The Ballona Creek Wetlands are diminishing and deteriorating due to the presence of legacy sediment and invasive exotic vegetation. This has severely impacted the wetland habitats and the wildlife and aquatic organisms dependent on the wetlands. Ballona Creek Wetlands is one of the TMDLs identified on the Consent Decree between USEPA and local environmental groups (Heal the Bay Inc., et al. v. Browner, et al. C 98-4825 SBA, March 22, 1999). The State or USEPA must complete TMDLs for all waterbodies identified on California's 1998 303(d) Impaired Waterbody List for the Los Angeles Region by March 24, 2012. These TMDLs address the sediment and exotic vegetation impairments by setting targets to restore a diverse composition of healthy wetland habitats and to eliminate the presence of invasive exotic vegetation that overwhelms the highly sensitive native habitats. These specific goals will ensure water quality standards are met in Ballona Creek Wetlands. This TMDL covers approximately 600 acres of wetland habitat to match the area identified by the California Coastal Conservancy and California Department of Fish and Game as an ecological reserve of critical importance (the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve).