San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy Spring Newsletter 2019

www.sdrvc.org

Volume 25 Number 1

Inside This Issue

President’s Message Conservation Update

Major Gift and Grant Announcements Special Gift Recognition

Watershed History: The Del Mar Sugar Beet Dump

Watershed History: The Del Mar Sugar Beet Dump (continued)

Executive Director’s Letter Volunteers Needed for Furry Friends Hikes Coast to Crest Trail Challenge

Education Programs Going Strong Citizen Science 2019

Published Three Times Annually

Spring 2019

Wax & Wine Recap Thank you to all who joined us for this year’s Wax & Wine! We raised $5,000 for our conservation, education, and recreation programs while enjoying a wonderful day at Knorr Candle Shoppe in Del Mar. We snacked on artisan cheeses, Italian cured meats, seasonal veggies, and more, all paired expertly with delicious wine and craft beer.

Huge thanks to Topaz for serenading us, Urban Kitchen Catering for providing gourmet food, Knorr Artisan David for showing us how to make our own beeswax candles, and of course, Knorr Candle Shoppe for hosting!

President’s Message

Brad Bartlett, J.D. President Nate Northup, J.D. Vice President Peter DeFrancesca, CPA Treasurer Katharine Sheehan, M.D. Secretary Bill Adelson Joe Bonner Slader Buck Keith Colestock Shelley Glenn Lee Alex Kilian Donald Mosier, Ph.D., M.D. Immo Scheffler, Ph.D. Robert Sheppard Jim Smith Lynn Benn Judy Bernstein Susan Carter Elizabeth Dernetz Tom Golich Kimberly Heller Godwin Chris Khoury, M.D. David Kreitzer Phil Pryde Oliver A. Ryder, Ph.D. Ramona Salisbury Kiltz John Seiber Peter Shapiro Pam Slater-Price

It feels wonderful to accomplish a milestone, as we did earlier this year. It was a joyous occasion to celebrate the opening of the Pamo Valley segment of the Coast to Crest Trail! Seeing the first groups of hikers on the Pamo Valley segment of the Coast to Crest Trail—and knowing all the work and funds that went into it—is also a great reminder of the importance of our work in the watershed.

The trail gets built one mile at a time, with hours and hours of work from countless people behind the scenes. In the same way, our community of Conservancy members and supporters grows one person at a time. In most cases, no one becomes a member overnight—but we find that it happens faster when a member brings them along on a guided hike or other event. The passion and excitement that our staff and board members have for the River Park and our mission is infectious—when you see it firsthand, it’s hard not to sign up on the spot.

So the next time you’re planning to attend one of our events, bring a friend! You already know about the amazing work the Conservancy and River Park do— help us grow our community, one nature-lover at a time!

Building the Coast to Crest Trail is a daunting task.

We’ve completed 48 miles so far, so we’re over halfway there—but if we only focus on the remaining 23 or so miles, it can feel overwhelming. Which is why it’s important to stop and celebrate every mile that does get completed.

Conservation Update: Fairbanks Ranch Fuel Reduction/Stream Enhancement Project We are pleased to announce that the Conservancy and our partners have been awarded additional grant funding for the Fairbanks Ranch - Rancho Santa Fe Invasive Plant Eradication and Stream Enhancement Project, which has been underway since 2015. We have been managing the project in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Native Plant Society - San Diego Chapter (CNPS), Fairbanks Ranch Association, Rancho Santa Fe Association, and private landowners.

We have recently been awarded three grants, totaling over $143,000, which will be used to contract crew labor from Urban Corps of San Diego to remove and control invasive plants in the project area. Work will begin this fall, following the end of the nesting season.

Part of the focus of the project is wildfire fuel reduction. Several invasive species, like Arundo and Eucalyptus, are fire risks—as residents of Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe have seen in recent years. “When the last two fires came through the San Dieguito River Valley, they came right up onto my street. I firmly believe that because of the efforts of the SDRVC and California Native Plant Society, no homes were lost in 2014. It’s so great to see the river valley returned to its natural habitat,” said Suzanne Lichter, a Fairbanks Ranch resident.

Additionally, the project was featured in a recent issue of FLORA, a magazine published by the California Native Plant Society!

Trish Boaz Executive Director Jonathan Appelbaum Conservation Manager Allison Keltner Editor Ana Lutz Education Manager Delle Willett Public Relations Joanne Bakken Accounting Peter DeFrancesca Treasurer The Printer’sCircle Nicole Jasso

Now Open! Coast to Crest Trail Pamo Valley Segment We were so excited to celebrate the ribbon cutting and opening of the newest segment of the Coast to Crest Trail with the River Park JPA on January 26th, 2019! Over 100 people joined us for the ribbon cutting, and River Park rangers led hikes on the new trail.

The Pamo Valley segment of the trail, which is near Ramona, is 3.3 miles long. It connects two existing trails—the Lower Santa Ysabel Truck Trail and the Upper Santa Ysabel Truck Trail—to form 12 contiguous miles. It also brings the total completed Coast to Crest Trail to 48 miles!

This trail would not be possible without over $153,000 contributed by the Conservancy, including a $43,000 grant to SDRVC from REI, and $114,000 from 2019 Heart of the Conservancy Award winner, Joan Griffin, and her late husband, Monty. Additional funding for this project included a $285,000 grant to the River Park JPA from the California Natural Resources Agency.

The River Park JPA rangers and volunteers worked long and hard on constructing this beautiful trail, doing an amazing job and substantially reducing the labor cost of this project.

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Major Gifts and Grant Announcements Prop 68 Funds $53,500 to the Urban Corps for the Fairbanks Ranch - Rancho Santa Fe Invasive Plant Eradication and Stream Enhancement Project California Fire Safe Council Fire Prevention Grant Program $18,664 for the Fairbanks Ranch - Rancho Santa Fe Invasive Plant Eradication and Stream Enhancement Project State Coastal Conservancy $71,826 for the Fairbanks Ranch - Rancho Santa Fe Invasive Plant Eradication and Stream Enhancement Project

SPECIAL GIFT RECOGNITION: November 1st, 2018 – March 31st, 2019 Thank you for supporting our work in conservation, education, and recreation in the San Dieguito River Valley. $25,000 or more Joan Griffin

$5,000 or more

Scott B. Wilson Wayne Pfeiffer Teresa L. Boley & Joe Markee Mark & Carol Shapiro Carol Mann & Alan Vier

$2,000 or more

Franklin and Dorothy Piacentini Charitable Trust Alex & Christine Sherer Karen Berger Webster B. and Helen W. Kinnaird John and Elaine French Family Foundation

$1,000 or more

Nancy & Bill Homeyer Gerald & Grace Lieberman Michael Thacker John & Mary Giebink Alan & Steve Tarkington George & Betsey LaBreche John & Patricia Tishler Christa McReynolds John & Pat Seiber Jeanne & Victor Orphan William Leininger William Sherrard Marion Dodson Gary & Maxine Kreitzer Price Philanthropies Foundation Gary & Denise Nakamura David Steve & Janice Schock Soaring Minds Education

$500 or more

Cheryl & Thomas Burns Dennis Wenger Pamela Maher Donald Gragg John & Kim Wu Elizabeth Gabrych Karen Black Robert Rickert Nonprofits' Insurance Alliance of California Dorothy Koerner

$250 or more

Shawna & Bill Anderson Paula & William Augustus Ed & Nancy Lyon Karen Klawitter Charles & Lynn Gaylord Stephen & Susan Hedrick Douglas Gillingham & Dana Friehauf Jennifer & Barry Greenberg Alan & Jerelyn Creutz Christine Justice Glenn & Randee Warren Charles D. Richmond ESQ Craig Adams Ann McGowan-Tuskes Michael & Nan Criqui Michael Newhouse & Rose Lochmann Ron & Arlene Prater John & Mary Schatz Susan Hennenfent Mark Hennenfent David Shoup Randall & Vivian Black Howard Kipnis Martha Simmons

James & Carrie Greenstein Joel & Kathleen Cook Andris Baltins Eric & Suellen Lodge Monika Langhoff Hseu & Pat Hseu William Sherrard

$100 or more

Andrea Denise Peck Lawrence Bame Lisa & Mike Hyndman Philip Pryde & Alison Cummings Jennifer Price Kevin & Patty Vogelsang Patricia Joyce & Jeff Moore Theresa Dailey Nancy Hurwitz Peter & Inga Kutschker Bruce & Penny Frantz Katherine Drew Barry Naughton Vincent Minerva Hanno Ix Carl Reinholz Glenn Little Alex Dam Mitchell Kronenberg Robert Weisgrau & Victoria Monaco Laura Walker Warren Fox Sharilyn & Michael Parr Gerald Shiller Donald Ward Vincent Chan Mike Sullivan Steven R Hadley Emily Garnica

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Lori Good Doris Slate & Charles Harmon Mark Jenne Danute & Ralph Reisner Bob & Sandy Irwin Donald & Linda Kripke Carol Schloo-Wright Richard Forsyth & Kate Leonard Michael McDonald Paul Marx John Dewald Beth and Marc Cohan Joanne Casterline Manfred & Siglinde Jackle Estil & Margaret Hoversten Steve & Susan Brown LaDelle Stattin Bill J. Herrmann Tony & Joyce Joseph Richard & Frances Moore Lucy and Bob Zizka Carol Kerridge Rev. Julia Erickson & Dr. Tom Hugh McGrath Carissa Romero Kurt & Elisabeth Marti Richard & Valeria Belzer Terance Kopanski and Carol Steblay Vicki Anthony Neil Meyer and Jill Pfeiffer Tracy Jarman Harry & Patricia McDean Dorothy Jean Risheberger Jeannine McCullagh Alan Ball Kathleen Moser Marion Hadden Barbara Metz & Hector Torres

Remi Le Reverend Jess Norton Norman & Patricia Gillespie Jerrilynn Myers Howard Weiner Paul Marx Patti Malmuth Rina Vinetz Dr. Bob Reeves Diane Stocklin Virginia Clemeshaw Richard Kolodner Curtis & Kathryn Foster Dawn Sturgill Tandora Grant Nora Jaffe Lee Haydu Erik Smith Michael A. Friedrichs Matthew & Jennifer Firmin Jennifer Price John Stromsem Laurie & Jeff Lindeneau Viewpoint Brewing Co. BD Biosciences-Pharmingen Julia Ember Patrice Smerdu & Kristine Brown Heidi Hahn & John Boaz Qualcomm Inc. Del Mar Garden Club Isaacs Family Foundation James Determan

Watershed History: The Del Mar Sugar Beet Dump Can you imagine the San Dieguito Lagoon and surrounding areas as farmland?

Along the River Path Del Mar extension (between Jimmy Durante Blvd. and the bridge), next to the water’s edge, you can see the remains of the post pilings for the sugar beet dump Fletcher had built so his sugar beets could be loaded into the trains.

Over 100 years ago, decades before the Del Mar Fairgrounds were built, Ed Fletcher acquired some 12,000 acres, extending about 1.5 miles along the oceanfront, with the intent of growing sugar beets. Around 1910, Fletcher noticed that farmers in the San Luis Rey Valley were having success with sugar beets, and saw the potential for a huge cash crop.

The sugar beet dump was disassembled and brought down from San Onofre, Moore believes, and was reassembled in Del Mar in the summer of 1915. It was operational for the fall harvest that year—Moore found a Union-Tribune article from October 5th that quotes Fletcher: “The shipments this season will be 5000 tons, we are now shipping 150 tons a day to the Santa Ana Co-operative Sugar company, which has a factory at Santa Ana.”

However, he needed a way to get his beets to the nearest sugar beet factory in Santa Ana, where they would be processed and the sugar extracted. According to Richard Moore, a Conservancy member who has developed a hobby of deep historical research, Fletcher was “on good terms with the Santa Fe Railway,” and convinced the railroad to build a “Y” spur so trains could pick up the sugar beet harvest.

Unfortunately for Fletcher, in January and February of 1916, heavy storms caused floods throughout the region. The floodwaters damaged roads, train tracks, and the sugar beet dump. It appears the sugar beet dump was never repaired, probably because the floods also carried silt and gravel from upriver, so the soil in Del Mar was no longer suitable for sugar beet growing.

You can still see the remains of this spur near the River Path Del Mar and the Del Mar Department of Public Works building—the tracks would have extended almost to where the Old Grand Ave. Bridge is now.

What are sugar beets?

What is a sugar beet dump?

As the name implies, sugar beets are a source of sugar.

Unlike sugarcane, which can only grow in tropical climates, sugar beets grow in temperate zones. Sugar beets were first cultivated in the 18th century and spread throughout Europe in the 19th century.

A sugar beet dump is essentially an elevated platform with long ramps on either side. A mechanical device—an extension of the platform that can be raised and lowered— allows workers to transfer beets from horse-drawn wagons to open-top rail cars.

They reached the United States in the early 19th century— abolitionists in New England attempted to produce them to provide an alternative to cane sugar, which was produced by slaves in the West Indies. However, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that the first successful sugar beet factory was established in Alvarado, CA (now Union City, in the San Francisco Bay Area).

Before Timothy Carroll invented and patented the sugar beet dump with the mechanical device, workers had to manually shovel beets through a side chute to the rail car. This was a long, labor-intensive process. The Carroll sugar beet dumps could be operated quickly and easily—considering Fletcher said they were shipping out 150 tons of sugar beets each day in 1915, speed was critical.

In the early 20th century, the soil and climate of Del Mar were ideal—the fertile, sandy soil was rich in nutrients, and the coastal climate offered warm, sunny days and cool, foggy nights.

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This overhead photograph, taken in approximately 1928, clearly shows the “Y� spur that was constructed just south of the river channel, in between the train tracks and Jimmy Durante Blvd. You can see how a train from either direction to take the spur off the main track to where the sugar beet dump would have been, load up the cars, then use the northern part of the spur to take the harvest to Santa Ana.

Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Train tracks Approximate location of sugar beet dump in 1915

Santa Fe Railroad Spur

Approximate location of Old Grand Avenue Bridge (built in 1941)

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Executive Director’s Letter

Coast to Crest Trail Challenge

After six years of working as Executive Director for the Conservancy, it’s easy for me to give an answer when people ask what I enjoy most about my role.

Our list of Coast to Crest Trail Challenge finishers is growing! As we go to print, 138 people (plus several dogs!) have finished the second round of the Coast to Crest Trail Challenge. We wanted to highlight one group that finished the entire Challenge in one day, on January 27th!

More than anything, I love bringing people into the River Valley—leading hikes, educating groups, and sharing what we do throughout the watershed. So far this year, I’ve led hikes for the Coast to Crest Challenge and Valentine’s on Volcan and given presentations for groups like the Del Mar Garden Club…and I want to do more!

Seven friends who have formed a hiking group they call “Bobbie’s group” because Bobbie Wright is “the glue” that keeps them together and organizes most of their hikes. However, it was Charlie Kahle who issued the challenge, after making some hiking miles-perhour and driving calculations.

If you’re part of a group or organization that would be interested in learning more about the San Dieguito River Valley and the Conservancy’s work, please get in touch— email sdrvc@sdrvc.org or call (858)755-6956. We can work together to create a hike, presentation, or other outing customized for your group. The more people who learn about the Conservancy and join our community, the better we can accomplish our mission!

Bobbie, Charlie, and the rest of the group—Chuck Banker, Elmar Zanforlin, Brenda Marshall, Craig Robertson, and Werner Berger—started at 6 am on the Santa Fe Valley Trail and finished at 3:30 pm at the Santa Ysabel East Preserve Kanaka Loop Trail, making excellent time! They hiked 23.7 miles in total. They celebrated with a hearty meal in Santa Ysabel.

Maybe that group crossed paths with Heike Rodriguez at some point, who also completed all five hikes on the same day!

Volunteers Needed for Furry Friends Hikes We’re partnering with the Helen Woodward Animal Center to present Furry Friends Hikes!

Hike leaders are needed to take our furry friends (dogs) on a hike while their homes are being cleaned at the Center.

The Furry Friends morning walks will take place monthly on the second Wednesday of each month, in the early morning for approximately an hour walk (time frame to be determined).

If you are interested, please plan on attending a training/orientation at the Helen Woodward Animal Center on Thursday, May 2nd at 11:00 am.

The Center is located at 6523 Helen Woodward Way in Rancho Santa Fe. For more information and volunteer applications, visit www.sdrvcfurryfriendsorientation2.eventbrite.com.

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Education Programs Going Strong The Conservancy has been busy this spring, gearing up for site visits and presentations watershed-wide! After concluding programs with High Tech Elementary and Middle School, North County, Education Manager Ana Lutz jumped into a new program, the Migratory Bird Program. Working with students from San Diego Cooperative Charter School, students discovered the beauty and diversity of birds at Lake Hodges. Their use of observational skills, primarily looking and listening, allowed them to identify multiple bird species and deeply understand their place in the environment. After reflecting on the field trip, students found themselves to be “more relaxed” and “full of new ideas!”

Students from Cathedral Catholic High School participated in the Coastal Wetlands Field Ecology Project, studying the impacts of a mock development at the nearby Dust Devils Trail, located in Del Mar. After reporting their findings, students were eager to learn more about environmental law and how it protects and preserves remaining natural spaces.

In addition, this spring the Conservancy is offering family field days through our Watershed Explorers Program. Families are encouraged to participate at one of our five locations, where we track animals, test water, churn butter, go on hikes, and more!

Thank you to our partners, the San Dieguito River Park JPA, Volcan Mountain Foundation, and the San Diego Archaeological Center, for supporting this program.

Interested in volunteering? We have opportunities for you! There are a multitude of opportunities to volunteer, from land stewardship, hiking volunteers, and educational volunteers. The Conservancy is always looking to add to our growing team.

Please email Ana at ana@sdrvc.org for more information.

Citizen Science 2019 We are pleased to announce exciting new Citizen Science programs in 2019! Our focal site for 2019 will be the Santa Fe Valley Open Space, located off of Del Dios Highway in the Santa Fe Valley/Del Dios Gorge.

The Santa Fe Valley Open Space, managed by long-time Conservancy partner Rincon Consultants, is a 170-acre open space preserve which contains high quality riparian, grassland, marsh, vernal pool, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral habitats.

We are excited to partner with California Native Plant Society (CNPS) for our spring botanical surveys at the Santa Fe Valley Open Space. Our botanical survey in early March included a professionally-instructed workshop to introduce interested Citizen Scientist botanists to CNPS’ “Rare Plant Treasure Hunt” survey method, followed by a expert-led field survey to record sensitive species throughout the Open Space.

We are also planning a “BioBlitz” event at the City of San Diego’s Crest Canyon Open Space Preserve on Sunday, April 28th, in conjunction with the nationwide City Nature Challenge. Under the guidance of Conservation Manager Jonathan Appelbaum and Conservancy Board Member Jim Smith, volunteers will use the iNaturalist smartphone app to document and record as many unique species of plants and wildlife within the Open Space as possible.

In addition to our core Citizen Science programs, which include botanical surveys, bird surveys, wildlife camera trapping, and herpetological surveys, our 2019 Citizen Science program plans to include surveys for new taxa, including late spring butterfly surveys and benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) surveys. Our BMI survey took place in late March, and our first butterfly survey is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 19th.

For information on all Citizen Science events, visit www.sdrvc.org/events.

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Spring 2019

San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy 3030 Bunker Hill Street, Ste. 309-1 San Diego, CA 92109

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The San Dieguito River Valley Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the development of recreational multi-use trails in the 92,000-acre San Dieguito River Park, preserving and restoring native ecosystems, and educating the public about our precious natural resources.

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October 13, 2019 • 4:00 - 8:00 pm DEL MAR