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
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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.