SOUTH SAN DIEGO BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

AND THE

OTAY VALLEY REGIONAL PARK

The South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge (SSDNWR), containing the largest continuous mud-flat in South San Diego Bay, was dedicated June 17,1999.  Situated at the western end of the Otay River Valley, the South Bay Refuge stretches around the south bay salt ponds and then northward along the bay's eastern edge, to the Sweetwater River. The refuge completes the end of a major corridor of natural and open spaces at the western end of the Otay River Valley Regional Park.

The Wildlife Refuge, in addition to hosting a successful commercial salt production facility for over 130 years, provides open water and salt ponds--irreplaceable habitat for many bird species.  Each year, hundreds of migratory and winter waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway use the ponds to nest, feed, and roost. These include surf scooters, scaup, gulls, and terns.  The 3,940 acre South Bay Refuge, is also home to 560 species of animals, plants and invertebrates, including eight federally protected species: light-footed clapper rail, brown pelican, California least tern, Western snowy plover, green sea turtle, Peregrine falcon and salt-marsh bird's beak.

The Otay River Valley Regional Park, conceived in 1989 is a diverse ecosystem containing at least 16 habitats of rare and endangered plant and animal species. Vegetation communities include maritime succulent scrub, Diegan coastal sage scrub, southern riparian cypress forest, and tamarisk scrub.  In all, 63 sensitive plant species are known to exist in the river valley.   Nineteen different birds inhabit the valley: 6 types of herons, including the rare little blue heron, 3 types of hawks, California least tern, burrowing owl, willow flycatcher, coastal cactus wren, California gnatcatcher, quail, and doves. Mammals such as bobcats, raccoons, opossums, striped skunks, desert cottontails, desert wood rats, long-tailed weasels, and California ground squirrels live in the valley. A variety of reptiles exist here, too, such as the red diamond rattlesnake, diamond and western rattle-snake, the whiptail lizard, western fence lizard, coast horned lizard, garter snake, the common king snake and western pond turtle.

The creation of the Otay Valley Regional Park and the South Bay San Diego Wildlife Refuge constitutes a historic and visionary action. This "natural interconnecting infrastructure" ensures that these resources and natural areas are permanently preserved for the next generations of South Bay residents and visitors.   Hiking and biking trails within the Regional Park will connect to the proposed Bay Shore Bike Way, Lower and Upper Otay Reservoirs and trails east including several vantage points for viewing.