Chapter 3 - Natural Resources - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

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MCB Camp Pendleton, California consequently confront species with new competitors, predators and parasites. The proliferation of invasive species is also predicted. While animals will shift to new suitable habitats relatively rapidly, plant species are anticipated to shift much slower, if at all, potentially leading to permanent loss of many plants, which many animal species are currently dependent for their lifecycles (DOD 2010). 3.1.2. Topography Camp Pendleton lies on the coastal plains at the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains, within the Peninsular Range of southwestern California. The massive Peninsular Range completes the coastal mountain system of California, extending south from the Los Angeles Basin to the tip of the Baja Peninsula, and includes the steep, narrow, and northwest trending San Jacinto, Santa Rosa, Agua Tibia, and Laguna Mountains that plunge into the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. The terrain of the Base is varied and includes sandy shores, seaside cliffs, coastal plains, rolling hills, canyons, and mountains rising to elevations of nearly 2,700 feet. Two major physiographic provinces occur on Base: coastal plains, which rise steeply from the coast inland into fairly level terraces, and the rolling foothills of the Santa Margarita Mountains. The break between these two provinces occurs generally along Basilone Road. Characteristic of the Peninsular Range, natural erosion over time has formed a series of southwest trending stream valleys across the generally northwest-trending hills and mountains. Each stream has developed its own valley fill deposits, including an alluvial fan at its mouth near the coastline. The marine terraces, inland from the coast, slope uniformly to the southwest at inclinations of 5% or less with the majority of the rest of the Base exceeding 15% slope. Part of the coastal area consists of steep, low-hills known as the San Onofre Hills, which are dissected by the major stream systems of the Base. The highest elevation of the range is 1,720 feet, atop San Onofre Mountain. Other areas contain low, wave-cut terraces that have distinct cliffs or escarpments along the seaward edge. East of the San Onofre Hills is gently rolling topography with soils deep and level enough to support some agriculture. They give rise to the Santa Margarita Mountains, part of the Peninsular Range that extends from Orange and Riverside counties to the Mexican border. Margarita Peak, at 3,189 feet, is just east of the Base and about ten miles inland from the coast. FIGURE 3-1. BASE BEACH ACCESS (PHOTO SOURCE: CAMP PENDLETON) 3.1.3. Geology and Soils Camp Pendleton contains diverse geological units, ranging from the oldest metavolcanic rocks and granite of the southern California Batholith, to stream- or ocean-cut terrace sequences and recent alluvium. In general, the Base is underlain by Holocene to late 3-2 Chapter 3 – Natural Resources
Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan [March 2012 - Update] Pleistocene (recent to 1 million years before present [mybp]) unconsolidated sedimentary deposits that include alluvium in canyon bottoms and coastal terraces, Eocene to Pliocene (2 to 55 mybp) sedimentary rocks of marine and non-marine origin, and Cretaceous to Triassic (63 to 240 mybp) bedrock that includes highly consolidated and cemented sedimentary rock and plutonic and metamorphic crystalline rock. Soil erosion and sedimentation are common on Camp Pendleton. Soil erosion and sedimentation patterns are largely influenced by the year-to-year climatic variability, with most soil loss occurring perhaps once in every 20 years. The pattern of winter storms determines whether there is enough antecedent soil moisture before an intense storm to cause significant soil loss. Intense storms have little impact if the soil is dry enough to absorb water quickly. Soil type, slope, and the frequency of fire occurrence also influence erosion rates. Slopes left denuded by fire are particularly susceptible to accelerated erosion. In addition, fires of a very high temperature can result in hydrophobicity of the soil surface, allowing less water to enter the soil and increasing the amount of runoff, resulting in more erosion and sedimentation. Over fifty soil types are found on Camp Pendleton (Appendix G). Coastal plain soils are composed mostly of poorly consolidated marine sediments, while foothill soils are granitic with some metasedimentary and metavolcanic inclusions. A detailed description of Base soils can be found in the San Diego County Soil Survey (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1973). The level of resolution for Soil Survey maps is appropriate for preliminary planning purposes only. For activities where soil properties are important, such as construction projects, remediation projects, or biological surveys where species with specific soil requirements are being surveyed for, testing should be done to confirm the nature of the soil on-site. 3.1.4. Hydrology The hydrology of Camp Pendleton is influenced by several factors, including those that are natural (topographic, geologic, climatic, etc.) and human influenced (land use, dams, etc.). Proper management and stewardship of water resources are fundamental to natural resource and land use sustainability. This section provides a cursory overview of fundamental hydrologic features that characterize Camp Pendleton, including watersheds, precipitation, and runoff. Camp Pendleton’s water quality, supply and use programs are also introduced in this section. FIGURE 3-2. BASE WATERSHEDS Chapter 3 – Natural Resources 3-3
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