This page provides you with information regarding issues that have, or could potentially have, an effect on divers within San Diego. These include Children's Pool, proposed renovations to Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores, the Ships2Reefs program, Marine Life Protection Act, new La Jolla Shores Lifeguard facilities, and the Canyon Watch Program.
Divers love seals and wish them no harm. Nonetheless, the San Diego Council of Divers opposes attempts to transform Children's Pool into a harbor seal reserve and favors continued shared beach access. The protected entry, the outstanding diving, and the onshore facilities (lifeguards, parking, restrooms, telephones) makes Children's Pool one of the better dive sites in San Diego. This is particularly true for newer divers, smaller divers, divers who have limited mobility, and divers who would find a long surface swim burdensome. Of 11 public beaches listed on the lifeguards web page, only three are noted as safe for beginning divers and classes, one of which is Children's Pool. There is no compelling need to close this beach. In fact, seals and divers have coexisted peacefully for many years at Children's Pool. We are working closely with Park and Rec and the Park Ranger to effect a lasting shared use plan with seal protection and a docent program and new regulations for sidewalk activities Click here to read more.
If you find yourself being harassed by champions of a "seal only beach" crew the best possible thing to do is ignore them.
You might like to read the article, How a Dive Site Can Be Taken Away, by John Leek, featured on the California Diving News web site.
Proposed Renovations to Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores
The La Jolla Shores Association is coordinating with private individuals and various local agencies to propose renovations to Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores- a beach that is frequently accessed by local divers and dive trainers. The San Diego Council of Divers will monitor the progress of the various projects affecting diver access at La Jolla Shores and report status back to the local diving community. In addition, the Council will facilitate communication between the diving community and various local agencies to represent the interests of recreational divers that use the beach at La Jolla Shores.
The Ships2Reefs program is an initiative spearheaded by long-time local diver and businessman Dick Long. The Council will assist the coordinators of Ships2Reefs by polling the local diving community to quantify the level of local diver support for Ships2Reefs. The Council will also work to facilitate public awareness of and education about man-made reefs as a potential reproductive habitat for marine life and as an attraction for wreck diving enthusiasts.
The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative The California Legislature passed the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) in 1999. The MLPA called for the establishment of a network of protected areas along the California coast. The public plannning process for he south coast region, from Point Conception in Santa Barbara to the California border with Mexico, began in July 2008 and included more than 50 days of meetings with fomal publc comment held for a 74-member Regional Stakeholder Group, a Science Advisory Team and a Blue Ribbon Task Force appointed by the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. In addition, greater than 12,000 written pulbic comments were submitted through the regulatory and environmental review process to help inform recommendations on south coast region MPA's.
The California Department of Fish and Game, the lead agency charged with managing the state's marine resources will be responsible for implementing the MLPA program which will include enfrocement, education , monitoring, and research activities. The south coast MPA regulations are anticipated to go into effect in mid 2011 after appropriate filings with the Office of Administrative Law and the Secretary of State.
For more information please click here.
New La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Facilities
The existing lifeguard facilities at La Jolla Shores are old and inadequate to meet the needs of divers and other beach users. The City of San Diego plans to remedy the situation. A new tower will be built slightly to the north replacing the existing tower. See aditional details of the proposed new facilities here.
In addition, storage facilities for lifeguard vehicles and equipment are planned for the parking lot. The plans have gone through the normal community review process. Construction has begun and a large section of the parking lot is closed. Please keep this in mind if planning to dive there.
The Council of Divers voted unanimously to support the City's current plans for new lifeguard facilities at La Jolla Shores. The Council believes that new facilities are urgently needed if the lifeguards are to serve the public adequately.
One of the more frequent coastline pollutants in San Diego is sewage. When there is a failure in the more than 300 miles of city sewer lines located in our urban canyons, the spill can go undetected for many days leaving a grim impact on our rivers, bays and beaches. Through San Diego Ocean Foundation's Canyon Watch Program, areas that are not regularly patrolled by city employees will be covered by volunteers. The goal is to detect spills sooner and possibly prevent them at their source. For more information click here to go to San Diego Oceans.
