Still reeling after our most recent multi-year drought, many San Diegans have decided to carry their water-saving practices forward, for good. During the drought, what used to be a mundane, taken-for-granted resource was now frequently front-page news. As a result, many of us felt a fundamental shift in the way we think about, talk about, …
For the first time since 2013, some of our watersheds scored “Good” on the Water Quality Index and many of our watershed scores improved significantly from scores over the last few years, but we can’t get too excited. One year of improvement isn’t enough to say for sure that water quality is improving overall, …
San Diego River Watershed’s Score For 2016: 72, Fair The San Diego watershed stretches from the Cuyamaca Mountains in the east, to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and includes parts of Julian, Alpine, Lakeside, El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, and San Diego. Nutrient levels were often elevated in our 2016 samples, especially phosphorus, an important …
Water Quality Index Score: N/A We’ve suspended our sampling in the Tijuana watershed for now. We know that when it is flowing, the river is highly polluted with untreated sewage, and we’d like to keep our volunteers safe!
Water Quality Index Score: 87, Good The Rose Creek watershed, containing Rose and San Clemente Creeks, includes parts of Scripps Ranch, Miramar, Kearny Mesa, University City, Clairemont Mesa, La Jolla, and Pacific Beach. Of all the watersheds we monitor, Rose Creek had the highest water quality index score in 2016. This is mainly because nutrient levels …
Water Quality Index Score: 74, Fair (20 point improvement from 2015) The Sweetwater watershed begins in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in the east and collects runoff from parts of Alpine, Spring Valley, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista before draining into San Diego Bay. We’re happy to report the Sweetwater …
Water Quality Index Score: 78, Fair The San Dieguito watershed begins in the mountains north of Julian and includes parts of Ramona, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Solana Beach, and Del Mar. Our monitoring data indicated that water quality was fair in the San Dieguito Watershed. Like most of the sites our program watches over each month, …
Water Quality Index Score: 56, Marginal The small, urban Pueblo watershed includes parts of the cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, and San Diego. Home to Chollas and Palleta Creeks, the watershed drains the most highly developed parts our region into San Diego Bay. Water quality in these creeks is highly impacted by …
Water Quality Index Score: 70, Fair The Otay watershed is the southernmost watershed we monitored this year. The portion of the watershed drained by the Otay River includes parts of unincorporated San Diego County, Chula Vista, and San Diego before the river reaches the southern end of San Diego Bay. Both types of indicator …
Water Quality Index Score: 76, Fair The Los Peñasquitos watershed originates in the foothills near Iron Mountain, and includes the communities of Poway, Mira Mesa, Sorrento Valley, and parts of Carmel Valley, Scripps Ranch, and Del Mar. Precipitation and runoff is funneled through Los Peñasquitos Lagoon before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Our water quality results …