Famosa Slough State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a

marine protected area Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conserv ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

’s south coast. It consists of a 25-acre wetland and a 12-acre natural channel connecting to the

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 ...

estuary. It is flushed by salt water from the estuary as well as rainwater from the surrounding neighborhood. It is owned and maintained by the City of San Diego as a natural park. The SMCA covers .03 square miles. The SMCA protects marine life by limiting the removal of marine wildlife from within its borders. Famosa Slough SMCA prohibits take of all living marine resources except for take pursuant to habitat restoration, maintenance dredging and operation and maintenance of artificial structures is allowed inside the conservation area per any required federal, state and local permits, or as otherwise authorized by the department.

History

Famosa Slough SMCA is one of 36 new marine protected areas adopted by the

California Fish and Game Commission The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...

in December, 2010 during the third phase of the

Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Milita ...

. The MLPAI is a collaborative public process to create a statewide network of protected areas along California’s coastline. The south coast’s new marine protected areas were designed by local divers, fishermen, conservationists and scientists who comprised the South Coast Regional Stakeholder Group. Their job was to design a network of protected areas that would preserve sensitive sea life and habitats while enhancing recreation, study and education opportunities. The south coast marine protected areas went into effect in 2012.

Geography and natural features

Famosa Slough SMCA is a marine protected area that protects estuarine waters in San Diego County on California’s south coast. Famosa Slough SMCA includes the waters below the mean high tide line within Famosa Slough estuary southward of the San Diego River channel, located at approximately: # .

Habitat and wildlife

The Famosa Slough State Marine Reserve (SMR) was designed to protect a 37-acre urban wetland in San Diego estuary habitat and provide for outstanding educational and recreational opportunities. It is a significant feeding and resting site for ducks and shorebirds including a myriad of heron and

tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...

populations using the

Pacific Flyway The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading ...

. The site is supported by a volunteer organization called the Friends of Famosa Slough, which hosts nature walks, encourages scientific studies, and holds regular work parties to clean the slough and remove invasive plants.

Recreation and nearby attractions

Recreational fishing is not allowed at the Famosa Slough State Marine Conservation Area.

Scientific monitoring

As specified by the Marine Life Protection Act, select marine protected areas along California’s south coast are being monitored by scientists to track their effectiveness and learn more about ocean health. Similar studies in marine protected areas located off of the

Santa Barbara Channel Islands The Channel Islands () are an eight-island archipelago located within the Southern California Bight in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. The four Northern Channel Islands are part of the Transverse Ranges geologic province, and ...

have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.

References

External links

Marine Life Protection Act InitiativeCalOceans
{{authority control Marine sanctuaries in California Lagoons of San Diego County, California San Diego River Protected areas of San Diego County, California Protected areas established in 2010 2010 establishments in California