Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge 

South San Diego Bay Unit, San Diego NWR

June 2000 – Planning Update (Vol. 1) 

that will inform you of our progress and provide information explaining how you can be 

involved in the various phases of plan development – from participating in public workshops 

to submitting written comments. Public involvement is an essential component of this 

planning effort, and we encourage your participation throughout the process. 

Upcoming Public Workshops 

Please Join Us

To initiate the public participation process, the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host two 

open houses in July. Come and share your visions for the South San Diego Bay Unit and 

Sweetwater Marsh NWR and tell us how you 

think they can best be achieved. To accommodate as many people as possible, we have 

scheduled a daytime and an evening workshop. 

We hope you can attend one of these. If you 

are unable to attend, we encourage you to 

write, e-mail, fax or phone in your comments 

to the address provided on the back page. 

	




Public Meetings 

Join us at one of the 

following Open Houses 

MONDAY, JULY 10 

7:00 – 9:00 PM 

Marina Vista Center 

1075 8th Street 

Imperial Beach, CA 

(located just off Imperial 

Beach Blvd. – behind the 

Imperial Beach Library) 

TUESDAY, JULY 11 

1:30 PM – 3:30 PM 

Chula Vista Nature Center 

Auditorium 

1000 Gunpowder Pt. Dr. 

Chula Vista, CA 

(Please arrive at the Nature 

Center parking lot, located off 

E Street and I-5, between 1:00 

and 1:15 PM to catch the shuttle to the Nature Center) 

Both facilities and the shuttle 

are fully accessible. 

For additional information call 

619-691-1185. 

Comprehensive Conservation 

Planning to Begin for South Bay 

Refuges 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is pleased 

to announce the initiation of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) process for the 

South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego 

National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Sweetwater Marsh NWR. The purpose of this planning effort is to develop a CCP that will provide these refuge areas with a 15-year management plan for the conservation of fish, wildlife, 

and plant resources and their related habitats, 

while also providing opportunities for compatible wildlife dependent recreation. 

The CCP will cover the 3,500-acre South San 

Diego Bay Unit and the 316-acre Sweetwater 

Marsh NWR. Although the two refuge areas 

are not contiguous, their relationship to one 

another physically and biologically supports 

the proposal to include the two refuges under 

one management plan. Preserved within these 

two refuges are most of what remains of San 

Diego Bay’s historic salt marsh and intertidal 

mudflat areas. In addition, both refuge areas 

support habitat for similar endangered and 

threatened species including the California 

Least Tern, Western Snowy Plover, and Lightfooted Clapper Rail. Designated by the American Bird Conservancy as an Important Bird 

Area of global significance, the south end of 

San Diego Bay also provides significant habitat for a wide variety of migratory shorebirds 

and wintering sea ducks. 

In addition to providing a clear statement of 

the desired future conditions for these refuges, 

the CCP process is also intended to ensure 

public involvement in refuge management decisions. The views of individuals, the local 

community (including landowners and local 

businesses), public agencies, and interested 

organizations will play an important role in the 

CCP process. Over the next few years, you 

will be receiving periodic planning updates 

South San Diego Bay 
What is a National Wildlife Refuge? 

A National Wildlife Refuge is a designated area of land or water that has been set aside for the 

conservation of fish, wildlife and plants. Rachel Carson described a refuge as land that “has been 

dedicated by the American people to preserving, for themselves and their children, as much of our 

native wildlife as can be retained along with our modern civilization.” 

The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the only 

national network of public lands set aside specifically for the protection and conservation of fish, 

wildlife and plants. Born in 1903 as a result of President Theodore Roosevelt’s order to protect a 

small island in Florida as a “preserve and breeding grounds for native birds,” the National Wildlife Refuge System now includes more than 500 refuges. Today, over 93 million acres of land 

and water provide important habitat for nearly 260 threatened or endangered species and hundreds of other fish, wildlife, insect and plant species. 

More than 30 million Americans visit national wildlife refuges each year. While the needs of 

wildlife must come first, many refuges welcome those who want to enjoy the natural world: to 

observe or photograph wildlife, to hunt or fish, or to learn about wildlife and their needs. 

Why is a Comprehensive Conservation Plan being prepared? 

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires that a CCP be prepared 

for each refuge in the System. Both the Service and the public will benefit from this requirement, 

as the CCP process provides many opportunities for ensuring that the long-term vision and goals 

for these refuges will be evaluated, developed, and achieved. 

Our goal is to prepare a CCP that: 

• Provides a clear vision of the desired future conditions for each refuge area; 

• Establishes refuge management priorities for the next 15 years that are 

 consistent with achieving the desired future conditions; 

• Ensures that management decisions will fulfill the mission of the NWR System, as 

well as the specific purposes for which the refuge areas were established; 

• Thoroughly evaluates the full range of views and comments provided by those individuals, groups and agencies that participated in the planning process; 

• Incorporates an ecosystem approach into the management strategies for habitat 

 protection, enhancement, and restoration; and 

• Identifies which public uses are, and are not, compatible with the vision and goals that 

are established for these refuge areas through the CCP process. 

National Wildlife Refuge System: Preserving wildlife and habitat 

for people today, and for generations to come. 

Tentative Planning 

Schedule 

July 2000 

Open houses to identify issues and opportunities 

August/Sept. 2000 

Continue to identify issues 

through meetings with 

agencies and the public 

Oct./Nov. 2000 

Define issues; establish 

goals and objectives; 

develop alternatives 

January 2001 

Public workshop to 

discuss alternatives 

October 2001 

Draft Plan/NEPA 

Document released for 

public comment 

November 2001 

Public Meetings on 

Draft Plan/NEPA 

Document 

March 2002 

Begin implementing CCP 

Page 2 	




	
	
	
	

	

		

		


	



			
	

	



 
	
	


	
	!
"#


	
$	
!	%&&'
The South San Diego Bay Unit of the San Diego 

NWR was established in January 1999. The 

Unit’s approved acquisition boundaries encompass about 3,500 acres of land and water in and 

around the southern end of San Diego Bay. An 

additional 440 acres of Navy-owned land, located between the bay and Pacific Ocean, were 

approved as a Stewardship Project. Both areas 

are part of the larger San Diego NWR. 

The South San Diego Bay Unit supports tens of thousands of migrating shorebirds, nesting seabirds, wintering sea ducks and other migratory waterfowl. Native habitats include open bay, intertidal mudflats, salt marsh, eelgrass beds, and southern willow 

scrub. The western terminus of the Otay River is also included in the Unit boundaries 

and provides riparian and salt marsh habitats that support a population of Light-footed 

Clapper Rails. Approximately 146 acres of restorable fallow agricultural land occur at 

the eastern end of this refuge unit. 

Also included within the South San Diego Bay Unit is a salt production operation that 

maintains about 1,050 acres of salt ponds. These artificially diked ponds and adjacent 

salt marsh and intertidal habitats provide an abundance of fish, brine shrimp, and brine 

flies. These areas are particularly important to shorebirds and seabirds, because they are 

one of the few large feeding, resting, and nesting areas remaining along the California 

coast. The artificial dikes provide nesting habitat for Western Snowy Plover and colonies of Caspian, Forster’s, Gull-billed, Royal and California Least Terns. This area also 

supports one of only two nesting colonies of Elegant Terns in the United States, and is 

one of three primary locations in California where Black Skimmers nest. 

Interim goals were developed for the San Diego NWR in 1997 and will be reviewed as 

part of the planning process to determine whether they are still appropriate or if they 

should be updated for the South San Diego Bay Unit. Interim goals include: 

Protect, restore, and enhance native habitats to aid in the recovery of federally 

endangered and threatened species and to prevent the listing of additional species. 

Protect, manage, and restore the rare coastal sage scrub, chaparral, riparian woodland, vernal pools, coastal dune and wetland habitats representative of the 

biodiversity of the southwestern San Diego region. 

Create partnerships and provide leadership in coordinating the land management 

activities of federal, tribal, state, and local governments and agencies, and with 

academia, private conservation organizations and citizens in support of the 

Multiple Species Conservation Program preserve system. 

Provide breeding, migration, and wintering habitat for migratory birds, with 

emphasis on seabird and shorebird breeding habitat and wintering waterfowl 

habitat. 

Provide safe and high quality opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent 

educational and recreational activities that foster public appreciation of the 

unique natural heritage of the San Diego region. 

 South San Diego Bay – Teeming With Life


 Page 3 

Black Skimmer and chick. 

Terns at South Bay ©Larry Sansone ©Peter Knapp 

How You Can Help 

◊ You can help us the most by 

getting involved. Give us your 

thoughts and ideas regarding these 

refuge areas. 

◊ Help us identify potential issues 

related to refuge management, wildlife-dependent recreational uses, 

habitat protection, and more. 

◊ You can also assist us in 

exploring what opportunities or alternatives might be available to resolve potential issues. 

◊ Join us at upcoming public 

meetings and workshops; your 

thoughts will stimulate new ideas in 

other participants. 

◊ You can also provide input by 

 writing, calling or e-mailing us 

(contact information is provided on 

the back page). 

◊ Finally, your assistance is 

needed to get the word out about 

this process. Suggest to your friends 

and colleagues that they too get involved.

You are an important part of the 

process; please join us.
The Sweetwater Marsh NWR was established in 1988 to conserve and protect endangered and 

threatened fish, wildlife, and plant species. The refuge’s 316 acres, which are located on the 

east side of San Diego Bay, include tidal marsh and adjacent coastal upland habitat. The marsh 

provides habitat for two federally endangered bird species, the California Least Tern and Lightfooted Clapper Rail, one threatened species of bird (Western Snowy Plover), and one endangered plant species (Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak). The refuge also provides habitat for a variety of 

migrating shorebirds and wintering waterfowl. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded at 

the Sweetwater Marsh NWR. 

The Sweetwater Marsh NWR functions as an essential link between Multiple Species Conservation Program wildlands, the South San Diego Bay Unit, and the Tijuana Slough NWR in Imperial Beach. Located within the refuge is the Chula Vista Nature Center, which is operated by 

the City of Chula Vista. The Nature Center has museum designation and offers visitors opportunities for education, wildlife interpretation, and viewing. A system of hiking and observation 

trails is also provided for wildlife viewing and interpretation. The refuge and interpretive center 

host approximately 48,000 visitors each year. The Nature Center’s education programs annually reaches over 3,000 students in the South Bay in a formal classroom and field-study environment. 

Interim goals for the Sweetwater Marsh NWR were developed in 1997. These goals, which are 

outlined below, will be reviewed as part of the planning process to determine whether they are 

still appropriate. 

Preserve, restore, enhance, and aid in the recovery of native species in their native habitats threatened with extinction, with emphasis on the Light-footed Clapper Rail, the 

California Least Tern, the Western Snowy Plover, and Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak. 

Protect, enhance, and restore the wetland habitats of the Sweetwater River marshes, the 

last emergent wetland on San Diego Bay, as habitat for migratory birds. 

Restore the former industrial and agricultural uplands of the refuge to support 

representative populations of native plants and animals. 

Work with the City of Chula Vista and the Bayfront Conservancy Trust in the operation 

of the Chula Vista Nature Center and to provide outstanding environmental 

education and interpretive programs. 

Salt Marsh Bird’s Beak 

© Phillip Roullard 

A rare salt marsh 

plant, Palmer’s 

Frankenia, can 

also be found at 

Sweetwater Marsh. 

In recent years, the 

Chula Vista Nature 

Center has been 

able to propagate 

this rare plant. 

Light-footed Clapper Rail 

© Shari Erickson 

Sweetwater Marsh NWR – Preserving Salt Marsh and Coastal Uplands 

Page 4 	



Volume 1, Issue 1 	




Location of the South San Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh NWR 

Preliminary Issues and Opportunities 

Protection and Habitat Enhancement for Endangered Species - - Invasive Species - - Restoration Potential 

Boating - - Historic/Cultural Resources - - Edge Effects - - Public Access - - Regional Habitat Planning 

Presented above are some of the issues and opportunities that have been identified to date for the South San 

Diego Bay Unit and Sweetwater Marsh NWR. This list represents only a few of the issues facing these 

refuge areas. Additional issues and opportunities will undoubtedly be identified as a result of public involvement, as well as input from public agencies and interested organizations. Your comments on these or 

any other issues will help us develop refuge goals and provide direction for future Refuge management. 

South San Diego Bay Unit 

of the San Diego NWR 

Salt Works 

Operation 

San Diego Bay 

Pacific Ocean 

Sweetwater Marsh 

NWR 

Stewardship 

Project 
South San Diego Bay Unit – San Diego NWR 

Sweetwater Marsh NWR 

1080 Gunpowder Pt. Dr. 

Chula Vista, CA 91910 



Help us keep our mailing list up-to-date and tell a friend. 

If you or someone you know would like to receive future planning updates for this project, please fill in the appropriate information below and return it to us at one of the open house meetings or via mail to the Sweetwater Marsh NWR, 

1080 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista, CA 91910. You will remain on our mailing list unless you request to 

have your name removed. 

 Please remove my name from your mailing list. 

 Please add my name to your mailing list. 

 The address you have is incorrect. Please change it to the following. 

Name: ______________________________________________ (Please print) 

Mailing Address:______________________________________________________ 

City: ________________________________ State:_________ Zip Code:_________ 

6DQ'LHJR1:5

&RPSOH[

First Class Mail 

Postage and Fees 

PAID

US Department 

of the Interior 

PUBLIC MEETINGS JULY 10 & 11 

See page 1 for locations and times. 

For questions, additional information or comments, please contact: 

Victoria Touchstone, Project Planner 

c/o Sweetwater Marsh NWR, , 1080 Gunpowder Point Drive , Chula Vista, CA 91910 

Phone: (619) 691-1185 

Fax: (619) 691-0447 

Email: Victoria_Touchstone@fws.gov