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ESCONDIDO CREEK WATERSHED ACTION PLAN The Escondido Creek Watershed covers approximately 54,112 acres in North County San Diego. While the watershed is rapidly being developed, large areas of vacant land and high quality habitat still remain within its boundaries. The following report describes in detail the physical characteristics of the Escondido Creek watershed, its biological resources, and the influences of the human population on these resources. A two-stage analytical approach was used to prioritize stream reaches within the watershed for potential riparian restoration along the Escondido Creek. Based on this prioritization and the needs of the watershed as identified by various stakeholders, a list of projects was created for the enhancement and restoration of the Escondido Creek Watershed. The projects have been separated into the following categories: Watershed Assessment and Monitoring Projects - for projects that are long-term monitoring projects that will require on-going funding; Programmatic Projects - for projects that address specific issues throughout the watershed; and Site Specific Projects - for projects that can stand alone as individual endeavors and have definitive begin- and end-dates. The Escondido Creek Watershed Restoration Action Strategy is meant to be a "living document." The list of projects included is by no means an exhaustive list. As listed projects are implemented, new opportunities will surface. The purpose of this document is to provide background information about the Escondido Creek Watershed for use in watershed analyses, to identify gaps in information, and to use this information to prioritize potential restoration, enhancement and acquisition of natural areas. San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Wetlands Recovery Project to complete the action plan, to study the Escondido Creek and its significant tributaries. The Conservancy teamed with The Escondido Creek Conservancy as well as the other Escondido Creek Cooperative Agreement partners to help formulate project ideas and criteria. Development of the Action Plan occurred in several phases and several public meetings were held to incorporate private property owners' ideas and concerns into the planning phase of the project. Use this link to download the pdf file [ Esccondido Creek Action Plan Final Public Version ] (PDF 11.2 MB) San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District is the federal lead agency for the Encinitas and Solana Beach Shoreline Feasibility Study that was authorized in 1993 by a resolution of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee. In September 1999, funds were provided to conduct the reconnaissance phase of the coastal bluff erosion problem at the Cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach including investigating opportunities for the ecosystem restoration of San Elijo Lagoon, potentially using sediments from the lagoon to provide toe protection for the coastal bluffs. The lagoon restoration and shoreline protection investigations were joined in one feasibility study to facilitate this potential beneficial re-use of lagoon sediment for beach nourishment. The purpose of the San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Feasibility Study is to provide a sound basis for deciding between different land management alternatives within the San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and to evaluate alternative actions to restore the habitat functions and values of the lagoon. This study fits well within the overall management strategy of the San Elijo Lagoon Enhancement and Action Plan. The Conservancy plays an active role in evaluating and designing the alternatives for the project. This includes channel locations, inlet locations, hydrologic analysis of the different alternatives and costing. Specific objectives of the Restoration Feasibility Study are to:
The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, which is approximately 1,000 acres, is collectively owned and managed by the State of California (managed by the California Department of Fish and Game), County of San Diego, and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy. The biological resources of San Elijo Lagoon have been gradually deteriorating due to the cumulative effects of hydrological and land use changes within the watershed, increased sedimentation, sewage spills, poor water quality, growth of invasive species, and severely limited tidal flushing. In recent years, increased urbanization of the watershed has accelerated the intensity and complexity of environmental impacts on San Elijo Lagoon. Urbanization has accelerated storm water flow rates, sediment transport, and increased input of chemical contaminants and nutrients associated with year-round urban runoff. Recent management to maintain the inlet open to tidal flushing has substantially improved habitat quality relative to the stagnant conditions that previously developed when the inlet was closed for prolonged periods. Other efforts involving removal of invasive species also have resulted in some improvements to habitat quality. Although important, these efforts do not remedy the overarching problems and concerns associated with sedimentation nor address problems to lagoon hydrology associated with urban runoff. Substantial efforts are now being made to actively manage the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem. A long-term financial endowment has been established to actively fund maintenance of tidal flushing. Recent efforts over the past ten years to keep the lagoon open to tidal circulation have shown that significant ecological benefits result from increased tidal flushing, as evidenced by increased diversity and abundance of fish, improved water quality, reduced production of mosquitos and midges, enlarged nesting areas for California least terns, Belding's savannah sparrows, and Western snowy plovers, and increased foraging by birds. These ecological improvements have also fostered significant public enjoyment of the lagoon. However, much more work is needed to sustain the productivity and to enhance the carrying capacity of this lagoon San Elijo Lagoon provides a mechanism for conveyance and dissipation of floodwater. This leads to a reduction of erosion by slowing of runoff velocities, deposition of flood suspended sediments, shoreline stabilization, recharge of groundwater, and storage of surface water. San Elijo Lagoon also serves to filter suspended sediments, remove organic and inorganic nutrients, remove toxic substances, facilitate nutrient cycling, denitrification, and mineralization. Coastal lagoons, like San Elijo Lagoon are one of the most important coastal ecosystems, because they exhibit very high primary and secondary biological productivity. They are both sources and sinks for nutrients and organic particulates. This productivity supports a very diverse aquatic invertebrate, fish, and benthic communities and they serve as important nursery habitat for a number of marine fish species. They also support diverse populations of resident and migratory bird species, and provide critical habitat for many threatened or endangered plant and avian species. In addition to increased sedimentation and water quality degradation, animal and plant communities have been affected by the changes in hydrology and land use within the watershed. Fish and bird kills have occurred. Cattails and bulrushes, (fresh/brackish water species) have been encroaching from the East Basin into the Central Basin. These plant species are aggressively reducing circulation throughout the lagoon and are out-competing the salt marsh community. The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board (SDRWQCB) determined that 37.1 - 81.5 hectares (150 - 330 acres) of wetlands within San Elijo Lagoon are impaired due to urbanization of the watershed, changes in land uses, eutrophication, sedimentation, construction, agriculture, road building, bacteria, sewage spills, and inability to maintain tidal circulation. Specific impaired beneficial uses in the lagoon include: water contact recreation, wildlife habitat, riparian and marine habitat, and endangered species habitat. These beneficial uses have been impacted by excess nutrients, freshwater, and sediments. Although, degradation of environmental conditions is most evident in San Elijo Lagoon, many of these stressors are derived from perturbations throughout the watershed. All of Escondido Creek (205 square kilometers, 79 square miles) has been listed as impaired, due to degraded drinking water quality from both point and non-point sources of contaminants. From what we understand of the history of the San Elijo Lagoon, there has been no long-term "steady state" so we cannot target management to some historic pristine condition. We can draw upon studies and assessments of similar kinds of systems in southern California as reference systems. The period between 1977 and 1995 in San Diego County has been relatively wet according to the San Diego County Water Authority records (33.5 centimeters, 13.2 inches, average annual precipitation), and the preceding 32 years were relatively dry (21.6 centimeters, 8.5 inches, average annual precipitation) (DMA Consulting Engineers 1985). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that we are entering a twenty-year dry cycle (33 percent less precipitation). In addition, urban runoff is an increasingly important source of input to the lagoon, maintaining flows to Escondido Creek during what were historically dry periods. Also, the human population in the Escondido Creek Watershed is likely to increase at least another 25 percent in the next 20 years, adding to the urban runoff. We have little experience to draw upon to help us predict how these two trends will affect lagoon salinity, flow regimes, sedimentation, and ultimately aquatic community development. The environmental impact report is currently being reviewed internally by the resource agencies. |
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