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What's New at Topanga Lagoon
Palisades Fire Damage to Project Area
9/23/2025
On January 8th, 2025 the Palisades Fire swept through the project area. All facilities on CA State Parks property within lower Topanga State Park, including the entirety of the Topanga Ranch Motel, were destroyed, while damage was more limited in the Los Angeles County's Topanga Beach area managed by the Department of Beaches and Harbors. Read more about impacts on the State Parks website here. Below are some photos of the site immediately following the fire.​​​
Resource Protection Actions
Fish rescues of endangered tidewater goby and steelhead trout occurred in late January 2025, just before fire-induced mudflows further damaged the Topanga Creek watershed. Tidewater gobies have been successfully released into Topanga Lagoon post fire, and relocated steelhead trout are now thriving and reproducing successfully in a Santa Barbara County creek. We hope that once Topanga Creek has healed and fire-induced mud has naturally flushed out, steelhead can return home. Read more about these fish rescues in this article from the RCDSMM.
Current Project Site Access
Lower Topanga State Park day use area and trails are currently closed to the public per a superintendent's closure order. At this time, the area is being utilized by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as a unified utility rebuild operations center to service the Pacific Palisades community. Please contact State Parks if you have any questions at angelesinfo@parks.ca.gov.
Topanga Beach is open to the public including the parking lot.
Post-Fire Cleanup and Water Quality Updates
FEMA had approved U.S. Army Corps of Engineers debris clearance at Topanga Beach but as of August 28, USACE reviewed the site and agreed to remove 4 trees designated as unsafe to the public. US Army Corps of Engineers' contractors have completed all authorized work at Topanga Beach.
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DBH’s beach maintenance crews have removed more than 196 tons of debris from Topanga Beach as of August 2025. Crews visit the site on a daily basis to empty trash, fill handwashing stations, and gather debris, with more focused efforts on debris pile removal occurring periodically as staffing and equipment is available. Please contact the Department of Beaches and Harbors for more information.
The interactive map on LA County's Department of Public Health's website will indicate whether ocean water bacteria levels at Topanga Beach meet State Standards. Refer to this map if you have concerns. As of writing this (date above), the levels meet State Standards.
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Government agencies, environmental nonprofits, state organizations and academic partners are working collaboratively to assess potential impacts on air, water, soil and human health in response to the fires of early 2025. To access these various testing results and to track environmental changes documented by these organizations and agencies over time, visit LA County’s Post-Fire Assessment Hub here. The following are a few entities involved in testing water, soil and air:
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RCD of the Santa Monica Mts: pH, DO, salinity, conductivity, nutrients and turbidity are collected monthly in the main area of Topanga Lagoon, at the upstream end of the PCH bridge and approximately 80 m upstream associated with monitoring habitat suitability of Topanga Lagoon for endangered fishes. Data is reported to the LA County Post-Fire hub.
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Surfrider LA: Blue Water Task Force tracks enterococcus bacteria twice monthly in the swash zone at Topanga Beach and results are available online
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LA Regional Water Quality Control Board: metals, PAHs & PCBs were collected via water samples monthly through May 2025, and two soil samples have also occurred. Results are available online
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Heal the Bay: Tests for a variety of metals and other PAHs and PCBs were collected monthly with data through May 2025 available online
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City of Los Angeles LA Sanitation provided a comprehensive update to the Los Angeles City Council on 26 June 2025 summarizing current conditions
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County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health: collating the results of testing by a variety of partners with updates
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Post-Fire Aquatic Habitats Working Group led by Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRO) is coordinating data contributed by 26 different agencies, universities and NGO’s from over 110 sites post fire. Reports and results are also posted here.
​Design Update
Design efforts for the Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project are officially moving forward! Design Workshop Inc. was selected as the designer for visitor services facilities at the end of 2024 after a competitive bid process. Moffatt & Nichol Engineers is continuing to lead the bridge widening and lagoon design efforts for the project. Due to the Palisades Fire, design efforts were put on hold pending landowner discussions of next steps. While design efforts were temporarily put on hold due to the Palisades Fire, the design process officially restarted in March 2025. We anticipate holding a public meeting this winter to get your feedback.
Rescued Tidewater Gobies Returned Home After Wildfires
6/18/2025
After 5 months, rescued tidewater gobies that were being held at Aquarium of the Pacific and Heal the Bay, have been returned to their home in Topanga. The RCDSMM alongside partners from both aquariums, CSU Channel Islands, CA State Parks, LACDBH, LA County Lifeguards and USFWS gathered on June 17th to release these endangered fish and celebrate their return.
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Read more about the release in the articles below!
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Read this piece from Spectrum 1
Check out coverage from KTLA 5
Get an update from the Aquarium of the Pacific
Read an update from partners at CSUCI
Read what Fox Weather said about the release
Check out this article from the Daily Breeze
Rescued Steelhead Are Spawning in Their New Home
4/23/2025
Endangered Southern Steelhead that were rescued from Topanga Creek in the wake of the Palisades Fire have begun spawning in their new home!
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In January the RCDSMM, alongside many partners, helped rescue fragile fish from Topanga Creek and as of April, these resilient fish have already begun reproducing in their new habitat. Read more about this incredible rescue effort and their hopeful new beginning in the articles below.
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An Update on LA Wildlife After Fires
4/23/2025
The Washington Post wrote an article on how wildlife has been impacted by recent fires in Los Angeles and this wildlife is recovering from this devastation.
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Biologists from the RCDSMM were interviewed for their work in monitoring impacted wildspaces and species in the Santa Monica Mountains. Read this comprehensive piece at the link below.
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2/5/2025
Anton Sorokin wrote a comprehensive piece in Smithsonian Magazine on wildlife in LA and how it’s been irreparably impacted by the fires of early 2025. The article mentions many projects scientists are conducting to assess these intense impacts, including mention of the RCDSMM’s mission to rescue endangered southern steelhead from Topanga Creek.
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Check out the full article at the link below and find a project in need of your help.
Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project Area Selected as Sorting Site for Palisades Fire Hazardous Material
1/30/2025
Current update from CA State Parks:
California State Parks is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) along with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control to assist in the safe removal of hazardous materials from properties damaged by the Palisades Fire. The former Topanga Ranch Motel Complex, also destroyed in the fire, in Topanga State Park is serving as the site where hazardous materials will be transported from nearby properties to be safely processed, sorted, and packaged in accordance with state and federal environmental, health and safety standards before being transported for disposal. The area is closed to the public, and US EPA is using best management practices to prevent contamination of this site from any hazardous materials being sorted and shipped at this facility. State Parks anticipates this work taking up to three months to complete. After completion of the work, US EPA will re-test the soils at the staging area for hazardous substances and ensure the levels are at or below the initial reading. In the event of a higher reading, US EPA will work to remediate the site back to the original levels.
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This is an ongoing effort to assist Los Angeles County with mitigating risks and protecting communities by removing this material so people impacted by the firestorms can return to their properties. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to serve and help the local community. For any questions or feedback regarding hazardous materials removal, please email US EPA representative Rusty Harris-Bishop at harris-bishop.rusty@epa.gov. For questions about the park, email angelesinfo@parks.ca.gov.
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Current update from US EPA:
Please see the attached memo from US EPA outlining the current use of lower Topanga State Park as a short-term hazardous materials storage & processing site for the Palisades Fire.
Endangered Fish Rescued From Topanga Creek Watershed Ahead of Mudslides
1/29/2025
The Palisades Fire that ripped through communities in early 2025 has decimated homes and wildlands within the Santa Monica Mountains and changed realities for us all. And while we grieve with communities, some environmental agencies were galvanized into action to protect the species they could. On January 17th & 23rd, the RCDSMM alongside many partners rescued two endangered species from the fire impacted waters of Topanga Lagoon & Creek. Rescues were completed in the nick of time as only three days later devastating mudflows filled in large portions of the creek and lagoon, effectively destroying quality fish habitat.
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In total, over 750 tidewater goby and 270 steelhead were transferred out of impacted waters and into temporary holding facilities. Tidewater gobies are being held at Heal the Bay's aquarium and Aquarium of the Pacific while steelhead are being held at California Department of Fish & Wildlife's (CDFW) Fillmore Trout Hatchery. We hope to release both these fish back into natural habitats as soon as it is safe to do so.
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You can read more about the steelhead trout rescue from LA Times, KTLA, LAist & msn. You can also catch our team in action on Nightly News with Lester Holt.
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You can read more about the tidewater goby rescue in an LA Times article by reporter Lila Seidman, who joined the team on the day of the event. You can also watch Spectrum 1's coverage and ABC 7's coverage of the rescue and check in on how the gobies are adapting to their new temporary home.
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This work would not have been possible without the community support received by the RCDSMM, which came in the form of individual donors raising more than $37,500 for these efforts.
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Partners for both these projects include U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, CDFW, U.S. Geological Survey, CSU Channel Islands, CA State Parks, LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors, LA County Lifeguards, Heal the Bay, Aquarium of the Pacific, National Marine Fisheries Services, Cachuma Operation & Maintenance Board (COMB), LA County Fire Department, CalTrans, Watershed Stewards Program in association with Americorps & the CA Conservation Corps.
Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project
Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) Available
Access the FEIR
The FEIR for the Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project has officially been certified and the Preferred Hybrid Alternative 3A approved by California State Parks with the support of project stakeholders. The FEIR builds upon the information presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and both documents should be considered to fully understand the proposed project.
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A digital version of the FEIR is available HERE.
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The associated Appendices for the FEIR can be accessed HERE.
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The Notice of Determination (NOD) is located HERE.
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Review a recording of the 8/5/24 Proposed FEIR & Preferred Alternative Public Meeting
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DEIR
A digital version of the DEIR is available HERE.
The associated Appendices for the DEIR can be accessed HERE.
The associated letter to the State Clearing House is located HERE.
2/24/24 Public Meeting #1, Annenberg Beach House
2/28/24 Public Meeting #2, Topanga Community House
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Questions?​​
Reach out to us on our Stay Connected page.
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Will the Project Affect the Surf or Beach?
Overview of Beach Morphology, Surf, and Nearshore Nourishment Modeling
A key project element is to reuse native fill excavated during the lagoon restoration and place it in the nearshore areas of the ocean off of Topanga Beach. The goal of this action is to benefit area beaches and avoid unnecessary disposal of clean soils and the associated truck trips offsite. Project consultant Moffatt and Nichol modeled how that material could behave when placed in the ocean so the project could be designed to maximize nourishment, while avoiding sensitive biological resources.
Another key consideration during project development was to determine if the project would affect local surf conditions and the shape of the beach as a key project goal was to protect these onsite resources. Consultants Integral and Moffatt and Nichol modeled how surf and the shape of the beach might change for the different project alternatives, and also considered the duration and type of different environmental conditions (drought, heavy storms).
The following link will take you to the video recording from February 20, 2024 which provides an overview of these studies and their results: YouTube Link
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These studies are included in Draft EIR for the Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project and Appendices B - Shoreline Morphology, C - Nearshore Study and H - Surf Quality.
Watch Our Past Public Meetings
Project partners and stakeholders including CA State Parks, CalTrans, LA County Department of Beaches & Harbors and the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains have held multiple public meetings to update the community on ongoing material and information regarding this restoration project.
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We've discussed the project design alternatives, findings from public comment periods, the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the Proposed Final EIR, the project's affect on surf and more.
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Watch recordings from these important meetings on the RCD's YouTube Page.
