The Mission Trails Project, scheduled to begin in late 2007, has been delayed to obtain necessary property and easements for construction. Commencement of the project is expected to begin in late summer/early fall. Please continue to check this webpage for updated project and schedule information.

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Project Description

The San Diego County Water Authority maintains critical water pipelines beneath portions of Mission Trails Regional Park in the city of San Diego. The Water Authority is upgrading its untreated water system in the northwest area of Mission Trails to deliver more water to treatment plants that serve the central and south sections of San Diego County. The project will help ensure water reliability in the region through the year 2030.

The major elements of the Mission Trails Project are:

• Construction of an underground flow regulatory structure,
• Construction of a pipeline tunnel and associated pipeline interconnections,
• Demolition of all existing above-ground vent stacks in the park, and
• Construction of a stabilized river crossing at the San Diego River.

Flow Regulatory Structure
A new underground flow regulatory structure, or covered reservoir, will be constructed to help regulate the water system’s flow of untreated water. It will be capable of holding up to 12 million gallons of untreated water. An above-ground access building will be built to house instrumentation and controls, provide ventilation and security, and allow access for maintenance and repairs.

Pipeline and Tunnel
Two existing small pipelines will be replaced with one larger pipeline. Nearly one mile long, the new pipeline will be constructed in a tunnel and will be able to deliver larger quantities of untreated water. A majority of work on the tunnel and new pipeline will take place underground in Mission Trails Regional Park, just east of the community of Tierrasanta in the city of San Diego.

Vent Demolition
When the new tunnel pipeline is constructed, the Water Authority will be able to remove all of the blue vent stacks that are visible on hilltops in the park.

Stabilized Crossing of the San Diego River
The existing river crossing that allows Water Authority, park ranger, fire, police, and emergency vehicles access to Mission Trails Regional Park needs to be stabilized. A new stabilized river crossing will allow small trucks to safely cross the river during normal water flows.

Project Schedule

Release of Draft Environmental Impact Report	March 27, 2006 Complete
Public hearing at the Water Authority	April 27, 2006 - Complete
45-day public review period closed	May 10, 2006 - Complete
Final EIR and project approved by Water Authority Board of Directors	August 24, 2006 - Complete
Completion of project design	Early 2007
Project construction begins	Late Summer/Early Fall 2008
Project construction ends	Early 2011

Project Map

Printable version

Publications

Mission Trails Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet

Mission Trails Park WaterMark Newsletter

Fall 2007
Fall 2006
Spring 2005

Community Outreach

Community Correspondence:

• April 29, 2008
• February 20, 2007
• October 18, 2006

Community Presentations:

• Nov. 1, 2007– Tierrasanta Elementary School Foundation Meeting
• Oct. 10, 2007 – De Portola Middle School PTA Meeting
• Sept. 18, 2007– Tierrasanta Community Council
• Jan. 10, 2007 – Mission Trails Volunteer Guides
• Nov. 15, 2006 – Mission Trails Task Force
• Nov. 14, 2006 – Mission Trails Citizens Advisory Committee
• Oct. 18, 2006 – Tierrasanta Community Council

Mission Trails Project Working Group
From May 2005 to March 2006, the Water Authority convened a public working group to gather community input about the project. Working group members included representatives from the Tierrasanta and San Carlos communities, Mission Trails Regional Park, and park user groups. The group met periodically throughout the design, environmental and planning stages, informing the Water Authority of their concerns and providing suggestions for addressing those concerns.

Working Group Meeting Summaries:

• March 2, 2006
• August 4, 2005
• June 9, 2005
• May 19, 2005

Contact Us

For more information about the San Diego County Water Authority’s Mission Trails Project, please call toll free (877) 682-9283, Ext. 7004 or email CIPinfo@sdcwa.org. A representative from the project team will return your call within one business day.