SANDAG has filed an environmental report on how the Mid-Coast Trolley extension could impact the San Diego fairy shrimp, a federally listed endangered species.
A 45-day public comment period for the report began Friday and will end September 2.
The report, which is available online, examines the project’s impact on the fairy shrimp that were found adjacent to the existing railroad tracks during surveys in 2014 and proposes solutions.
According to the report, the shrimp were found in a seasonal basin 76 feet long by 5.5 feet wide. SANDAG proposes to expand a vernal pool in Otay Mesa to offset this loss.
The tiny animals breed in vernal pools and grow in two weeks from egg to reproductive adult. They then lay eggs that lie dormant until the next season.
The project will extend the trolley’s Blue Line 11 miles from Old Town to UC San Diego and the Westfield UTC mall. Construction is set to take place from 2016 to 2018 with the new line in operation by early 2019.
SANDAG, the regional planning agency for the region, is administering the project.
