Batiquitos lagoon
The Batiquitos Lagoon is a 610 hectare large wetland at a river mouth on the coast between Carlsbad and Encinitas in the region North County in California's San Diego County . It has a catchment area of around 55,000 hectares. Part of the lagoon is designated as a marine reserve ( Batiquitos Lagoon Marine Reserve ), which is administered as a nature reserve by the California Department of Fish and Game .
Surroundings
The primary freshwater inflows are the San Marcos Brook from the east and the Encinitas Brook, which flows north along the Green Valley and flows into the lagoon under El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue, respectively. It is one of the few remaining tidal wetlands on the Southern California coast.
Nature reserve
The Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation is a private, non-profit organization committed to the preservation of the lagoon and educating the public about the natural history of the lagoon. The foundation operates the Batiquitos Lagoon Nature Center, which offers various programs as well as guided hikes and provides information about the importance of the lagoon as a habitat for birds, insects, plants, fish, mammals and benthic organisms . A 2.8 km long, wheelchair-accessible nature trail runs along the north side of the lagoon and roughly follows its bank.
history
Evidence of human settlement in the Batiquitos Lagoon dates back 8,000 years. The Batiquitos Lagoon is said to have been an outpost for pirates in the 17th century .
The area around the lagoon was cleared for homesteads in the 1870s. Various construction projects and roads around the lagoon blocked the necessary tides for the next 100 years, causing the lagoon to become muddy and mostly fresh water. This had an impact on the ecosystem and reduced fish diversity to only five species.
It was not until 1997 that the Port of Los Angeles began environmental rehabilitation of the Batiquitos Lagoon. Since the end of construction, the lagoon's ecosystem has gradually transformed from a limited non-tidal system with limited habitat value to a fully tidal saltwater system with higher habitat value. Since the restoration of the tidal effects in the lagoon, the number and diversity of fish populations has increased significantly and more than 65 species have been found. Lagoons serve as breeding and rearing areas for a wide variety of coastal fish. They provide habitat and food for native species and serve as feeding areas for seasonal species.
Individual evidence
- ↑ California Department of Fish and Game: Batiquitos Lagoon Marine Reserve , accessed April 10, 2020
- ↑ About the lagoon , accessed on March 22, 2020
- ↑ Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation in Carlsbad, California (English), accessed on 22 March 2020
- ↑ / visit / Batiquitos-Lagune-Naturzentrum (English), accessed on April 10, 2020
- ↑ Batiquitos Lagoon Trail (English), accessed on March 22, 2020
- ↑ Dennis R. Gallegos: Review and Synthesis of Archaeological Record for Lower San Diego River Valley PDF , 1995, Californian Society for Archeology [Ed.], Accessed April 10, 2020
- ^ History , accessed on March 22, 2020
- ↑ a b Restoration Resource Center USA: California: Restoration of Batiquitos Lagoon (Carlsbad) (English), accessed on March 22, 2020
- ↑ a b Fisch (English), accessed on March 22, 2020