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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: San Elijo Lagoon


The San Elijo Lagoon is one of few remaining coastal wetlands of San Diego County and home to an exceptional number of animals and plants. It lies along the coast between the cities of Solana Beach and Encinitas of San Diego County, extending inland to Rancho Santa Fe.

The lagoon is part of San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve, a county and state regional park of nearly 1,000 acres of diverse habitat including six plant communities: coastal strand, salt marsh, brackish/freshwater marsh, riparian scrub, coastal sage scrub and mixed chaparral. In the reserve you can access over seven miles of trails via eight trailheads and encounter a wide variety of flora and fauna.

San Elijo Lagoon is primarily a shallow-water estuary. It is divided into basins by Highway 101, the railway, and Interstate 5. A century of artificial constriction has resulted in reduction of the natural ability of the estuary to open to the ocean. In recent years successful efforts by the county, state, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy have improved the water quality by dredging open the inlet allowing a tidal exchange critical to the health of the estuary.
San Elijo Lagoon is California nature at its best There are over 5 miles of hiking trails in the reserve open to the public. These trails can be reached from the north end of Rios Avenue, Santa Carina Drive and Santa Helena Drive on the south side of the lagoon in Solana Beach and along El Camino Real at Orilla Creek in Rancho Santa Fe at the east end.

A walk along the five miles of trails will take you through five plant communities, where you’ll encounter many of the more than 300 species of plants, 16 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 26 species of mammals. The lagoon is especially known for its bird life. At least 300 species have been seen here, 76 of which are classified as sensitive.

The Nature Center is located at 2710 Manchester Avenue in Encinitas on the northwest side of the reserve. It offers exhibits that detail the lagoon’s plant and animal communities, its fascinating history, and the various natural and human influences that affect this sensitive ecosystem. Please note that as an ecological reserve, San Elijo Lagoon has no developed facilities on the southern trails. However, restrooms and water are available at the nature center.
As one of Southern California's and San Diego's prime birding location, the Reserve attracts birdwatchers from around the country and indeed the world. Nearly 300 species of birds either live here or visit during their long seasonal migrations. Some 20 species of fish live in the lagoon, and 26 species of mammals live on the shore. San Elijo Lagoon is also popular with trail runners, who enjoy an early morning workout amidst the tranquil scenery.

The Conservancy offers free guided nature walks on every second Saturday of the month, and many of the trails have interpretive signage and interpretive trail guides to assist the intrepid explorer discover and appreciate the Reserve's amazing diversity of plants and animals. The reserve is open during daylight hours only, and the nature center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day.

The eastern portion of San Elijo Lagoon offers a less-traveled trail that winds through forests of eucalyptus and a few Torrey pines before it emerges into the coastal sage scrub for glimpses of the namesake lagoon.
enjoy the scenic trails at San Elijo Lagoon Native American tribes hunted and gathered along the shores of the estuary at least 8,000 years before European settlers arrived. Shell middens, the refuse of hunting-gathering societies, show the earliest inhabitants relied heavily on coastal resources, including foods such as scallops, clams, shark, barracuda, bonito, and abalone. The ocean provided such a rich and constant source of food. These early people stayed at the coast for long periods. More recently, the Kumeyaay occupied the area. They traveled seasonally to take advantage of resources both along the coast and inland.

Between 1880 and 1940 dikes and levees were built that allowed duck hunting, salt harvesting, and sewage settling ponds. The most permanent changes were the construction of the railroad, Pacific Coast Highway, and Interstate 5. Each required supporting berms that restricted water circulation and the natural influx of ocean water.

To help protect this coastal wetland, the county and the California Department of Fish and Game periodically open the lagoon mouth by dredging, so the freshwater and seawater can mingle as they would naturally.
San Elijo Lagoon feels a little more remote than its neighbor to the north, Batiquitos Lagoon. The San Elijo trail  meanders very close to the actual lagoon and skirts along the sometimes muddy edge. It is dif .cult to feel like you are away from the city, but you can almost get a sense of solitude here. You wander among well-trodden paths that showcase the variety of wetland plants and birds, and if you take the time to imagine, you can picture yourself in a bygone era.

The San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust working to preserve, protect, and enhance San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve and its watershed. It depends upon the financial support of individuals and foundations in order to provide educational materials, maintain the health of the lagoon and acquire additional acreage.
 
 
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