The Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy now owns 118 acres of wetlands between the Santa Ana River and Newland Street.  Our goal is to acquire and restore the remaining coastal wetlands in Huntington Beach.  These wetlands parcels are identified as Talbert Marsh, Brookhurst Marsh, Magnolia Marsh, Newland Marsh and the Waterfront Wetlands. 

Talbert Marsh    The Talbert Marsh offers the public a multipurpose trail on approximately 25 acres from Brookhurst Street to the Santa Ana River Trail and is owned in total by the Conservancy.  More than 75 species of birds have been observed at Talbert Marsh and the other adjoining Huntington Beach wetlands. In addition to year round residents, thousands of birds use the Huntington wetlands as a rest stop during long migrations from their nesting grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds in the south.

Throughout most of the year, the water in the marsh is seawater from the ocean inlet located at Talbert Marsh.  Water flows in and out twice a day with the tide and can rise and fall as much as 8 feet.  Fresh water also washes down storm water channels during winter rains.

In 1989, a man-made dike separating the wetlands from the flood control channel was breached and tidal flushing action was restored. 

Brookhurst Marsh    Brookhurst Marsh consists of approximately 67 acres between Brookhurst and Magnolia Streets. Restoration of this marsh began in September 2008 and was completed in March 2009. Future plans include a public access dune trail along PCH between Brookhurst and Magnolia.

Magnolia Marsh     Magnolia Marsh is located between Magnolia Street and the AES power plant. Restoration of the marsh began in April 2009, and recreation of the historical marsh channels and restoration of full tidal influence were completed in March 2010. Public access features include an elevated observation deck over a tidal lagoon, a boat dock for on-the-water tours, and an interpretive trail system.

Newland Marsh    The 65 acre Newland Marsh is located along Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, and extends behind a mobile home park all the way to Newland Street. The property is owned by CalTrans, but the Conservancy is actively negotiating with them to acquire the property. Following acquisition, it would require about 4 -5 years to secure the necessary funds, prepare the engineering, plans & specifications and complete the construction.

Waterfront Wetlands    The Waterfront Wetlands area is a one acre parcel at the northern-most end of the Huntington Beach Wetlands located on the west side of Beach Boulevard just north of Pacific Coast Highway. It was protected from development and is surrounded with a constructed "treatment wetland" which is designed to treat urban runoff from local streets and housing developments.  The Wetlands Conservancy manages the entire 3.5 acre site for the City of Huntington Beach.