Agua Hedionda Lagoon facts for kids
The Agua Hedionda Lagoon is a beautiful coastal lagoon in Carlsbad, California. Its name means "smelly water" in Spanish, but don't worry, it's a great place to visit! This lagoon gets its water from the Agua Hedionda Creek. It's a very important home for many animals, including the tiny and special tidewater goby fish.
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Exploring Agua Hedionda Lagoon: Fun Activities
The Agua Hedionda Lagoon is a wonderful spot for outdoor fun. It's a "passive recreation area," which means it's kept mostly natural. This helps protect the environment and wildlife. You can enjoy many activities here, especially during the summer.
Popular activities include:
- Walking along the shore
- Stand-up paddleboarding
- Kayaking
- Wakeboarding
- Waterskiing
- Jet skiing
You can access the lagoon from Bay Shore Drive. It's open for walking from sunrise to sunset. Cars are usually not allowed on the shoreline. This helps keep the area safe and clean for everyone.
Rules for Visiting the Lagoon
To keep the lagoon healthy and safe, there are a few important rules:
- No alcohol is allowed. This helps prevent litter and protects the environment.
- Certain watercraft are not allowed. This includes parasailing, hovercrafts, and motorized surfboards.
- You cannot leave boats or other vessels on the lagoon.
- If you want to hold a public event, you need permission from the City of Carlsbad.
- Swimming or wading is not allowed during scheduled events.
- You need a special permit to launch a boat from the shore.
Fishing and Boating at the Lagoon
Fishing is a popular activity at the lagoon. However, there are some rules to follow:
- There are special areas for fishing, mostly in the lower east end. This is because algae can make fishing harder in other spots.
- Boats are not allowed to anchor. Anchoring can harm the lagoon's natural environment and the animals living there.
- All California Fish and Game Laws must be followed.
- If you are 16 years or older, you need a fishing license.
- You can fish from the shoreline in all public access areas.
- Fishing from a boat is only allowed in the passive recreation areas.
Discovering Nature at the Lagoon Discovery Center
The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center is a fantastic place to learn! It's a nature center that teaches visitors about the lagoon's history, plants, animals, and local culture.
The Discovery Center offers:
- An award-winning school program for 3rd graders. Kids learn about the lagoon's history, Native American culture, birds, and wetlands.
- Free family festivals throughout the year.
- Free monthly talks and bird-watching hikes.
The center opened in 2006. It has a large California native plant garden and amazing views of the lagoon. The area around the center is a natural habitat called Coastal sage scrub.
Keeping the Lagoon Healthy: Dredging
You might wonder how the lagoon stays connected to the ocean. It's thanks to something called dredging! Since 1954, the lagoon has been dredged every two to four years. Before dredging started, the lagoon wasn't even connected to the Pacific Ocean.
Dredging involves pulling about 500,000 cubic yards of sand from the bottom of the lagoon. This sand is then used to make the nearby beaches bigger and sandier. For example, in 2014, sand was added to the beach near the lagoon's entrance and other nearby shorelines.
The Encina Power Station, which is on the lagoon, helps pay for the dredging. This power plant uses water from the lagoon to help cool its systems. Dredging helps keep the lagoon's water flowing and creates nice sandy spots for beachgoers.
Dredging also helps two local businesses that raise seafood:
- The Carlsbad Aqua Farm, which grows and sells oysters and mussels.
- The Hubbs-Seaworld Institute, which raises White Sea bass.
Future of the Lagoon: Desalination Plant
There is also a Carlsbad desalination plant located at the lagoon. This plant can turn ocean water into fresh drinking water. It can produce 50 million gallons of clean water every day! This helps provide water for the community.
