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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-06-04; City Council; 8198; Purchase of Agua Hedionda LagoonCITY F CARLSBAD - AGEND/ ILL ARft 2/9f MTG 6/4/85 nEPT P & R TITLE: PURCHASE OF AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON DEPT. HD. _0L_ CITY ATTY V/^g CITY MGR._2*2r O I _i Ozi RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council authorize the Mayor to send a letter to the State of California requesting that the inner and middle portions of Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the surrounding land be purchased for a state aquatic park. ITEM EXPLANATION: At their meeting on April 15, 1985, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that the State of California purchase portions of Agua Hedionda Lagoon for an aquatic park. The Commission is further recommending that the Mayor send a letter to the State on behalf of the City requesting the purchase. The Commission believes this is a valuable resource that must be preserved for the residents of Carlsbad as well as the State of California. It was suggested that a copy of the correspondence be sent to: 1. State Parks and Recreation Department 2. State Parks and Recreation Commission 3. Coastal Conservany 4. Coastal Commission 5. County, State, and Elected Officials FISCAL IMPACT: There will be no fiscal impact to the City. EXHIBITS: 1. Letter requesting purchase of lagoon (proposed) 2. Map of Lagoon 3. Information regarding Lagoon 4. News articles 1200 ELM AVENUE • XSfjy • TELEPHONE CARLSBAD, CA 92008-1989 M^fcJ/tf M (619)438-5599 Office of the Mayor dtp of Carteimb May 13, 1985 William S. Briner, Director State Department of Parks & Recreation P.O. Box 2390 Sacramento, CA 95811 Dear Mr. Briner: May we enlist your support, and your leadership, in preserving Agua Hedionda Lagoon for the people of the State of California? We are requesting that the State of California purchase the inner and middle sections of Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the surrounding land for an aquatic park. This would preserve a rare coastal setting for our citizens to enjoy forever. Up to this time, the lagoon has remained relatively unspoiled by development; however, if we are to keep it this way, we must begin our efforts to save the area immediately. Batiquitos Lagoon to the south is owned and will be developed by Hunt Properties, Inc. Buena Vista Lagoon to the north has been developed as a bird sanctuary. Let's save Agua Hedionda for all the people! Enclosed is additional information regarding the characteristics of Agua Hedionda Lagoon. This is condensed from a recent report from the U.S. Corps of Engineers. We would appreciate your response as soon as possible. Sincerely, MARY H. CASLER Mayor jm Attachments Dei-etoment >' ite fur Macario Park ) AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON \ Agua Hedlonda Lagoon is located within the city limits of Carlsbad, California, south of the main"part of the city (see pi. 1). It extends 1.7 miles inland, and is up to 1/2 mile wide. It is composed of three interconnected lagoons: The outer lagoon adjacent to the Pacfic Ocean, 66 acres in size; the middle lagoon, 27 acres; ad the inner lagoon, 295 acres. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is very actively used as a recreation area by the residents of Carlsbad and adjoining areas. At the present time, however, boating use of the inner lagoon is restricted by sandbars. By removing these barriers and undertaking an active maintenance program, the usefulness of the lagoon for boating and water skiing could be substantially increased. Recreational use consists of boating, water skiing, jet-skiing, sailing, windsurfing, and fishing. The nearest alternate facilities for water skiing are at Mission Bay in San Diego (45 minute drive) and Lake Elsinore in Orange County (80 minute drive). The inner lagoon, 295 acres, extends approximately 1800 yards in a southeasterly direction from the Interstate 5 highway bridge. More public use is made of this section than of the outer and middle lagoons, and a private marina-condominium development and several boat-launching facilities have been constructed along the northern shore. The inner lagoon currently has one public point of access, Snug Harbor Marina, located at the northwest end. It is a small facility with a dock, a launch ramp, and two privately owned and operated businesses (water sports equipment rental shop and snack bar). Fees for the lagoon use, boat launching, and parking are collected here. All money for the lagoon use goes to the City. The operator of the facility collects parking fees and $9 of the $10 launch fee, while the city receives the remaining dollar. Several large (30 to 50 unit) condominium structures line the north shore of the inner lagoon, between the marina and Bristol Cove. Bristol Cove is a condominium development with a private marina with 20 slips for small craft. Additional condominiums are planned for construction along the north shore. The south shore is currently undeveloped except for farm acreage. The presence of high voltage power lines running across this area precludes residential construction. A 502 acre recreational facility, to be called Macario Canyon Park, will be developed adjacent to the southeast shore. This 15-year project, scheduled for completion around the year 2000, will be a jointly-financed venture between the City of Carlsbad (31%) and private investors (69%). One of the park features will be a boat facility (with a dock, launch ramp, and 30 slips for rental small craft). This will provide a second location for public access. Construction of the boat facility is scheduled for completion between 1987 and 1988. The development of Macario Canyon Park, the planned construction of additional condominiums along the north shore, and the projected increase of Carlsbad's population to 90,000 residents by the year 2000, will greatly increase future demand for recreational activities in this area. The southern shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon is used jointly by the San Diego Gas and Electric Power Plant, and for agriculture. The eastern shore is open space, consisting principally of a salt marsh and mud flats, while the northern shore is primarily residential. The lagoon is divided into three sections divided by the Southern Pacific Railroad bridge and the San Diego Freeway. The outer lagoon, is used as a source of cooling water by the adjacent powar plant. The entire Agua Hedionda Lagoon JPage 2 ) ' ' ~ ') lagoon was originally a salt marsh, dredged in 1954 by San Diego Gas and Electric, to provide cooling water for the power plant. The dredging opened the lagoon permanently to the ocean, and with the tidal flushing and variation in water depths have created a wide variety of environments. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an Archeological District. The District is composed of approximately 15 archeological sites, located around the lagoon. The sites, some dating back more than 9000 years, evidence occupation from the San Dieguito culture, which had a large game hunting economy, to the La Jollan culture, with a shellfish and plant-gathering economy. There are a wide variety of natural environments in and around the lagoon, including marine subtidal and intertidal ecosystems, upland ecosystems, and transitional zones. Within the subtidal environment, several types of habitats exist. The open water habitat supports species typical of shallow coastal waters of this area, including many species of plankton, and at least 44 species of fish and other free-swimming vertebrates. Benthic habitats included (in 1976) two acres of rock substrate, 167 acres of sand, 55 acres of mud, and 70 acres of eel grass habitat. The mud flats and salt march at the eastern end of Agua Hedionda do not cover large acreages (70 acres of mudflat, and 16 acres of salt marsh in 1976), but provide important habitat for shorebirds. Terrestrial communities in undeveloped areas around Agua Hedionda include scrub, grassland, and transitional zones, all of which have been disturbed to some extent. Agua Hedionda supports a great diversity of birds, including many migratory species, At least 55 species of water-related birds, and 47 species of land birds have been sighted in and around the lagoon, including some rare and endangered species. 17 <~ H At Cdifficil Siipports Purcl• ;lt- ••:. ••; -,,vi--••;-„ -»v- ;-i *.•.£-> * *- ••'•-'--;. ^p~"".-r- ••„<, •• ~,*ET ••.•?•>•••- •;;• '•• I : • •--. '?-s!x&--^;.?::^;--r-•;-'" *; ' HrH^ ^v'ivi!"*^*- + ^ ' ByRICHARb^StMON; rim^sSia# Writer-.,,? ? >V-,- V-y^^r'fVS,*; 1 •;•. ' - j •- "f-.Ti-. 'v i- -- ^*. -w .v , tf ~ Lo3 Angeles City Council mem- bers Friday called on Gov, George Deukmejian .and the,Legislatur^ to provide fun&7orWeepurchase of 3 1,000-acre'site in La Tuna Canyon for the Verdugo Mountains park. ' The" site, south,' of/ La Tuna Canyon Road, once" was proposed fot use a$ a' garbage dump. Its owner, BKK Corp., conceding that it probably;'.could;- notTi^winlcity approval fOR*;landfil*the«i;re- cently said it; wain^s W'sell' the property to .the state for'inclusion in the Verdugo Mountains-San Ra- fael Hills Urban State' Park;. The park take's in 14,000 acres across the far eastern San Fernando Val- , . ,/ Friday's council action ,.was quested; by Coiipcilman ' how interested in selMng"th« prop-:'«rtv/.',> .- 4?;-•;•• ••• •••<•—•>••• ?. fiarida.Valley distrtcrciciudef the- ; BKK land. Finn said the state's ; '- Santa Monica Mountains Conser- vancy supports the acquisition but " must obtain funds from the goyer- ,-• nor and Legislature. .- '•. •"* - , The ^conservancy has yet-** to ;'* •-• apprais^ithe property, but Finn> ^ said" BKK^has offered to'sell the\uk •* land to thVstate for what it paid for * it in 1978—$1.25 miluon. ' ^ :-':; - BKK director Ernest T. Winter - recently said in a letter to Finn, .' who opposed a landfill on the site: \ *.' "W«> fiillv annrpiriat*»";' vour'"*'(Tt- ?^ The BKK site is nexl to another property once proposed for a land- filLFunds for purchase of those 200 acres owned by Hrant Bagdasarian are included in the proposed state budget for the fiscal year starting ,f "We ftilly * pressed desire to impose the will of your constituents to, keep certain types of land uses elsewhere. But, in the meantime, our taxes continue 'without the privilege of the use and 'enjoyment of the property." There- fore, Winter said, the company is Edmiston called the ' agency's chance of obtaining funds "pretty good" because the project is sup- ported by the area's state senator, Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale), who, Edmiston said, has close, ties to Deukmejian, a Republican," v ' The conservancy has hadatrpng support: from the Democrat-con- \ trolled Legislature.'- Deukmejian' has been a lukewarm supporter of the conservancy. - .•• | '"_:--•-... .^.i-;.;. *••" The conservancy, although cre- ated in 1980 by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. and the Legislature to help* acquire land: for a "national park in the Santa Monica Moun- tains, recently was given additional authority to acquire land for the Rim-of-the-Valley Trail, unking all of the mountain ranges sur- rounding the Valley, including the Verdugo Mountains; ''- ;\ , Official wants lagoon • ,.:• ;. v ;* ^-: ,:..:"•..;:•::•. . . ^': " -'; ,•;-;'•.'-.- ••••' : turned into state park . • • ' . W. '.. " '- *• :' . * r.-r' ' ' 1 CARLSBAD — A city' park com- missioner has launched a campaign to turn Agua Hedionda Lagoon into a state-owned aquatic park. "I would like to see Agua Hedionda ;' : Lagoon preserved for the people,"-1 said Shirley Dahlquist, a commis- •• sioner who' wants the state to pur- ; chase the lagoon and parts of the i surrounding shoreline. '-•••-'-'• .• ;, "If the lagoon isn't turned over to . the state, then it will go and be de- veloped," she said. "And then the on- l ly people who will get to see it will be j the people who live in the condos." i Dahlquist said she fears that de- \ velopment around the rim of the lagoon will limit public access and destroy its, scenic and recreational value. •"-.,- • , . • , • fAgua Hedionda is actually three — The Blade-Tribune lagoons: an outer lagoon near the Pacific Ocean that is 66 acres; a middle portion leased by the YMCA1 of 27 acres; and an inner lagoon of 295 acres located east of Interstate 5:> : ?,' The owner of the entire lagoon, San; Diego Gas & Electric, leases the large inner lagoon to the city, which . allows its use for water skiing, sailing; and other active water sports. ;; •, ..' Dahlquist has drafted a letter that,, with the park and recreation com- mission's endorsement, will be sent to lawmakers and lagoon lovers asking for their support. . "The lagoon and surrounding land offer an opportunity for far-sighted leaders to establish a state aquatic park," her letter says. "This would preserve a rare coastal setting for our citizens to enjoy forever," Friday, April 12,1985 i' ' ' -' . .'•"•'?•* *** ff- » .." •. • -•;..• ;.,-.* fj, ,. C ! .: • •- ..." :. . -I Rv 1 RON A^IA*""*!?t;*f'ir'' ' - -'•••-.« ?-v-j v. ,i-,;" i. -:* .;•• ;."?,.•,",•••" :t' '-7 v •;<..> « 'j,uy v, DV/.'Nr>J!^> •Wiil-ii^ '*' -N-.jW^'-i1*- •;* V.whatever;.the people ,need. This .is a I i CARLSBAD;— Parks and Recrea-/; tion Commissioner Shirley Dahlquist is , spearheading a drive to convert the . Agua Hedionda Lagoon into, a state aquatic park. ; -'.• -'•{•'•'..'] ' ' :- -<"' On Monday, the Parks and Recrea-i tion Commission j?oted to .recommend tthat the.City Council endorse a letter/ drafted by Dahlquist'The letter is a request for support.of the park con- cept. -' . ', •'. ;';t p;;> -*->v".'.'..' " "The lagoon and surrounding land > offer an opportunity; for far-sighted leaders to,establish,a State Aquatic-\ Park,'.'^ the,letter, said; '/This' would* preserve a rare coastal setting for our ~ citizens to "enjoy forever.'/ ..... If approved by the council, Dahl-;, quist's letter will be sent to officials of';; the California Departments of Fish and." Game and Parks and Recreation, the Coastal Commission and the Coastal;. Conservancy,-' as well as all county/A state, and ' federally-elected repre-"' sentatives. '•"".•' ":-•''"'•-.'•'•. Lagoon recreational uses now consist of boating, water skiing, jet-skiing, sailing, wind .surfing,' and fishing, - Dahlquist said she wants the park to be available as', a future open space " resource for all California citizens. "There are so many restrictions on^ uses now, yet the possibilities for rich* a park are endless — fishing p rs,i; bowling on the green, jogging ~£ _'srtd'; the*-' people would all come 'out ahead." ^ -.Agua Hedionda is actually three in- '... terconnected lagoons" divided by the, .Southern Pacific Railroad bridge and . Interstate 5. The outer lagoon is adja- , -cent to the ocean and 66 acres in size; Jtoejmddle lagoon is p acres;, the^in- "ner * 295^ acres , '* ,• - ^"^ / * £ ^11» 4 * ' ,The inner lagoon is the section most used by the public. Snug Harbor Marina is the one point of public ac- cess, with a dock and launch ramp and two private businesses.- ^ •_• :y ; '.The .lagoon's^'eastern shore is open', :^lj,|pace^consistingimojtly of salt niars.hj ..j'vand hiud flats* ^vhile the northern shores; ' is primarily residential, , ": j. .. .- .. •-. '- f • • < • > ... ;. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is listed in 'the/ Naticnal. Register of Historic * Places as an archeological district.,:* There .are J5.; archeological sites t j' located around,the lagoon. Some of the ,Jsites (date back more than 9,000 years, ^ with'evidence^of occupation from the . San Dieguito' and LaJollan Indian cultures! '.••:••> .•'-•-• - 4,.^1' 3 ; Today f.boat usejf in the inner lagoon * are restricted: by /sandbars: If these- obstructions are removed and an active maintenance program, undertaken, the Army Corps of Engineers believes that ;" the usefulness of the lagoon for boating : and water_skiing could be "substantial-' ly increased."; "":,."-'".•-•'•"."..•-.'"""-. "'". $> The nearest alternative facilities for " water skiing are in Mission Bay; a 45- minute drive;' or Lake Elsinore in Orange County, an 80-minute drive., ... The lagoon's southern shore is used jointly for a San Diego Gas and Elec- . trie power' plant, and for farming. SDG&E dredged the whole lagoon in ; 1954 to provide cooling" water for the ,.i plant".'..The dredging opened the lagopn, : permanently to the ocean, creating a' variety of water depths and life en- i; vironments. '•,.• ,' - - •• .•- • ••• -^ •• •".-•-'•*• s ,; /•. ,.; . La Costan Week of April 18_through April'24, 1985 —3 •V-'j.'Vt «» ~ <•<.* s * r "1 B-4 TftE*SlTRIBUNE San Diego", Monday, April 22, 1985 *• Metro Coast news give reception to lagoon proposal By Lola Sherman " •-• * :-:\ ' >1 > Tribune Staff Writer r '••:-, 1. -'./ .... ,.:",;!,•, • v A proposal to have the state purchase the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad isn't get-'*; ting much support either from the state or from San Diego Gas & Electric, the owner of -•< the lagoon.';';-/;':• -J£*.' t;:*.<-"'^-?-? vvr.-;; I: The proposal was ma de'by Shirley " Dahlquist, a member of the Carlsbad Parks and Recreation Commission. The conunis-.( sion is drafting a letter to the City Council detailing its support of the plan., } ' - But Bill Fait, regional director of state beaches, has thrown cold water on the idea. •; "I do not see where the state would have any interest in pursuing it at all," Fait said. "; Ed Gabrielson, director of the land and environment department at SDG&E, said he had not heard of the proposal ."-•••" < „•"•* '•>- "We would find it interesting," Gabrielson said, but added that SDG&E needs water ^from the lagoon to. cool its Encina power plant "It's necessary to serve our 1.7 million I customers." <i!';v-v •-•*-/;.•.:•»,-,.;. -* Although SDG&E owns, the. entire lagoon/ '^it leases 27 acres to the city, which in turn leases it to the North Coast Family YMCA for its aquatic program. The company also leases another 295 acres of the lagoon to the city. Most of that area is used for water .skiing, , .... ,..•>., .-,.' , ... ; , -, While Dahlquist supports establishing a foundation to pay for improvements in the . lagoon, she said public ownership is the only long-term answer to stop development of the lagoonv She said pressure to develop the coastal area of North County are too strong to be resisted forever by private owners, of the lagooa, 4.7.'.^.- ,; •; , .. »,: > . - State ownership "is a great protection thing," Dahlquist said. ,Agua Hedionda "is ;onei oC the few lagoons_in the whole" stated where an jjquatic park could be established, : she said, ^.^t .4 . ., .-. , -^ '- L. '(•. City Manager Frank Aleshire said he had not heard of Dahlquist's plan. He said the Local Coastal Program, adopted by the state Coastal Commission, for the lagoon area is "a pretty tight plan." , . ' .; It prohibits development on the. entire south shore and requires that the eastern portion remain a wetland reserve, he said. Fait said the state owns only a portion of one lagoon — half of the Los Penasquitos • Lagoon south of Del Mar. There are plans for the state to buy the.other half from i SDG&E, be saidL,. , - :..-'.. ', ? \, , : The state does operate recreational pro- l grams at six freshwater reservoirs, includ- l mg Lake Perris in Riverside County, but has f no similar saltwater recreational areas Fait .* said. He also said there is no state money* t available to buy the lagoon;;' >:';•'"; • ' • j Dahjquist said it could possibly be'pur- j, chased with money from the $155 million t earmarked for park acquisition and develop-; ', ment approved by voters in Proposition 18 'last November. . . ; '",:-. . t Fait said some of that money probably will be used to complete the purchase of the •'' Penasquitos Lagoon, but there will not be any money available to buy Agua Hedionda.* Dahlquist said the area is perfect for state; ownership since it is next to the state beach. There also is a 200-acre reserve at the la' goon's eastern end donated by a developer in exchange for the right to develop other prop; , erty nearby, and the lagopnj alsd can b4 linked to the city's Macario Canyon Parki: ^ she said.^-;•'•* -'• -v; • ••^. .-• -';.^T » "Everything is" a matter of timing,^ Dahlquist said, "and I think now is the time''. " to push for state acquisition. - "' -'•'•• '""",'*- .v .;•• '.. • - --'-.= .., . If the council does not endorse her plan,* Dahlquist said, "I will stick with it . •* "I will go wherever I can go to garner support" . . . : ,,,- .i ?£> June 6, 1985 TO: MAYOR and COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM: Councilman Mark Pettine AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON DREDGING On June 11, 1985 the staff will be making a presentation regarding dredging of Agua Hedionda Lagoon. As part of this presentation, I would like staff to focus in on the silting problems that the ... residents of Bristol Cove are experiencing and present a possible^ range of solutions to this problem. MARK PETTINE Council Member MP/mla cc: City Manager COUNCIL 6-11-85 The matter to be considered at the time the City Manager ACTION: returns with full report in conjunction with the items on the agenda of June 4, 1985. MAY 28, 1985 TO: MAYOR and COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM: Councilman Bud Lewis AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON DREDGING I would like to have time on the agenda at the June 4, 1985 Council Meeting for some general discussion regarding the status of federal funding sources for dredging Agua Hedionda Lagoon. BUD LEWIS Council Member BL:1 cc: Acting City Manager COUNCIL 6-4-85 Referred to the City Manager in conjunction with Item ACTION: No. 20.