Las Flores Lagoon

GENERAL			Source
Site	Las Flores Lagoon (also called Las Pulgas)
Map	Las Pulgas Canyon USGS 7.5' quadrangle
Location	Las Flores Lagoon is within Camp Pendleton, near the intersection of I-5 and Las Pulgas Road.
Contacts	U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, (619) 725-4512/4524.
	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Field Office, (619) 431-9440.
Approximate Wetland Acreage	14		4
Approximate Historic Acreage	Not specified		4

Ownership in acres	Owner	Acres
	U.S. Marine Corps	46	4

LAND USE			Source
Land Use Designation	The lagoon and associated marsh are designated military base in the County's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance; they are within a Special Management Zone at Camp Pendleton.		8, 11, 13
Onsite Use	Marine Corps training activities are structured to be compatible with maintaining ecosystem integrity; most activities are excluded from the lagoon and riparian area.		11, 13
Historic Use	No information specific to the lagoon; it lies within a large area used for cattle ranching and cultivation prior to 1942.		9
Near Use	Adjacent areas are primarily undeveloped; a site directly north of the lagoon is one of the Base's most heavily used beach landing areas; there are sewage treatment ponds about 1.5 m upstream; east of I-5 alongside the stream are a series of man-made spring-fed ponds for which the Base may develop an interpretive program; the Boy Scouts of America use an area just north of these ponds primarily during weekends.		3, 6, 11
Adjacent Historic Use	The Marine Corps Base was established in 1942; prior to that surrounding lands were used for cattle ranching; areas upstream, and to the north and south of the lagoon were cultivated.		9, 13

HYDROLOGY			Source
Tidal Influence	Described as usually cut off from the ocean, during 1993 fish surveys occasional high tide ocean waves washed over the sand bar; overwashing characterized as frequent during winter '95-'96.		2, 13

Watershed Area	26.6 square miles		3

Tributaries and Flow	Tributary	Flow	Source
	Las Flores Creek	Two sources described flows differently:1994 hydrogeological analysis described flows as intermittent, occurring after major rainfall events; Pendleton staff indicated some stretches had year-round surface flows, in other places the creek goes underground. Discharge rates measured for 26 years between 1951 and 1979 recorded an average of 950 acre-feet/yr, the maximum was 7,300 cubic feet/second in spring 1978.	3, 13
Dams	Pulgas Dam creates a stock and fishing lake in the Piedra de Lumbre Canyon, which drains into Las Flores Creek.		3
Other Sources	Groundwater		3

WATER QUALITY			Source
General	The Las Flores Lagoon is not listed as an impaired water body by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Beneficial uses are not listed for this site.		5
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)	Not specified.		2
Water Salinity	1993 - surface waters were fresh, bottom salinity increased from 1 ppt to 10 ppt after a day of waves overwashing the sand bar.		2
Sediment	Not specified		3

Soil
Soil	The lagoon bottom is firm to soft sand; the creek valley is unconsolidated alluvial silts, sands, gravels and conglomerates.		3

Habitat	Acres	Vegetation
Salt marsh	1	Not specified	4
Tidal flats	1	Unvegetated	4
Brackish/fresh marsh Fringing the lagoon when the sand barrier is in place and in a seperate area just north of the lagoon.	18 +	1993 - bulrush lined upper portions of the lagoon; 1969 - vegetation north of the lagoon consisted mostly of cattails, California bulrush, and Olney bulrush; pickleweed, rabbit-foot grass, brass-buttons, curly-leaf dock and willows also present.	Ac., 14 Plants, 2, 14
Riparian Acreage includes stream corridor east of I-5.	12	1969, 1996 - Unspecified willows	Ac., 4 Plants, 13, 14
Uplands	32 +	1969 - old field in the area north of the lagoon; 1993 - Coastal scrub, chaparral, ruderal communities and nonvegetated disturbed areas atop the bluff south of the creek.	Ac., 4, 14 Plants, 4, 14

ANIMAL USE			Source
Birds	Little documented information; 1996 - Western snowy plover, Ca least tern; no sightings of Belding's Savannah sparrows or light-footed clapper rails in 1991 and 1995 surveys respectively. Camp Pendleton biologist indicated that with the exception of Belding's Savannah sparrow and light-footed clapper rail, birds found at Santa Margarita Estuary can also be found at Las Flores.		1, 7, 11, 13, 16
Fish	1996 - No tidewater+ gobies found; green sunfish* numerous, also bluegill. 1993 - Tidewater gobies+ abundant; mosquitofish common; staghorn sculpin and striped mullet rare.		2, 15
Benthic Invertebrates	None identified		2, 6
Insect	None identified		2, 6
Other Wildlife	No documentation available. Camp Pendleton biologist indicated that mammal use was similar to that described for the Santa Margarita Estuary (predators observed there in 1981 included raccoon, coyote, gray fox and longtail weasel).		2, 6, 13
Special Status Species	1996 - Western snowy plover, Ca least tern		3, 16

OUTLOOK			Source
Enhancement Status	None identified		2, 3, 11
Watershed Management	Working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Marine Corps has developed an ecosystem management plan to ensure that Base training activities are compatible with endangered species habitat needs.		11, 12
Pressure	Threats to potential tidewater goby+ reestablishment identified as: presence of exotic fish species, potential for contaminant input such as the sewage spill that occurred in 1995, and point-source and diffuse pollution from upstream.		2, 15

Comments	Of 8 coastal lagoons and estuaries sampled in 1993 at Camp Pendleton, Las Flores was described as the least affected by human impacts and the only site to have continuously supported large populations of Tidewater gobies+ for nearly 20 years.		2
	Population data on sensitive species at Camp Pendleton is updated frequently.

SOURCES
1	Zembal, Richard. 1995. Status and distribution of light-footed clapper rails in California, 1980-1995. Preliminary report to the California Department of Fish and Game. 28pp.
	Results of the 1995 survey of breeding light-footed clapper rails in California. The report incorporates data from 15 years of annual surveys and discusses population trends for the region and at each of 36 sites censused. Trends are tied to ecological conditions at each site and the author identifies possibilities for improving habitat.
2	San Marino Environmental Associates. 1994. The status and distribution of the tidewater goby, Eucyclogobious newberryi (Pisces, gobiidae), on MCB Camp Pendleton, California. 59 pp and detailed field notes.
	Report of a survey of 8 lagoons on US Marine Corps Camp Pendleton to augment data on population fluctuations, abundance and habitat conditions of the tidewater goby, a federally-listed endangered species.
	Includes discussion of habitat conditions and recommendations for managing habitat to ensure survival of the species. Maps of station locations are included as well as field notes on each haul.
3	Palmer, Michael A. 1994. Las Flores Basin hydrogeology: Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, San Diego County, California. Pages 35-55 in Geology and natural history: Camp Pendleton United States Marine Corps Base, San Diego County, California.
	A description of the hydrogeology of the Las Flores Basin and evaluation of its suitability as a source of drinking water for Camp Pendleton. The paper details the geologic setting and discusses the results of measurements to determine: groundwater
	levels, aquifer transmissivity and discharge rates, and groundwater geochemistry. Aquifer recharge mechanisms and the potential for saltwater intrusion are also analyzed.
4	MEC. 1993. San Dieguito Lagoon restoration project regional coastal lagoon resources summary. 56 pp plus an appendix.
	This report provides a comparative evaluation of the remaining wetland habitats within the Southern California Bight south of Anaheim Bay. It is a synopsis of existing information. This report was prepared as part of the San Dieguito Restoration Project
	which was undertaken by Southern California Edison to mitigate for damage to coastal marine resources from the operation of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
5	Regional Water Quality Control Board. 1994. Water Quality Control Plan for the San Diego basin (#9). 400 pp. + appendices
	The plan includes information on the quality of inland surface waters coastal waters, reservoirs and lakes and ground water in San Diego County. It identifies beneficial uses supported by these waters and provides a plan for their protection.
6	Holland, Dan C. 1992. The distribution of the Tidewater Goby on Camp Pendleton. Prepared for U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. 24 pp.
	Report on tidewater goby surveys conducted in 1990 and 1991 in 7 creeks and lagoons on Camp Pendleton. Results are compared to those of previous surveys and site-specific recommendations for protecting and enhancing goby populations and their habitat.
	Analysis includes habitat conditions with regard to water quality (no sampling), introduced predators, and surrounding land use.
7	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1991. A survey of the Belding's savannah sparrow in California, 1991. Report to the California Department of Fish and Game. 24 pp. and survey site maps.
	Report on a survey for territorial Belding's Savannah sparrow at 34 marshes between southern Santa Barbara county and the border with Mexico. Results are discussed within the context of previous years' data and recommendations are provided
	for further study and habitat improvements. The survey was carried out to provide an update on population data and to evaluate habitat conditions.
8	Fairbanks, Janet. San Diego Association of Governments. Personal Communication, December 8, 1995.
9	US Marine Corps. 1993. Training to protect: an environmental outlook. 16 pp.
	Provides an overview of the US Marine Corps' training activities and environmental management programs at Camp Pendleton.
10	Slader Buck, US Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton. Personal Communication, January 3, 1996.
11	Dave Boyer, US Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton. Personal Communication, January 9, 1996.
12	Carl Steinetz, Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Personal communication, September 9, 1995
13	Richard Griffiths, US Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton. Personal communication, September 13, 1996.
14	Mudie, Peta J. 1969. A survey of the coastal wetland vegetation of North San Diego County. California Department of Fish and Game.18 pp. and appendices.
	Reports results of a survey of wetland vegetation at Santa Margarita, Las Flores, and San Mateo estuaries conducted as part of enhancement plan development. Analysis includes a description of plant community composition and structures, and characterization of soil types, moisture and salinities. Recommendations for habitat management take into account conditions at other San Diego coastal salt marshes.
	Appendices contain vegetation maps, stream flow data, transect results, and plant checklists for each site.
15	Dan Holland. 1996. Memo to Richard Griffiths, US Marine Corps Camp Pendleton. 2 pp.
	Memo summarizing the status of tidewater goby populations in 8 drainages within Camp Pendleton based on USFWS sampling in April 1996.
16	Foster, Brian D. 1995. Breeding status of the California least tern at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, 1995. Unpublished report prepared for the Natural Resources Management Branch, Southwestern Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command, San Diego, California. 132 pp.
	Reports results of Ca least tern monitoring during the breeding season, April-August 1995 at 5 sites near the mouths of Aliso and French Creeks and the Santa Margarita River. Data on nest distribution, abundance and chronology, mortality, predation, reproductive success and fledgling production are presented. Methods included banding. Appendices contain: photos of nesting areas and notable features and plants species lists; descriptions of basic habitat conditions at each site as part of an evalution of the need for vegetation suppression; banding data sheets; National Wildlife Health Center necropsy reports; field notes, fledgling count data by site; and observations of banded snowy plovers.

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