Otay River
| Otay River | |
|---|---|
 The river as it flows at the northern extreme ofImperial Beach, California | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | San Diego County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Outlet ofLower Otay Reservoir |
| • location | Otay County Open Space Preserve |
| • coordinates | 32°36′39″N117°06′59″W/ 32.61083°N 117.11639°W |
| • elevation | 392 ft (119 m) |
| Mouth | San Diego Bay |
• location | Imperial Beach |
• coordinates | 32°36′23″N116°55′29″W/ 32.60639°N 116.92472°W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 25 mi (40 km) |
| Basin size | 160 sq mi (410 km2) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Jamul Creek |
TheOtay River(/ˈoʊtaɪ/) is ariverin southernSan Diego County, California.The 25 mi (40 km) river begins atSan Miguel Mountain,flows through the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoirs, and continues on between the southern part of theChula Vistaand the Otay Mesa West district ofSan Diego,to itsriver mouthonSan Diego Bay.
River[edit]
The river has a 160-square-mile (410 km2) watershed.[1]To its north is the watershed ofSweetwater River,and to its south is the watershed ofTijuana River.[2]BetweenInterstate 5andInterstate 805isOtay Valley Regional Park.[3]As of 2016[update],there is a plan to restore part of its pre-Mexican eraestuary on lands utilized by theSouth Bay Salt Works.[4][5]
Otay Reservoirs[edit]
Savage Dam,completed in 1921,[6]forms the 49,510 acre⋅ft (61,070,000 m3)Lower Otay Reservoir,which is used to supply drinking water to parts of southern San Diego County.[7]The reservoir is also the terminus for Pipeline 3 of theSecond San Diego Aqueduct,which delivers water from theColorado Rivervia theColorado River Aqueduct.[8]Its predecessor, theLower Otay Damwas a "rockhill type", which was completed in 1897;[9]it failed in 1916 following heavy rains.[10]
TheUpper Otay Reservoiris formed by Upper Otay Dam, built in 1901.[9]The reservoir was established as ahatcheryfor the introduction of Florida-strainlargemouth bassin 1959.[11]The reservoir was chemically treated first, which killed all of the nativefish.[12]In 1996, the reservoir was opened tofishing,but all fish caught must be released.[13]
Since the river is used as a municipal water supply, there is no human contact allowed at either of the Otay Reservoirs.
Early testing of manned gliders by noted aviatorJohn J. Montgomeryoccurred in the region in the late 19th century.[14]
References[edit]
- ^"The Otay Watershed (HU 910.00)".San Diego Bay Watersheds Common Ground Project.San Diego State University.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^"Real-time water-data collection sites in the San Diego County Drainage Basins study area"(PDF).California Water Science Center.United States Geological Survey. June 29, 2009.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^The Canyoneers (December 2, 2015)."Hike along one of the three rivers that discharge into San Diego Bay".San Diego Reader.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^"Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Otay River Estuary Restoration Project"(PDF).San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.United States Fish and Wildlife Service. October 2016.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
−Collins, Brian."Otay River Estuary Restoration Project".San Diego Bay.United States Fish and Wildlife Service.RetrievedNovember 11,2017. - ^Diehl, Phil (August 8, 2022)."Poseidon failed to start wetlands restoration on time, says Coastal Commission".San Diego Union-Tribune.RetrievedAugust 8,2022.
- ^"The new Lower Otay Dam, completed in 1921 to replace the rockfill structure washed out by the 1916 floods".Library of Congress.1995.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^"Water Treatment Plants".Water.City of San Diego.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^"San Diego Project".United States Bureau of Reclamation.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^abPacific Municipalities.1910. p. 107.
- ^McGlashan, H.D.; Ebert, F.C. (1918).Southern California Floods of January, 1916(Technical report). United States Geological Survey. Water-Supply Paper 426.
Krier, Robert (November 21, 2016)."Rain promised, flood followed in 1916".San Diego Union-Tribune.RetrievedNovember 11,2017. - ^Rice, Bill (November 1, 2012)."Florida-Strain Bass Changed the World of Bass Fishing".Bass Fishing Archive.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^Monte Burke (February 28, 2006).Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World-Record Largemouth Bass.Penguin Publishing Group. p. 28.ISBN978-1-101-66654-8.
- ^Zieralski, Ed (January 7, 2015)."Upper Otay project continues".San Diego Union-Tribune.RetrievedNovember 11,2017.
- ^Gary B. Fogel; Craig S. Harwood (October 11, 2012).Quest for Flight: John J. Montgomery and the Dawn of Aviation in the West.University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 39–40.ISBN978-0-8061-8781-5.
Further reading[edit]
- "Otay Watershed".Project Clean Water.RetrievedMarch 22,2009.
- Cohen, Saul Bernard (2000)."Osseo to Palmhurst: Otay River".Columbia Gazetteer of North America.New York: Columbia University Press.ISBN0-231-11990-9.
- Otay River Watershed Management Plan.San Diego County, Accessed 2011-01-28
