extended from mid-2022 to late 2022 due mostly to necessary design changes. The project will improve the delivery of a safe and reliable water supply to treatment plants serving the central and southern areas of San Diego County.
Preliminary revegetation efforts begin
The Water Authority’s post construction revegetation plan will be implemented in two phases; phase one will begin November 2021 in areas where work is complete and phase two will begin following the project extension in mid-to late 2022. This is part of a the post construction effort promised by the Water Authority in the Master Restoration Plan and the Good Neighbor Policy Agreement to restore native plants and vegetation to pre-construction conditions.
Before the water project began in the park, 225 pounds of live seed was gathered from within Mission Trails and taken to a dedicated nursery. From these seeds, more than 6,000 native plants were grown and will be planted over a 17-acre area. Once planted, there will be a 120-day plant establishment period followed by five years of maintenance and monitoring to ensure successful implementation.
Construction progressing
By the end of the year, the roof of the underground concrete water tank is scheduled to be complete which will completely enclose the tank. The tank will store just under five million gallons of water and be used to balance flows in the water delivery system.
Work at other Water Authority construction sites, including one at the most northwest end of the park, are still underway. The large concrete trucks are expected to continue accessing the construction sites through the end of the year. All sites are expected to be complete in fall 2022 with revegetation efforts to continue afterward.
Trail closures will continue Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and reopen as soon as it is safe. The Water Authority’s work in Mission Trails Work will not affect the delivery of high quality drinking water to homes.
For more information about the project including an interactive map showing the closed trails, visit sdcwa.org/mission-trails-FRS. Call 877-682-9283, ext. 7004, or email CIPinfo@sdcwa.org with questions.
