The Otay Water District awarded HELIX with a contract to provide biological maintenance, monitoring, and reporting activities for the San Miguel Habitat Management Area (HMA) and CIP-associated mitigation/restoration projects. The Otay Water District serves approximately 208,000 people in a 125.5 square mile area encompassing the communities of southern El Cajon, La Mesa, Rancho San Diego, Jamul, Spring Valley, Bonita, eastern Chula Vista, East Lake, and Otay Mesa along the international border with Mexico. The San Miguel HMA, a 230-acre biological reserve, was created to serve as a mitigation bank for impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Otay Water District’s projects and facilities.  HELIX began monitoring efforts in January for the HMA, which encompasses a number of restoration and enhancement areas including the Rickey Pond mitigation project, Eastern and Western grassland areas, Otay tarplant restoration area, Maritime Succulent Scrub area, and a Cactus Wren habitat restoration area.