Lake Hodges
Lake Hodges is located between Escondido and Rancho
Bernardo. Most of it lies west of I-15, but as you cross it on
I-15, you can see the lake on both sides when the lake is full. The lake is owned by
the City of San Diego Water Department which operates
the lake's recreational activities. Daily permits are needed for
fishing or boating. Questions about lake use should be directed
to (619) 668-2050. Fishing season is generally February to November
on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Call (619) 465-3474 for recorded
fishing information. The San Dieguito River Park is in the process
of enhancing the trails around the Lake, and constructing new ones
that may be needed.
Lake Hodges Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge:
Construction Photos!
The
San Dieguito River Park hired T.Y. Lin International bridge engineers to design an innovative, beautiful and low-impact bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists over Lake Hodges. It will cross the
lake from north to south, about 1,000 feet west of the I-15
freeway bridge. The proposed bridge will be 990 feet
long and twelve feet wide. The project is funded with Federal, State and local funds: $3,000,000
federal TEA grant, with Caltrans District 11 as the River Park's
state partner on the project; $1,500,000 State River Parkway Bond Act funds (Prop 13) and $625,000 from State River Parkway Bond Act funds (Prop 40); and $500,000 from SANDAG. Additional $2,000,000 in Federal/State RIP funds were awarded by Sandag on 3/17/06, and $1,875,000 in SANDAG Transnet funds on 3/23/07. The preferred bridge type is a stressed-ribbon design. The advantages of this design style are that there will only be two piers in the lake (each span would be 330 feet long) and the profile will be thin - only 16" deep. Thus the bridge would have minimum visual impact. The bridge is part of a larger planned bikeway project, discussed further below.
General Schematic for Stressed-Ribbon Style
click for larger image
Another phase of the project, which is currently not funded, includes a 2,600 foot long bike path connection on the south shore of the lake along West Bernardo Drive up to Rancho Bernardo Community Park Drive. 760 feet of the bike path will be built on a cantilevered viaduct because the section of West Bernardo Drive next to the lake is too narrow otherwise to accommodate the width of the bike path.
A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was circulated on January 13, 2005, with written comments due by February 16, 2005. A Public Hearing was held on May 20, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. at the County Administrative Center at 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 302/303, San Diego. At that time the JPA Board of Directors approved the MND and the project.
Because the project will be located on land owned by the City of San Diego and in the jurisdiction of the City of San Diego, it was necessary to obtain a Site Development Permit from the City of San Diego. The San Diego City Council approved the Site Development Permit on September 20, 2005.
Bridge planning began when the level of Lake Hodges was very low. Shortly before construction began, rains brought the lake to full capacity. This impacts the bridge project because of the extra cost associated with construction in high water conditions. The contractor needed to build a temporary construction trestle across the lake to enable heavy equipment to reach the sites of the piers where the contractor had to build cofferdams to keep water out during construction.
For more details on the project, click here for the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Lake Hodges Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge.
Construction on Phase One, the south abutment was completed in early 2007. Construction on Phase Two is currently underway, but will halt in mid-March 2008 because of bird nesting season. It will resume in mid-September 2008 and conclude in March 2009.
I-15 Trail Undercrossing:
The San Dieguito River Park completed construction of an important
trail linkage in 1995. This trail is an 8 foot wide concrete Class
I bike path with adjacent 4 foot wide dirt hiking/equestrian trail.
It connects trails on the east side of I-15 with trails on the west
side of the freeway via a trail undercrossing constructed under the
freeway bridge at Lake Hodges. The trail was constructed on top of
the existing "rip-rap" (or boulders) that support the freeway bridge.
This linkage permits people to park on the east side of the freeway
at the Sunset Drive cul de sac (take the Via Rancho Parkway exit
east) and access the existing trail on the north side of the lake
west of the freeway. Funding for the undercrossing project was state,
federal and local. There were $420,000 in state Environmental Enhancement
Mitigation grant funds, $715,000 in federal Interstate Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act funds (ISTEA), and $60,000 in design funds from the
SANDAG Bicycle Facilities Committee.
These kids are enjoying the I-15 Trail Undercrossing.
Piedras Pintadas Cultural Resource Management Plan:
The San Dieguito River Park completed a protection plan for the significant
Native American cultural site south of Lake Hodges known as Piedras Pintadas.
As part of the protection plan, appropriate trail access and interpretive signage
about Kumeyaay lifestyles was installed. Project funding was $250,000 from
a state legislative grant, matched by $250,000 from a San Dieguito River Park
trust fund at the City of San Diego. Future plans include the construction
of a rock art replica. This area is located on the south side of Lake Hodges,
west of I-15. Take the West Bernardo Drive/Pomerado Drive exit west, park in
dirt parking area signed as the Bernardo Bay Natural Area. Please see the Piedras
Pintadas Trail Map. In addition,
the Park has published an informative book, The Painted Rocks, which is aimed
for children in grades 3-6, but is of interest to all ages. Call (858) 674-2270
for more information about the book and how
you can purchase it.
Bernardo Bay Natural Area:
Bernardo Bay Natural Area is an open space area owned by the City of San Diego
Water Department and designated as a cornerstone property in the City's
Multiple Species Conservation Program. The Bernardo Bay Natural Area is located
south of Lake Hodges and west of I-15. The area is currently heavily used, but
most trails have not been clearly designated, and many trails have been created
randomly by users. These "volunteer" trails usually are badly eroded and can
degrade the biological and cultural resources of the area, in addition to being
unsightly. Future plans include a Master Plan for this area that would
designate the trails to be kept
and the ones to be closed. A life-size replica of Kumeyaay rock art has
also been proposed for this area.
Mule Hill Historical Trail: Mule Hill and Sikes Adobe
Mule Hill is an historic site located east of I-15, on the north side of the
Lake. It is the location of an 1846 Mexican-American War battle between the Californios
under the leadership of General Andres Pico and the Army of the United States,
under the leadership of General Stephen Watts Kearny. The San Dieguito River
Park completed construction of the Mule Hill Historical Trail in June 2002. There are two interpretive
stations along the trail (about 1 1/4 mile from the trailhead at Sunset Drive) that tell the story of the battle fought at the site, as well as
interesting facts about the Town
of Bernardo and the old San Diego to Yuma Road. The trail is a multi-use trail for hikers, bicyclists
and equestrians. The trail connects Sikes
Adobe with Mule Hill, making this trail a rewarding experience for history buffs.
Highland Valley Trail
The Highland Valley Trail is a pleasant 2 mile long trail east of I-15, south
of Lake Hodges. The trail is for hiking and horseback riding only. The trail
was built by the San Dieguito River Park using state grant funds with the cooperative
efforts of the City of San Diego, the Urban Corps, the Boy Scouts and many other
community volunteers.
Ruth Merrill Children's Interpretive Walk
The first mile of the Highland Valley Trail forms the base of the Ruth
Merrill
Children's Interpretive Walk. The walk features markers at various locations
that are keyed to a self-guided pamphlet. The trailhead offers a flyer
that briefly explains what can be observed and learned at
each marker. However, the pamphlet, which is available at the River Park
office, and is offered in both English and Spanish, provides much
more information. Teachers in particular are encouraged to contact the
River Park office to obtain pamphlets for their students.
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