April 18, 2005
City of Carlsbad
Planning Department
RE: Calavera Lake project
The Buena Vista Audubon Society has followed with interest the discussion regarding plans to repair the broken drain valve at Calavera Lake in Carlsbad. Our 1,200 members value our community’s natural heritage, and strive to help preserve and protect our parks and natural open spaces whenever possible. The citizens of Carlsbad have repeatedly indicated the high priority they place on parks and natural open space. Lake Calavera represents an important natural resource, and is listed in the city’s inventory of land earmarked for inclusion in the county’s Multiple Species Conservation Plan. It provides natural habitat for a great variety of native plants and animals, and serves as an outdoor recreational outlet for many members of the community.
The proposal to significantly lower the water level of the lake, make the repair, and then slowly refill the lake over a two-year period would needlessly destroy thousands of plants and animals which depend upon the aquatic environment. Exposed aquatic organisms unable to maintain their watery habitat would simply die and decay. It is likely that the remaining biomass concentrated in the drastically reduced lake volume would quickly upset the biological balance of the lake, leading to massive die-offs. Rotting vegetative and animal matter coupled with warm stagnant water might be expected to generate and support clouds of noxious insects.
At least two project alternatives have been proposed which would appear to accomplish the needed repairs with much less impact on the lake habitat itself. In addition to greatly reducing the environmental impact of the project, selecting one of these less drastic alternatives could potentially keep the lake open to the community throughout the project, eliminate short term aesthetic impacts, and greatly reduce the potential for health issues associated with exposed mud and shallow pools of water.
We urge the City to select a project design which minimizes impacts to existing plants and wildlife.
Sincerely,
Andy Mauro, Conservation Chair
Buena Vista Audubon Society