Award Winning Environmental Program
The Otay Water District is located in an area of high environmental sensitivity. Much of the 125 square miles in the District is undeveloped and contains rich and varied environmental resources.
The District is a leader among water agencies in San Diego County in implementing its environmental programs. Each of its construction projects and all of its ongoing activities are subject to environmental scrutiny, and the District has begun or completed a number of programs and planning efforts to maintain its role of leadership.
A measure of this richness is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's planning for a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in southwestern San Diego County, with a large part of NWR's Otay-Sweetwater Unit in the District's service area. Large parts of the District once slated for development have been acquired for natural preservation, and the District is participating in the process, having established the San Miguel Habitat Management Area as its own natural preserve.
The Burrowing Owl Mitigation Plan is one of the first of its kind in San Diego County. The program is nominated for a 1999 design award by the American Planning Association. The joint mitigation venture is between Otay Water District
(OWD), Pacific Link and Pacific Bay Homes (private developers), with support from the City of Chula Vista. The program was established to mitigate impacts to the burrowing owls in the construction vicinities of the 711-3 and 711-4 reservoirs
(OWD), golf course (Pacific Link), and Rolling Hills Ranch development (Pacific Bay Homes). These projects are all located in the eastern part of the City of Chula Vista in San Diego County. Due to the close proximity of the projects, a joint mitigation approach was agreed upon to best benefit the owls while conserving costs and minimizing duplication of effort. The focus of the plan is:
- Preservation of adequate foraging habitat as outlined by the California Department of Fish and Game.
- Completed construction of 15 artificial burrows in the non-impacted areas of the purposed golf course and in the OWD Habitat Management Area.
- Establishment of a five-year monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of the Burrowing Owl Mitigation Plan.
Surveys were conducted on each of the project sites to identify the location and number of existing burrows in the area. Six active burrows were identified as being impacted. The California Department of Fish and Game staff report
(CDFG, 1995) recommended that two artificial burrows be constructed for each active burrow impacted. A total of 15 burrows were constructed, although only 12 were required. This is to promote an increase in the number of burrows available in the future.
Locating the artificial burrows required an evaluation of the following components: timing of development on adjacent properties, site suitability (vegetative cover, relative elevation to surrounding landscape, distance from present/future development, and nearby human activity), spacing between burrows, availability of foraging habitat, and threat of localized events. Construction of all burrows occurred simultaneously in January 1999 to benefit the burrowing owl pairs. This schedule was conducive to proper coordination of construction and maintenance of the burrows.
In addition, the preservation of 6.5 acres of foraging habitat per impact to a single pair of owls was required. Approximately 28 acres of foraging habitat exists in a non-impact area contiguous with the San Miguel Habitat Management Area (HMA) and open space identified in the City of Chula Vista Draft Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) Subarea Plan and on Rolling Hills Ranch (City of Chula Vista 1996). Additional open space occurs on Rolling Hills Ranch, and 230 acres occur in the OWD San Miguel HMA that could be available to the owls as well. Construction of the artificial burrows took place in grasslands and open lands both in the HMA and in non-impacted areas not presently within the preserve lands.
The Burrowing Owl Program encompasses the efforts of the water district, city and private developers (noted above) to work together in achieving a common goal. A three-party legal agreement was approved and each party contributed $25,000 toward the Burrowing Owl Mitigation Plan. The 5-year program will monitor the presence of owls and other burrowing animals, burrow use, available prey base, vegetation condition around burrows, and any maintenance concerns that should arise during the five-year program. In conclusion, the Burrowing Owl Mitigation Plan serves as a model for other agencies and developers to follow in the future to implement a "win-win" situation for the environment and project developers.
Nominated for a 1999 design award by the American Planning Association, the Otay Water District
(OWD) golf course is being planned sensitively and with the input of all stakeholders. OWD established an environmental design team representing OWD staff, environmental experts, City of Chula Vista staff, and the golf course developer's planning, engineering, and landscape teams. The golf course project site is located in south central San Diego County, southeast of the Sweetwater Reservoir, adjacent to the City of Chula Vista. The 254-acre site is part of a larger 509-acre property owned by OWD and referred to as the Use Area. A portion of the Use Area includes OWD's 230-acre habitat management area that also surrounds the OWD golf course project site. In an effort to control water rates for their consumers, OWD entered an agreement with a golf course developer to construct a golf course in OWD's Use Area. In addition, the design team has incorporated input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game staff, as well as the local community planning group and other interest groups. Taking into consideration the fragile nature of the area, the designers focus on 3 key factors.
- Minimizing impacts of the golf course project on a surrounding open space preserve.
- Integrating community requests for trails into the golf course plan.
- Implementing the burrowing owl mitigation plan with an adjoining property owner.
- Early coordination with all stakeholders including wildlife regulatory agencies, Army Corps of Engineers, City of Chula Vista, SDG&E, the Local Agency Formation Commission, and Audubon International to enable a fast tracking of an environmentally sensitive development.
Another unique aspect of the Golf Course is that OWD has prepared plans under the auspices of Audubon International's Signature Status Program, which includes implementing a Natural Resources Management Plan and meeting Audubon International's high standards for a quality and environmentally sensitive project.
Over the past 12 months, plans for the 18-hole golf course project have targeted construction to begin in December 1999 and the opening in April 2001. The golf course design incorporates large blocks of native grasslands between the golf course greens and fairways and will restore 9.7 acres of wetlands in the central portion of the project. The wetland habitats will include a mix of marsh, scrublands, and woodlands that are higher quality than the wetlands currently found on the property. The design allows OWD to maintain use of the site for its reclaimed water storage ponds integrated as design features in the course.
The multi-faceted design team and stakeholders have worked together to solve environmental issues such as:
- A joint burrowing owl mitigation program with an adjoining property owner to consolidate mitigation into one integrated plan providing a better habitat for the owl;
- Minimizing impacts to environmentally sensitive areas by incorporating sensitive habitat (wetlands) into the design;
- Overcoming design constraints of the San Diego Gas & Electric power line transmission towers and easements, which traverse the property;
- Meeting minimal water use requirements from Audubon International;
- Minimizing night lighting glare, voiced as a concern by the Sweetwater Community Planning Group;
- Negotiating with the wildlife regulatory agencies to settle on 25 acres of offsite mitigation land for impacts to raptor foraging;
- Accomplishing all of the above in record time (less than one year) as well as California Environmental Quality Act documentation (Mitigated Negative Declaration) and Conditional Use Permit approval by the City of Chula Vista.
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