Contact(s):
Steve Martarano, DFG Office of Communications, Education & Outreach, (916) 654-5866

Sacramento - The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is actively involved in protecting fish, wildlife and habitat following the sewage spill at Carlsbad's Buena Vista Lagoon.

The lagoon is a DFG managed property and our crews and staff are on scene, around the clock, to ensure protection of this valuable resource.

DFG is working with the cities of Carlsbad, Vista and Oceanside. The sewage pipes that led to the spill have been fixed. Over the next three days, five million gallons of water will be flushed into the Buena Vista lagoon from one part of the lagoon into another. This infusion of water into the lagoon will serve a dual purpose. First, it will help to dilute the sewage so that the water quality may be restored. Second, it will provide oxygen for the fish to help keep them alive. Ironically, it is not the sewage that kills the fish, but a lack of oxygen in the water that is depleted by the sewage decomposing.

Moving forward, we continue to monitor the impact on the environment and will aggressively pursue our ongoing effort to provide additional oxygen for the lagoon. We will be available to assist the local clean-up effort through our Office of Spill Prevention and Response. We will also be working with local agencies on a restoration plan that will ensure the lagoon is returned to its pre-spill condition.

The 200-acre Buena Vista Lagoon is a wonderful place, filled with more than 200 species of birds, numerous kinds of fish and abundant wildlife. We are committed to not only protecting the lagoon and the surrounding habitat, but making sure to the greatest extent possible that the impact to wildlife and the environment is minimized.