Recognizing a positive impact on restoring natural habitats to help improve the environment, the City of San Diego’s Stadium Wetland Mitigation Project has been named the 2024 Project of the Year by the San Diego/Imperial chapter of the American Public Works Association. The award was presented today during a ceremony at the Hilton Mission Valley in San Diego.

The award promotes excellence in the management, administration and implementation of public works projects. The Stadium Wetland Mitigation Project transformed 57 acres in Mission Valley along the San Diego River into the City’s largest wetland mitigation site.

“We are very proud to receive this recognition for such an important project for San Diego,” said Juan Guerreiro, Director of the City’s Public Utilities Department. “The award honors the hard work and dedication of our Engineering and Program Management staff.”

Eight years in the making and overseen by the Public Utilities Department, the Stadium Wetland Mitigation Project ensures the preservation of critical habitat that will benefit the San Diego community for generations. The project:

• Restores habitat and native plant communities through the reduction and removal of trash and debris, site protections and removal of non-native plants.
• Ensures long-term viability and sustainability of native ecosystem.
• Enhances the sustainability of the area as an important wildlife corridor.
• Provides for flexible management that can adapt to changing circumstances.

Because the San Diego River is an important biological resource, the mitigation plan needed approval of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.