The San Diego Bay Watersheds Common Grounds Project was created to incorporate data from water quality monitoring programs and integrate this data on a watershed level using a web-based interactive application to serve as a broad communication, education and decision-making tool; and to further develop the region's capacity to understand and assess processes affecting our water resources.

THE PUEBLO SAN DIEGO WATERSHED (HU 908.00)



Major Waterbodies Chollas Creek, Paleta Creek, and San Diego Bay
CWA 303(d) List

Chollas Creek: copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, coliform bacteria, stormwater toxicity, San Diego Bay: coliform bacteria, benthic community effects, copper, sediment toxicity

Areas of Concern

Trace metals and other toxic substances, and coliform bacteria

Sources of Problems Urban runoff
Human Population 500,000
Cities in Watershed San Diego , La Mesa , Lemon Grove, and National City
Major Issues/ Problems

Surface water quality degradation, habitat degradation, sediment toxicity in San Diego Bay , and sewer overflows

Land Use

Land use in the watershed is primarily residential (40.1%), transportation (28.1%), and parks and recreation (7.2%). There is approximately 54.7% impervious surface.

Other Facts

1. The Pueblo San Diego watershed is the smallest in San Diego County, encompassing approximately 60 square miles.

2. Five sites in San Diego Bay that are impacted by runoff from the Pueblo San Diego watershed have been identified as hot spots by California's Bay Protection Toxic Cleanup Program.

3. The watershed drainage consists of a group of relatively small local creeks and pipe conveyances, many of which are concrete-lined and drain directly into San Diego Bay. The creeks in the watershed are highly impacted by urban runoff, and Chollas Creek and the mouth of the creek in San Diego Bay are listed as 303(d)- impaired water bodies for various trace metals parameters and aquatic toxicity.

(Information adapted from http://www.projectcleanwater.org )

The Pueblo San Diego watershed lies within the San Diego Bay WMA and is the smallest of the three San Diego Bay WMA watersheds, covering just over 36,000 acres. It is comprised of three hydrologic areas: Point Loma, San Diego Mesa, and National City . Major water bodies include Chollas Creek, Paleta Creek, and San Diego Bay.

Pueblo San Diego is the most developed and densely populated watershed in the San Diego Bay WMA. Largely contained within the City of San Diego , population in the watershed is expected to reach over 591,000 by the year 2015. Land use in the watershed is primarily residential (40.1%), transportation (28.1%), and parks and recreation (7.2%). The majority of land is privately owned with only a small percentage owned by government. Other jurisdictions include La Mesa , Lemon Grove, National City , San Diego Unified Port District, and a small percentage of unincorporated land.

Most of the beneficial uses for this watershed lie in its coastal waters , including those of the Bay (Table 1). Major impacts on water quality include surface water degradation, habitat degradation, sediment toxicity, and sewer overflows. Constituents of concern include trace metals and other toxic substances, and coliform bacteria (San Diego County 2002). Table 2 presents water bodies placed on the SWRCB 2002 303(d) list for this watershed.

Rainfall for the Pueblo San Diego watershed is light with an average rainfall of 10.5 inches in coastal areas to 13.5 inches in the eastern portion of the watershed.

TABLE 1: Beneficial uses within the Pueblo San Diego Watershed

Source: Basin Plan September 8, 1994 (Tables 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5)

TABLE 2: Water bodies on the SWRCB 303(d) list in the Pueblo San Diego Watershed

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