DEL MAR, Calif. — Conservationists are raising alarms about the potential danger to wildlife in the San Dieguito Lagoon, a vital ecological site in North County.

They say sand from the Solana Beach and Encinitas Coastal Storm Damage Reduction & Beach Replenishment Project has moved south and threatens to close off the lagoon's connection to the ocean. The issue stems from ocean currents pushing sand into the lagoon, which could block tidal flow and endanger hundreds of species that call the area home.

"If this lagoon closes, it's a catastrophic die off for endangered species, leopard sharks, white sharks that find their way into this lagoon,"  said Serge Dedina, Executive Director of Wildcoast, a conservation group monitoring the situation. "We can't let them die." CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE