About the San Dieguito River Park
San Diego, California
The San Dieguito River
Valley Regional Open Space Park Joint Powers
Authority, also known as the San Dieguito River
Park, is
the agency responsible for creating a natural open space
park in the San Dieguito River Valley. The
Park will someday extend from
the ocean at Del Mar to Volcan Mountain, just north of Julian.
The San Dieguito River
Park Joint Powers Authority was formed as a separate agency
on June 12, 1989, by the County of San Diego and the Cities of Del Mar,
Escondido, Poway, San Diego and Solana Beach. It was empowered to acquire,
plan, design,
improve, operate and maintain the San Dieguito River Park.
Mission Statement
"To
preserve and restore land within the Focused Planning Area
of the San Dieguito
River Park as a
regional open space
greenway and park system that protects the
natural waterways and the natural and cultural resources and sensitive
lands and
provides compatible recreational opportunities, including water related
uses, that do
not damage sensitive lands.
To provide a continuous and coordinated
system of preserved lands with a connecting corridor of walking,
equestrian, and bicycle trails, encompassing
the San Dieguito
River Valley from the ocean to the river's source."
San Dieguito River Park Goals
Preservation of Open Space -
Establish a continuous open space corridor throughout the length
of the focused planning
area that preserves natural habitats, protects linkages
for wildlife movement and provides compatible areas for recreational opportunities
.
Conservation of Sensitive Resources - Preserve the existing
natural character, visual quality, and sensitive resources of the open
space corridor, including the preservation, enhancement, and protection
of sensitive coastal wetlands, hillsides, riparian and other freshwater
habitat, native vegetation and historical and cultural resources.
Protection of Water Resources - Optimize the water quality and
quantity of all groundwater resources and surface water bodies within
the planning area through water conservation, erosion control, pollution
control and restoration.
Preservation of the Natural Floodplain -
Maintain the 100 year floodplain and sheetflow areas within
the planning area in an open configuration
with a natural channel and
provide adequate area for the normal stream waters to meander through
the floodplain. The 100 year floodplain and sheetflow areas will be preserved
for open space uses such
as recreation, wildlife habitat or agriculture.
Retention of Agricultural Uses - Retain and encourage responsible
agriculture in appropriate areas.
Creation of Recreational and Educational Opportunities -
Create a scenic trail and interpretive system and establish
recreational areas
including water related uses, which are compatible with the natural values
of the river system.
Focused Planning Area
The Focused Planning
Area (FPA) for the San Dieguito River Park extends along
a
55-mile corridor that begins at the mouth of the San Dieguito River in
Del Mar, and
ends at the desert just east of Volcan Mountain. The FPA encompasses the
San Dieguito River Valley and its major tributary canyons,
as well as
Lake Hodges,
San Pasqual Valley, Boden Canyon and Pamo Valley, Lake Sutherland, the
Santa Ysabel Creek drainage, Volcan Mountain and portions of the high
desert in
San Felipe Valley. With the expansion of the FPA boundaries in 1993 to
include the
entire Rutherford Ranch, the San Dieguito River Park now proposes a greenway
and open space park system that will link the Anza Borrego State Park to
the Pacific Ocean.
The FPA is the area of focus for the San Dieguito River Park's acquisition
and planning efforts. The FPA roughly corresponds to the viewshed of
the San Dieguito River Valley and its tributary streams - that is, what
you could see if you were standing on the valley floor. The Focused Planning
Area has been adopted by the six member agencies of the JPA as a regional
park planning boundary. It is important to understand that
San Dieguito River Park development projects and user activities are
limited to public lands and also to private lands whose owners have given
written consent. Mere inclusion in the FPA does not indicate that private
property is part of the Park and does not in any way affect the private
property rights of the owner.
Joint Powers Authority Board Membership
The Joint Powers Authority Board is composed
of two elected officials each from the County of San Diego
and the City
of San Diego, one elected official each from the Cities
of Del Mar, Escondido, Poway and Solana Beach, and one public
member
representing the Citizens Advisory Committee.
 Current Board
Members
Citizens Advisory Committee Membership
The CAC is a standing committee of the Joint Powers
Authority. It is responsible for advising the JPA Board on land
use matters which directly impact the Park's Focused Planning
Area. CAC meetings are intended to provide an open forum for
community discussion on park related issues; to organize and
implement special community events that will acquaint the public
with the San Dieguito River Park; and to gather and disseminate
park-related information to residents and property owners within
and adjacent to the Focused Planning Area.
Membership in the CAC include community planning groups
whose planning areas are located within or in proximity to
the Park's Focused Planning Area, a selection of homeowners
associations, representatives from several professional organizations,
representatives of property owners within the Focused Planning
Area, and interested planning, environmental, and other special
interest organizations.
Click here for a list of the current member organizations
of the
CAC.
What is the San Dieguito River Park?
The Vision
Like the river that begins in the ancient forests of Volcan
Mountain and runs through rich farmlands of the San Dieguito River
Valley to the San Dieguito Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean, the vision
of the San Dieguito River Park reaches out to the future with ideals
of preservation and protection of the beautiful rural character
of the San Dieguito River Valley. From the Coast to Crest Trail
system that will someday link trails and paths from Del Mar to
Anza Borrego - over 55 miles - to the celebration and preservation
of our local heritage and natural resources, the San Dieguito River
Park is creating recreational and educational opportunities that
interface gently with nature.
The Reality
Creating the San Dieguito River Park will take many years. Over
50 percent of the land within the planning area of the Park is
in public ownership now. Some of those areas will be set aside
as habitat preserves. Appropriate recreational activities for the
remaining public areas are being planned and implemented now. Some
trail segments are already open to the public. For funded planning
projects, workshops will be held to determine where park facilities
should be placed. It is Park policy (Private
Property Rights Protection Policy) that private property rights
will be respected and the Park will not infringe upon those rights
to implement its goals and objectives.
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