Buena Vista Creek/Lagoon

The Buena Vista Watershed extends approximately 10.6 miles inland from the coast, totaling 14.437 acres and draining 21 square miles. The Watershed begins on the western slopes of the San Marcos Mountains, turns into a lagoon and then ends at the Pacific Ocean.

In the City of Oceanside, Buena Vista Creek parallels Highway 78. The Lagoon is located south of Highway 78 and west of Jefferson Street. The upper and western basins of the Buena Vista Watershed are primarily in the City of Vista, the southeastern portions are primarily in the San Diego County jurisdiction, and the lower basin is straddled between the Cities of Carlsbad and Oceanside as the Creek weaves its way between the two cities.

Approximately 80 percent of the Buena Vista Watershed is developed, primarily with commercial and residential land uses. Because of the intense development in the watershed, large sections of Buena Vista Creek have been concrete-channelized to reduce the chance of flooding private property. Some agricultural activities also exist along the watershed. All of these land uses are potential sources of pollutants for the watershed. According to the State Water Resources Control Board, Buena Vista Lagoon has been found to have high levels of bacteria, sediment and nutrients.

Fourteen natural vegetation communities have been identified in the Buena Vista Watershed, such as chaparral and sage scrub, willows and cottonwoods. However, much of the vegetation is fragmented due to the high level of development. Additionally, invasive plant species, such as Arundo, have presented a problem in the Buena Vista Watershed as it smothers out native plants and reduces habitat areas needed to support existing wildlife communities.

The watershed also provides refuge for a wide array of wildlife and endangered species, such as the California Gnatcatcher, Least Bell’s Vireo, Orange-throated Whiptail and the Yellow-breasted Chat.

The Buena Vista Lagoon is one of four major coastal lagoons in the Carlsbad Unit. The Lagoon is designated as an Ecological Reserve by the California Fish and Game Department, a state agency which oversees its management. Additionally, a Nature Center has been established at 2202 S. Coast Highway in Oceanside to exhibit the biological resources of the watershed and provide tours. Call 760-439-BIRD for more information.

Due to the increasing efforts focused on managing pollutants entering our waterbodies from urban runoff, a Watershed Urban Runoff Management Plan (WURMP) has been created specifically for the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit. This management plan identifies tasks related to urban runoff that all jurisdictions in the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit are committed to implementing in order to improve the water quality of the individual watersheds. Attached is a copy of the Watershed Urban Runoff Management Plan (WURMP) for the Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit, broken into 5 sections for quick downloading.

Carlsbad WURMP Title Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents and Acronyms List (336 KB)
Carlsbad WURMP Section I (498 KB)
Carlsbad WURMP Section II (2.2 MB)
Carlsbad WURMP Section III, Part 1 (451 KB)
Carlsbad WURMP Section III, Part 2 (659 KB)

Because the Buena Vista Watershed is a vital part of many communities, concerned citizens throughout the watershed have formed the Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation to voice their opinions about proposed projects affecting the watershed and to assist California Fish and Game in educating visitors about the important biological resources of the watershed. For more information about the Foundation, contact Ron Wotton at 760-727-3866.

Additionally, the Clean Water Program hosts an annual volunteer cleanup day along the Buena Vista Watershed. For more information, check out the Clean Water Projects page on this website.