District Size: 134,000 acres Year Formed: 1944 Projects: MRCD continues to work with the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board to assist developers and landowners with development and implementation of erosion control plans and Best Management Practices. In cooperation with the Regional Water Quality Control Board, MRCD also works with private citizens, and government officials to resolve complaints about erosion and sedimentation problems in the District.
Other important objectives include the District's work in the identification and monitoring of point and non-point water pollution in the Santa Margarita and San Luis Rey watersheds. The Rainbow Creek Non-point Source Nitrate Reduction project is an example of a community participation project of this type which seeks to assist dairy and nursery industries in reducing their point-source runoff through waste management, fertilizer conservation and tailwater return design.
An important program for the protection of water quality is the Mobile Irrigation Laboratory. This program assists landowners and land managers in the development of plans to reduce nutrient and chemical runoff and deep percolation.
The long range plan foresees involvement by the MRCD in the design of programs for reduction of sources of pollution and as a delivery system for implementing practices that will achieve the goals of agricultural and environmental interests. An example of this would be a plan to encourage the creation and restoration of wetlands which serve as a natural means of improving water quality will providing valuable biological habitat as well. Overview: The Mission Resource Conservation District lies in the northwest part of San Diego County. The District boundaries extend south from the Riverside County line too just below the San Luis Rey River; Camp Pendleton and the Naval Weapons Station form the western boundary; the eastern boundary is an irregular line connecting Mt. Olympus, Lancaster and Red Mountains. Portions of the Santa Margarita River and San Luis Rey River and their watersheds lie within the district.
