San Clemente Canyon
San Clemente Canyon is a
Park
The canyon and Marian Bear Memorial Park parallels the San Clemente Canyon Freeway (State Route 52) (along northern canyon slopes), between its junctions with Interstate 5 (on west) and Interstate 805 (on east) at the ends.[2]
The park provides a natural setting in the midst of a busy urban area. The 467 acres (189 ha) of dedicated natural parkland include finger canyons and mesas on the south side.[3]
The main canyon and its tributaries continue to support a population of resident wildlife including raccoons, skunks, rabbits,
History
The Native American
In the late 19th century, this area was named Clemente Canyon for a native American rancher. During the 1970s its natural ecosystem and habitats were threatened by plans to place the San Clemente Canyon Freeway (State Route 52) along the canyon floor.[3]
Marian Bear, an active community leader and environmentalist, worked to preserve the canyon in its natural state. She was the driving force behind realigning the highway from the canyon floor to the north hillsides above it.[3] In the 1980s another community campaign resulted in an additional 72 acres in the southeast section added, for the present total of 467 acres.[3]
Canyon geology
Over 40 million years ago an ocean covered San Clemente Canyon during the Eocene epoch of the Paleogene period. Horizontal lines of round rocks at many levels, separated by clay and sand, represent the various levels of the ocean washing sand away and leaving rocks at surf level.
Fossilized
See also
References
- ^ Sandiego.gov: Marian Bear Memorial Park
- ^ Sandiego.gov: Map of Marian Bear Memorial Park — location, access, and trails map.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sandiego.gov: History of Marian Bear Memorial Park + San Clemente Canyon
- ^ "Kumeyaay Sense of the Land and Landscape". Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
Further reading
- Ellis, Arthur Jackson; Lee, Charles H. (1919). Geology and ground waters of the western part of San Diego County, California. Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey.