Mission Bay, California
Encyclopedia
Mission Bay is a saltwater bay
or lagoon
located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California
. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4235 acres (17.1 km²), approximately 46% land and 54% water. The combined area makes Mission Bay Park the ninth largest municipally-owned park in the United States.
Wakeboarding
, jet skiing
, sailing
, and camping
are popular on the bay. With miles of light color sandy beach
es and an equally long pedestrian
path, it is equally suitable for cycling
, jogging
or sunbathing.
Mission Bay Yacht Club, on the west side of the bay, conducts sailing races year-round in the bay and the nearby Pacific Ocean and has produced national sailing champions in many classes.
Fiesta Island, a large peninsula
r park located within Mission Bay, is a popular location for charity walks and runs, bicycle race
s, time trial
s and other special events. It is also the home of the annual Over-the-line
tournament.
Mission Bay is also host to the annual Bayfair Cup
, which is a hydroplane boat race that takes place on the H1 Unlimited circuit.
in 1542. It was developed into a recreational water park during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
The San Diego River
had historically shifted its terminus back and forth between San Diego Bay to the south and “False Bay” to the north. During the 1820s the river began to empty primarily into San Diego Bay, causing worries that the harbor might silt up. In 1852 the United States Army Corps of Engineers
constructed a dike along the south side of the river to prevent water from flowing into San Diego Bay. This made “False Bay” an estuary outlet for the San Diego River drainage. Unfortunately the dike failed within two years. Finally in 1877 the city erected a permanent dam and straightened the river channel to the sea, giving the river its present configuration. Today the San Diego River is constrained on both the north and the south by levee
s (San Diego River Flood Control Channel), and it no longer drains to the ocean through Mission Bay, other than through a weir
located at the entrance to Mission Bay.
During the late 1800s some recreational development began in “False Bay” including the building of hunting and fishing facilities. These facilities were destroyed by flooding that took place years later.
In 1944, a Chamber of Commerce
committee recommended development of Mission Bay into a tourism
and recreational center, in order to help diversify the City’s economy, which was largely military
.
In the late 1940s, dredging and filling operations began converting the marsh into what today is Mission Bay Park. Twenty-five millions cubic yards of sand and silt were dredged to create the varied land forms of the park, which now is almost entirely man-made.
Approximately one half of the park was once state tidelands. Mission Bay Park was transferred to the City of San Diego with several restrictions, some of which were adopted into San Diego City Charter by public vote, with others implemented as part of the California Coastal Commission
’s oversight of local planning and land use decisions. One of the restrictions sets a limit on commercial development of leaseholds, so that no more than 25% of the land area and 6.5% of the water area can be used for private purposes. This assures that most of the acres making up Mission Bay Park are available for public recreational use.
Mission Bay has 27 miles (43.5 km) of shoreline, 19 of which are sandy beaches with eight locations designated as official swimming areas. Mission Bay is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy
.
Swimmers and sunbathers take advantage of the warm water, calm surf conditions and the sands of Mission Bay’s beaches. Mission Bay offers boat docks and launching facilities, sailboat and motor rentals, bike/walk paths and basketball courts. There are playgrounds for children. Public restrooms and showers are available, and lifeguard stations are located in designated areas.
On the east side of the bay is a network of channels and islands which are used by wind surfers and water skiers.
Several of the water areas are dedicated or restricted to particular forms of water recreation, with specific separate areas for sailing, water skiing and personal watercraft use.
Mission Bay is one of the premier locations in Southern California for the sport of rowing, or "crew."
One of the largest rowing regattas in the country is held on Mission Bay each year: The San Diego Crew Classic is held in Mission Bay every spring, featuring two days of competition in eight-oared shells rowed by more than 100 college, club, and senior crews
.
Rose Creek
flows into Mission Bay from the north, creating a rich wetland area called the Kendall Frost Marsh.
, the Mission Bay Aquatic Center with classes in all kinds of water sports, and Belmont Park
, which features the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster
and other rides.
On shore there are activities such as picnicking, riding a bike along the paths, playing volleyball, or flying a kite.
There are nearly 14 miles (22.5 km) of bike paths along Mission Bay
Dog Walking
Some areas in Mission Bay Park require dogs to be on leashes, other areas such as Fiesta Island are leash free, and still other areas do not allow dogs at all.
Camping
There is a youth campground located on Mission Bay’s Fiesta Island. Throughout the year youth groups with their leaders enjoy a full camping experience along with daytime water experiences and classes. A permit is required to use this site. It is unlawful for adults to camp, sleep overnight or lodge overnight anywhere in Mission Bay Park except as a leader of a permitted youth group.
Fishing
Fishing is permitted in all areas of Mission Bay, except in areas designated for swimming, water skiing and personal water craft use (including take off and landing zones). Fishing is also not allowed from any bridge.
Birds
Mission Bay Park is home to many rare & endangered species, including the California Least Tern
. Now in its thirteenth year, a program goes into effect every April through August to protect the endangered California least tern at four of its nesting sites in Mission Bay Park. The California least tern is on the endangered species list and the death of every Least Tern chick severely reduces chances for the bird’s survival. The roaming of predators on site prevents adult Least Terns from nesting.
In a multi-agency effort that includes the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game and the Wildlife Services Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, professionals from the wildlife program carry out the humane trapping of predators that are attracted to the Least Tern nesting sites. This includes skunk
s and opossums, as well as feral cats and dogs, believed to be former pets who were abandoned by their owners. Sites are located on North Fiesta Island, Mariner’s Point, Stoney Point, and a small island called “Government Island” used by the Federal Aviation Agency.
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
or lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
located south of the Pacific Beach community of San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The bay is part of the recreational Mission Bay Park, which is the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4235 acres (17.1 km²), approximately 46% land and 54% water. The combined area makes Mission Bay Park the ninth largest municipally-owned park in the United States.
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques....
, jet skiing
Personal water craft
A personal water craft , also called water scooter, is a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat....
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
are popular on the bay. With miles of light color sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es and an equally long pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
path, it is equally suitable for cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
or sunbathing.
Mission Bay Yacht Club, on the west side of the bay, conducts sailing races year-round in the bay and the nearby Pacific Ocean and has produced national sailing champions in many classes.
Fiesta Island, a large peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
r park located within Mission Bay, is a popular location for charity walks and runs, bicycle race
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
s, time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
s and other special events. It is also the home of the annual Over-the-line
Over-the-line
Over-the-line is a bat-and-ball sport, a game related to baseball and softball. Like those games, you have the batter, pitcher, and fielders. Because a game requires only three people per team, it's considerably easier to get a good informal game going. Equipment consists of a rope , an...
tournament.
Mission Bay is also host to the annual Bayfair Cup
Bayfair Cup
The Air Guard Championship or Bayfair Cup, is a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race is held on Mission Bay in San Diego, California, USA. The race is the main attraction of the annual San Diego Bayfair festival in mid September....
, which is a hydroplane boat race that takes place on the H1 Unlimited circuit.
History
Mission Bay Park was originally a tidal marsh that was named “False Bay” by Juan Rodriguez CabrilloJuan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
in 1542. It was developed into a recreational water park during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
The San Diego River
San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
had historically shifted its terminus back and forth between San Diego Bay to the south and “False Bay” to the north. During the 1820s the river began to empty primarily into San Diego Bay, causing worries that the harbor might silt up. In 1852 the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
constructed a dike along the south side of the river to prevent water from flowing into San Diego Bay. This made “False Bay” an estuary outlet for the San Diego River drainage. Unfortunately the dike failed within two years. Finally in 1877 the city erected a permanent dam and straightened the river channel to the sea, giving the river its present configuration. Today the San Diego River is constrained on both the north and the south by levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s (San Diego River Flood Control Channel), and it no longer drains to the ocean through Mission Bay, other than through a weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
located at the entrance to Mission Bay.
During the late 1800s some recreational development began in “False Bay” including the building of hunting and fishing facilities. These facilities were destroyed by flooding that took place years later.
In 1944, a Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
committee recommended development of Mission Bay into a tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and recreational center, in order to help diversify the City’s economy, which was largely military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
.
In the late 1940s, dredging and filling operations began converting the marsh into what today is Mission Bay Park. Twenty-five millions cubic yards of sand and silt were dredged to create the varied land forms of the park, which now is almost entirely man-made.
Approximately one half of the park was once state tidelands. Mission Bay Park was transferred to the City of San Diego with several restrictions, some of which were adopted into San Diego City Charter by public vote, with others implemented as part of the California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
’s oversight of local planning and land use decisions. One of the restrictions sets a limit on commercial development of leaseholds, so that no more than 25% of the land area and 6.5% of the water area can be used for private purposes. This assures that most of the acres making up Mission Bay Park are available for public recreational use.
In the water
California Bays and Estuaries Policy
The Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California is published by the California State Water Resources Control Board as guidelines to prevent water quality degradation. The policy is revised as needed.-Geography:...
.
Swimmers and sunbathers take advantage of the warm water, calm surf conditions and the sands of Mission Bay’s beaches. Mission Bay offers boat docks and launching facilities, sailboat and motor rentals, bike/walk paths and basketball courts. There are playgrounds for children. Public restrooms and showers are available, and lifeguard stations are located in designated areas.
On the east side of the bay is a network of channels and islands which are used by wind surfers and water skiers.
Several of the water areas are dedicated or restricted to particular forms of water recreation, with specific separate areas for sailing, water skiing and personal watercraft use.
Mission Bay is one of the premier locations in Southern California for the sport of rowing, or "crew."
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
One of the largest rowing regattas in the country is held on Mission Bay each year: The San Diego Crew Classic is held in Mission Bay every spring, featuring two days of competition in eight-oared shells rowed by more than 100 college, club, and senior crews
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
.
Rose Creek
Rose Creek
Rose Creek is an urban stream in San Diego, California that drains to Mission Bay. It flows in a north-to-south direction through Rose Canyon and San Clemente Canyon and their tributary canyons. Both Rose Creek and Rose Canyon are named for San Diego pioneer Louis Rose, who had a ranch in the...
flows into Mission Bay from the north, creating a rich wetland area called the Kendall Frost Marsh.
On land
Attractions at Mission Bay include SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
, the Mission Bay Aquatic Center with classes in all kinds of water sports, and Belmont Park
Belmont Park (San Diego)
Belmont Park is a historic oceanfront amusement park located in the Mission Bay area of San Diego, California. The park was developed by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and opened on July 4, 1925 as the Mission Beach Amusement Center. In addition to providing recreation and amusement it also was...
, which features the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster
Mission Beach Roller Coaster
The Giant Dipper, also known as the Mission Beach Roller Coaster, is a wooden roller coaster, built in 1925. The Giant Dipper is in Belmont Park, right on Mission Beach in San Diego...
and other rides.
On shore there are activities such as picnicking, riding a bike along the paths, playing volleyball, or flying a kite.
There are nearly 14 miles (22.5 km) of bike paths along Mission Bay
Dog Walking
Some areas in Mission Bay Park require dogs to be on leashes, other areas such as Fiesta Island are leash free, and still other areas do not allow dogs at all.
Camping
There is a youth campground located on Mission Bay’s Fiesta Island. Throughout the year youth groups with their leaders enjoy a full camping experience along with daytime water experiences and classes. A permit is required to use this site. It is unlawful for adults to camp, sleep overnight or lodge overnight anywhere in Mission Bay Park except as a leader of a permitted youth group.
Fishing
Fishing is permitted in all areas of Mission Bay, except in areas designated for swimming, water skiing and personal water craft use (including take off and landing zones). Fishing is also not allowed from any bridge.
Birds
Mission Bay Park is home to many rare & endangered species, including the California Least Tern
California Least Tern
The Least Tern is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the Little Tern of the Old World...
. Now in its thirteenth year, a program goes into effect every April through August to protect the endangered California least tern at four of its nesting sites in Mission Bay Park. The California least tern is on the endangered species list and the death of every Least Tern chick severely reduces chances for the bird’s survival. The roaming of predators on site prevents adult Least Terns from nesting.
In a multi-agency effort that includes the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game and the Wildlife Services Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, professionals from the wildlife program carry out the humane trapping of predators that are attracted to the Least Tern nesting sites. This includes skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s and opossums, as well as feral cats and dogs, believed to be former pets who were abandoned by their owners. Sites are located on North Fiesta Island, Mariner’s Point, Stoney Point, and a small island called “Government Island” used by the Federal Aviation Agency.
External links
- Mission Bay Park - City of San Diego web site
- "Mission Bay Aquatic Park: The History of Planning and Land Acquisitions", The Journal of San Diego History 48:1 (Winter 2002) by Ed Gabrielson
- Mission Bay RV Resort - RV park owned by City of San Diego