SAN
DIEGO RIVER PARK
www.sandiegoriver.org
I
live along the banks of the San Diego River on a historic ranch
site. My ranch has a 100 year-old barn and was once farmed along
the banks extracting water from this valuable resource. Today the
river rarely flows as it is dammed along its route to the ocean
to provide precious water to a growing population. The San Diego
River is a major geographic, biological, and historical feature
within the San Diego environment. It originates 40 miles northeast
of the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of approximately 3,700 feet.
Along its journey to the ocean, it nurtures wild and scenic natural
habitats, recreational areas, rich agricultural fields and a diverse
pattern of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. Its
watershed encompasses some 400 square miles. From a time even before
the recording of local history, the San Diego River has been a lifeline
to the inhabitants of the San Diego region. In a desert seacoast
plain, water is precious to human, animal and plant life.
When
dams were built to capture the naturally flowing water, the river
dried up below them, only coming to life during rare occurrences
of excessive rain to remind us of its very existence. Its beauty
marred by sand mining, materials extraction, dumping, intrusive
non-native vegetation, and pollution, the river was ignored and
threatened the health of humans and wildlife.
The
San Diego River Park Foundation seeks to promote the stewardship
of this important community and regional asset. As one of the few
remaining corridors for wildlife and for connecting communities
and open spaces, I feel this is an extremely important mission and
therefore serve on the Board of Trustees. Our vision is to see the
river restored to its former beauty and function to the benefit
of all.
|