LAGOON OVERVIEWAgua Hedionda LagoonAgua Hedionda Lagoon is very actively used as a recreation area by the residents of Carlsbad and adjoining areas. Recreational use consists of boating, water skiing and wake boarding, personal watercraft use, sailing, windsurfing, and fishing. Agua Hedionda Lagoon is located within the City limits of Carlsbad, California. It extends 1.7 miles inland, and is up to 1/2 mile wide. It is composed of three interconnected lagoons which are divided by I-5 and the railroad bridge: The 66 acre outer lagoon, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, provides cooling water for the power plant, shore fishing and is leased to an aquaculture company cultivating shellfish for a wide-ranging market. The 27 acre middle lagoon, is the only one where swimming is allowed and is home to the North Coast YMCA Aquatic Park. The 295 acre inner lagoon, extends approximately 1,800 yards in a southeasterly direction from the Interstate 5 highway bridge. The inner lagoon is divided into three use areas: for personal watercraft (PWC), for powerboats, and for passive vessels such as kayaks and sailcraft. The inner lagoon has one point for public power vessel launching, privately owned and operated California Water Sports, located at the northwest end. It is a small facility with a dock, launch ramp, and a water sports equipment rental shop and snack bar. Fees for daily lagoon use permits, boat launching, and parking are collected here. Bristol Cove is a condominium development with a private marina for Bristol Cove residents. A public access for launching passive vessels is located at the south end of Bayshore Drive, east of Bristol Cove. The Bayshore Drive public access is for use of the beach along the shoreline and fishing from shore only. Additional information about the Agua Hedionda LagoonAgua Hedionda Lagoon Use Information Batiquitos LagoonBordered on the northern side by the Batiquitos Trail system, the 526 acres of Batiquitos Lagoon is protected by municipal ordinances as a game sanctuary and bird estuary. Originally, Batiquitos Lagoon was open to the ocean. Over time, construction of public transportation corridors and other development resulted in sediment closing the lagoon. Now, thanks to a massive enhancement project conducted in the mid-1990s by the City of Carlsbad, Port of Los Angeles, and other cooperating agencies, it is open once again. The quiet wonder of the wetlands can be experienced via the North Shore Trail. Frequently seen birds include the large brown pelican, the tiny California gnatcatcher, the double-crested cormorant, white-tailed kite, black-necked stilt and, of course, the lagoon's "mascot", the great blue heron. Buena Vista LagoonCarlsbad's northernmost lagoon lives up to its name, Buena Vista, Spanish for "Good View". The 350-acre fresh water lagoon, owned by the California Department of Fish and Game, lies on the border between Carlsbad and Oceanside. It is managed as an ecological preserve. The lagoon may be viewed from the tranquility of Maxton Brown Park on Laguna Avenue and State Street, the Ecological Wildlife Viewing Area on Jefferson Street and Marron Road, or the Buena Vista Society Center on Coast Highway in Oceanside. Additional information about the Buena Vista Lagoon |
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