press release

October 7, 1997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONSTRUCTION OF WATER PROTECTION FACILITIES MAY TEMPORARILY CLOSE PUBLIC REFUGE TRAILS

Sweetwater Authority, owner and operator of the Sweetwater Reservoir in Spring Valley, announced today that blasting and construction activities could create hazards on properties surrounding the Reservoir and in the nearby Otay-Sweetwater unit of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge. As a result, visitors to the Refuge are asked to anticipate possible trail closures or inconvenience for a minimum of two months.

The closures are related to a project designed to protect Sweetwater Reservoir from the effects of urban pollution. If the project is halted due to heavy rainfall and El Nino conditions, construction could take considerably longer.

Phase II construction of the Sweetwater Reservoir Urban Runoff Diversion System will include pipelines, channels, ponds and pumping facilities. It will increase the area protected by existing facilities which capture local rainfall and irrigation runoff and keep it out of the drinking water reservoir. When there has been significant rainfall, and high-quality water enters the system, that water can be routed into the reservoir through the use of remote sensors and automated valves. Phase II also includes an intercept barrier to protect the reservoir in the event of an equipment failure at the Rancho San Diego Sewage Pump Station or the Otay Water Reclamation Plant.

The system will be constructed on Sweetwater Authority lands and on easements in lands recently acquired by the San Diego Wildlife Refuge (United States Fish and Wildlife Service). The two land owner agencies are working jointly to assure minimal impacts to biological resources on the property. Sweetwater Authority will restore/enhance 13.52 acres of open space to offset permanent elimination of two acres of existing habitat caused by the construction of the Urban Runoff Diversion System. The Authority will also restore the 36.8 acres expected to be temporarily impacted by construction activities. The project includes monitoring and management efforts to protect existing populations of the endangered least Bell’s vireo and arroyo toad.

For further information about activities at the San Diego Wildlife Refuge, please call Ron Huffman at 669-7295. To learn about the Urban Runoff Diversion System or activities on Sweetwater Reservoir Property, contact Sweetwater Authority.

Sweetwater Authority is a public agency, providing drinking water to 165,000 residents in the communities of Chula Vista, National City and Bonita, California. The agency owns and operates Sweetwater and Loveland Reservoirs on the Sweetwater River, and will soon begin construction of a demineralization facility to treat brackish water obtained from the river’s alluvium through a series of wells located between Plaza Bonita Road and Second Avenue in Chula Vista.

The Otay-Sweetwater Unit of the San Diego Wildlife Refuge conserves habitat for several threatened and endangered species and provides wildlife-related recreational opportunities for the public in San Diego County. In August, the refuge acquired 1,686 acres (the North San Miguel Ranch) from Emerald Properties and 255 acres (on the southern slopes of the Jamul Mountains overlooking Dulzura Creek) from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, effectively doubling the size of the refuge. The refuge is an important component in the Multiple Species Conservation Program.