Conservation Matters

Buena Vista Lagoon Restoration

When last we reported, the Buena Vista Lagoon Restoration Project had been officially put on hold. California Department of Fish and Game had announced a halt to completing the final Environmental Impact Report. Unwillingness by the two beachfront homeowners’ groups to consider a saltwater restoration alternative was cited as a primary reason for calling a halt.

The reaction.
Most adjacent stakeholder groups immediately began expressing a desire to see the EIR process restarted. The cities of Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Vista each wrote official letters urging the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency to revisit the issue. Oceanside councilmember and Coastal Commissioner Esther Sanchez then took the lead by setting up a meeting in Sacramento with Natural Resources Secretary John Laird and CDF&G Chief Deputy Director Kevin Hunting. A delegation traveled to Sacramento in early December, led by Councilmember Sanchez and including Carlsbad Assistant City Manager John Coates, Carlsbad Associate Engineer Steve Jantz, and BVAS board member Andy Mauro.

Issues addressed.
Issues discussed at the meeting included efforts by CDF&G to address concerns of beachfront homeowners’ groups; the availability of funding needed to complete the EIR; the possibility that efforts expended to date might be wasted should the project be indefinitely delayed; the benefit of having a final EIR already completed should a future funding source for implementation of the restoration become available; and possible obligations of state and local jurisdictions to proceed with a restoration project to address requirements associated with the lagoon’s designation as an “impaired water body”.

The critical need.
There is widespread agreement that the lagoon must be restored. Failure to do a restoration would result in a continuing decline in the lagoon’s habitat values and biological and hydrological functioning. Water quality, flood protection, vector control, and aesthetic values would all be negatively effected.

Good news!
The delegation was well-received in Sacramento, and pledges of cooperation and support were exchanged between the parties. Since the meeting, the Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation has received word that Secretary Laird has now directed CDF&G to use “all available resources” to complete the EIR. Efforts will be made to insure that the cities will be bigger participants as the process moves forward.

Much still needs to be done, but there now appears reason to hope that one day the Nature Center might look out on a healthy and fully-functioning coastal wetland.

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Whelan Lake

There have been recent suggestions that the City of Oceanside might begin charging for the water it pumps into Whelan Lake from the adjacent sewage treatment facility. The lake is a dedicated bird sanctuary maintained by the non-profit Whelan Lake Bird Sanctuary Association. Under previous agreements in effect since 1958, the water has been provided free of charge.

About 50,000 gallons of reclaimed water are pumped into Whelan Lake each year. The water transfer is used to maintain the lake’s water surface and to provide a reservoir for the excess supply of partially treated water produced by the sewage treatment facility. The new fee structure would result in an estimated annual expense of approximately $14,000 for the reserve.

A number of people are raising concerns that this unanticipated expense, while representing a tiny percentage of additional revenue in the City of Oceanside’s challenged budget, might seriously impact the very limited private funds available to the reserve for maintaining Whelan Lake. Several additional issues have also come to light which question the fairness of imposing a new charge for transferring excess reclaimed water to Whelan Lake.

BVAS, of course, considers the Whelan Lake Bird Sanctuary a wonderful natural asset for the wildlife of our community, and certainly deserving of this modest level of operational support from the city.

We hope the City of Oceanside will turn a sympathetic ear to the sweet trills of birdsong emanating from Whelan Lake, and continue to freely provide the water necessary to maintain this important sanctuary. Join our monthly bird walk at Whelan Lake and experience its beauty.

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Other Issues

El Corazon
At a September hearing, the Oceanside City Council unanimously approved Sudberry Properties as the developer for El Corazon, the 450-acre regional park planned for the “heart of Oceanside”. The vote supported earlier recommendations from the planning commission, the El Corazon citizens’ planning committee, and other community groups and stakeholders, including BVAS. The Sudberry proposal will provide enough soccer fields to host major tournaments within the next year. The soccer tournaments are seen as a means to raise the funds needed to support future development of the park. The developer will be working with partners to also develop the commercial areas envisioned in the park plan, another critical component in the overall financial plan for park development and maintenance. Good news for Oceanside.

Dumps, Gravel Mines, and Quarry Reclamation

Following the progress of three somewhat similar North County projects as they work their way through the permitting process can be confusing. Here’s the latest:

Gregory Canyon
Both houses of the state legislature have passed a bill which would prohibit landfills within 1,000 feet of a river (i.e. the San Luis Rey). The bill is now on the governor’s desk. His signature dooms the project.

Liberty Quarry
The Riverside Planning Commission dealt this project a blow in September by denying a surface mining permit. This sand and gravel mine would significantly impact the adjacent Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. Proponents plan to appeal to Board of Supervisors.

Hanson Quarry Reclamation
The reclamation project along Buena Vista Creek is now underway, and the design reflects some decent accommodations for environmental concerns. Carlsbad is responsible for the portion of the site slated for development, however, and the Council appears receptive to a dense 500-home development plan.

—Andy Mauro