San Diego Council of Divers Issues of Importance
Children's Pool
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 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 3 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 coexisted peacefully for many years at Children's Pool.
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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.
Ships2Reefs
The Ships2Reefs program is an initiative spearheaded by long-time local diver and businessman Dick Long and the San Diego Oceans Foundation. 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.
Marine Life Protection Act
The Marine Life Protection Act Initiative The California Legislature passed the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) in 1999. The MLPA calls for the establishment of a network of protected areas along the California coast.
The San Diego Council of Divers will work in association with various groups including the Central California Council of Divers to monitor the progress of the MLPA Initiative in the central coast study region, which extends from Pigeon Point in the north to Point Conception in the south. Updates will be provided to the local diving community to promote the potential value of Marine Protected Areas and the viability of potential future study regions near San Diego.
For more information:
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/
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 of and as a replacement for the existing tower. See the architect's graphic with details of the proposed new facilities here (1.5 MB). 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 is scheduled to commence in October 2004. Recently, however, some residents of La Jolla Shores have objected to the new facilities, arguing that they are too large or will reduce parking. At its January general meeting, 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. While parking is always a concern at the beach, the Council is not convinced that parking would be reduced. Even if were, any reduction in parking spaces would be more than justified by the increase in public safety.
Canyon Watch Program
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:
http://www.sdoceans.org/programs/canyonwatch/canyons.php
Kelp Reforestation
For more information:
http://www.sdbaykeeper.org/content/programs/kelp/overview.cfm
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