Treehuggers International Marks Second Year As Media Sponsor for San Diego River Days
May 15th, 2010
Podcast: Download (Duration: 32:06 — 29.4MB)
Treehuggers International is proud to be the media sponsor for the San Diego River Park Foundation’s River Days, and the inaugural edition of Riverfest, happening Sunday, May 16th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Qualcomm Stadium practice field, along the banks of the San Diego River.
Despite significant urbanization, the San Diego River still flows through Mission Valley.
San Diego Is Named for Its River
Even with all the rain Southern California received this past winter and spring, most residents of San Diego County tend not to think of their corner of the Golden State as teeming with rivers. Part of this can be attributed to the region’s arid Mediterranean climate, but this perception can also be attributed to the effective job man has done tucking the river out of sight, attempting to reign in the course and power of San Diego River.
Yet the San Diego River, and other rivers and creeks in the county like the San Dieguito, San Mateo, San Luis Rey, Sweetwater, and Santa Margarita, on some occasions flow with a speed and volume as great as some of the biggest rivers in North America, with surprises along the length of each of them. While pollution continues to affect the San Diego River at several of its tributaries and old industrial sites, the San Diego River Park Foundation has literally pulled a million tons of trash from the river over the last decade, bringing a new respect and appreciation for the river which gave the city and county of San Diego its name.
The San Diego River Park Foundation is a community-based, grassroots, non-profit organization seeking to tie the San Diego River together as a greenbelt from the river’s headwaters in the Cuyamaca Mountains to the sea at Ocean Beach, along the river’s 52-mile course. This greenbelt will double as a trail system, connecting a variety of parks and open spaces spread out along the length of the river.
Wild and Scenic River Designation
The foundation has also been active in the pursuit of Wild and Scenic River designation for the upper portion of the San Diego River, including the dramatic San Diego River Gorge. The upper reaches of the Santa Margarita River west of the Santa Rosa Plateau has also been identified by the Forest Service as having Wild and Scenic potential, and since portions of the rivers flow through Congressman Darrell Issa’s district, we at Treehuggers International are encouraging the congressman to add Wild and Scenic River designations to the wise legislation he has already put forth to expand the Agua Tibia and Beauty Mountain wilderness areas into northern San Diego County (previously discussed on the March 31, 2010 edition of Treehuggers International).
River Days and Riverfest
This year’s San Diego River Days festival culminates in the first ever Riverfest, happening Sunday, May 16th at the Qualcomm Stadium practice field, featuring a roster of area bands and musicians, including headliner Gregory Page.
Congratulations to San Diego River Park Foundation Executive Director Rob Hutsel and friends for landing a great piece in the May 9th edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and thanks to Rob for dropping by host Tommy Hough’s “other” radio show, the weekly Living Better In San Diego program on the San Diego Lincoln Financial Media stations.
For more information on San Diego River Days or Riverfest, click on one of the links below, or call the san Diego River Park Foundation at (619) 297-7380.
The 300 ft. drop of Mildred Falls, near the headwaters of the San Diego River.
More about this post at:
- San Diego River Park Foundation
- San Diego River Days
- Riverfest Schedule of Events
- Living Better In San Diego, Executive Director Rob Hutsel with host Tommy Hough
- River Network
- California Wild Heritage Campaign, information on Wild and Scenic River designation
- Friends of the River, PDF of Wild and Scenic River qualities of the San Diego River Gorge
- Friends of the River, San Diego River page
- Clean Green / Get Involved, San Diego River clean-up opportunities
- A River Runs Through Them (San Diego Union-Tribune; 5/9/10)
- River Trash Tally to Hit One Million Pound Mark (San Diego Union-Tribune; 10/24/09)
- Land Donation Paves Way for Riverfront Park (San Diego Union-Tribune; 5/18/09)
- Volunteers Love River Enough to Clean It Up (San Diego Union-Tribune; 2/15/09)
- Developers Eye Mission Gorge (San Diego Union-Tribune; 3/23/08)
- Project Clean Water, San Diego River Watershed
- San Diego River, Wiki entry
