San Elijo lagoon
The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve is one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in San Diego County , California .
history
Indian tribes hunted and rallied on the shores of the inlet at least 8,500 years before the arrival of European settlers. Clam heaps, the legacy of previous hunter-gatherer societies, show that the earliest inhabitants relied heavily on coastal resources , including foods such as scallops , sand clams , sharks , barracudas , tuna, and abalones. More recently, the Kumeyaay occupied the area. Depending on the season, they lived nomadically in order to use the resources along the coast as well as those inland.
The first Spanish settlers of the Portola expedition named the area '' San Alejo '' in 1769 in honor of St. Alexius. In the early 1800s, Spaniards and other Europeans settled the region and set up cattle ranches. The California gold rush resulted in a steadily increasing influx of people. Settlers established the Olive Grove Community on Escondido Creek as an experimental farming community. Farmers plowed and planted the bank corridors from the estuary upstream. It was the first time that the vegetation and terrain around the lagoon had been radically changed by the settlement. Non-native plants were introduced that later proved to be very invasive.
Between 1880 and 1940, dykes and protective dams were built to allow duck hunting, salt harvesting and sewage ponds for settlers. The most consistent changes were the construction of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1887, California State Route 1 in 1891, and Interstate 5 in 1965. All three required embankments that restricted water circulation and the natural influx of seawater.
In addition to the environmental rehabilitation of the lagoon and the preserved lands, it was planned in 2016 as part of the infrastructure project for the north coast corridor to replace road and rail bridges across the lagoon by 2021.
Geography and natural features
The lagoon is located in the southernmost part of the city of Encinitas and is bordered to the south by Solana Beach and to the west by Rancho Santa Fe and the Pacific. The reserve covers an area of 3.7 square kilometers . The lagoon is the end point of the catchment area of Escondido Creek, which covers an area of 218.98 km². The water in the lagoon comes from the catchment area of Escondido Creek and the Pacific.
The reserve is administered by the California Department of Fish and Game in San Diego County and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy.
Habitat and wildlife
On an area of 3.7 km² there are the following six plant communities : coastal beach, salt marsh, bank scrub, coastal sage scrub, fresh water swamp and mixed chaparral . It is home to more than 300 types of plants , at least 23 types of fish , 26 types of mammals , 20 reptiles and amphibians , more than 80 invertebrates and 300 types of birds .
The San Elijo Lagoon is part of the Escondido Creek catchment area. An area of approximately 220 km², which extends from the foot of the mountains to the coast, is the last remnant of an endangered coastal habitat that connects the northern and southern parts of an ecologically important region. This coastal habitat is vital to the San Diego County's network of habitats and to the continued existence of some of Southern California's most endangered species, many of which are nowhere else.
Nature center
The nature center was opened to the public in spring 2009, replacing the previous center that opened in 1988. The nature center offers the public a unique insight into the application of "green" building concepts . The 520 m² building was awarded platinum in 2012 by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) of the US Green Building Council. The two-story building is made from recycled materials and is based on solar energy with natural light and ventilation. Visitors can see solar panels and irrigated roof plants. Recycled water is used to irrigate the landscape. The nature center conducts guided tours for visitors.
Inside is an exhibit of natural and historical exhibits that detail the lagoon's plant and animal communities, Native American history, and the various natural and human influences that affect this delicate ecosystem. The San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center is operated and owned by San Diego County.
leisure
A total of 13 km long hiking trails are open during the day and meander through various plant communities of the ecological reserve. A short hike to the wetlands begins at the nature center and leads through the area in a 400 m loop with a view of the lagoon and the wildlife observation in the salt marshes. Other routes take about 1.5 hours. Most are considered easy to moderate for hiking and jogging. Dogs are only allowed on a leash to protect all wildlife and natural resources in the California state and county reserve.
Research and Scientific Monitoring
Successful efforts by San Diego County and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy have significantly improved water quality , habitat, and biodiversity. There are actively maintained projects that focus on water quality testing , habitat restoration, invasive plant removal , and bird counts .
Continuous and weekly measurements of the water quality of the lagoon water are taken to test the water for dissolved oxygen , temperature , salinity , chlorophyll and pH levels . The water measurements help determine the health of the ecosystem and also when the mouth of the lagoon should reopen. The mouth of the lagoon at Cardiff State Beach is dredged and reopened every spring after the last winter storm. The opening of the lagoon mouth restores the tidal circulation between the lagoon and the ocean and creates a healthier ecosystem .
Bringing back native plants and removing invasive plant species also helps restore native habitats. This is important because many organisms depend on food and protection from native plants. Invasive plants disrupt the ecosystem by displacing and competing with native vegetation. The invasive plants are removed either by spraying weed killers or by pulling them manually. Only then are native plants planted to restore the habitat.
Monthly bird counts are carried out in the lagoon. Approximately 40% of all bird species in North America have been sighted in the lagoon. This will keep track of how some threatened and endangered species are doing.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fetzer, Leland: San Diego County Place Names A to Z. San Diego: Sunbelt Publications (2005), p. 127. " The Portola_Expedition camped here on July 16, 1769. The next day was the feast day of St. Alexius , the patron saint of pilgrims and beggars and that's how they named the San Alejo square ".
- ↑ San Eljo Lagoon Protection Authority - Annual Inlet Excavations (English), accessed on April 28, 2020
- ↑ Work begins at 700 m on the north coast corridor. (English) San Diego Union-Tribune, November 29, 2016, accessed December 7, 2016.
- ↑ CA Dept. of Fish and Game - San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve
- ^ County of San Diego: San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve , accessed May 5, 2020
- ↑ San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy , accessed May 5, 2020
- ↑ San Elijo Lagoon - A San Diego County Ecological Reserve (web archive article), accessed May 6, 2013
- ↑ a b Naturzentrum San Elijo-Lagune Nature Center (English), accessed on May 5, 2020
- ↑ Elizabeth Beard: Green Buildings Receive Gold Certificate , February 29, 2012, in: nrpa.org, accessed May 5, 2020
- ↑ San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center , accessed on May 5, 2020
- ↑ trails , accessed May 5, 2020
- ↑ San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy - Bird Census , accessed May 5, 2020
Coordinates: 33 ° 0 '35 " N , 117 ° 15' 44" W.