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Explore the wetlands in Playa del Rey, CA during a rainy year. Observe the lasting impact of rain on salt panne, pond formation, streams, and plant growth. Join school children on educational field trips to witness nature's resilience. Discover the beauty of curvilinear plant patterns left by receding water.
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BALLONA WETLANDSECOLOGICAL RESERVEPlaya del Rey, CA A Rainy Year Serves to Remind Us By Cindy Hardin, LA Audubon Director of Ourdoor Education
The historic salt panne at Ballona.Standing water covered the entirety of the salt panne for most of the winter.
Large ponds below the bluffs were present for weeksafter the final rainfalls. Meandering streams connected some of these ponds.
This is the trail that school children use to access the wetlands for their field trips. More than a few trips had to be re-scheduled due to rainy conditions.
Although the water has diminished, theplants that are now present echo the shape of the standing water that was there most of the season. Note the curvilinear course of the vegetation, which traces the meanderingpath that water takes naturally.