181 



Swimtning and heach use 

 According to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, 

 Planning Monograph No. 4, the most popular summer outdoor rec- 

 reational activity in the San Diego metropolitan district is swimming, 

 with 84,000 participants; driving for pleasure is second, with 54,000 

 participants; and walking for pleasure is third, with 49,000 partici- 

 pants. For persons of 12 years and older, the age group of 12 to 17 

 years has the greatest number of outdoor recreation participation days. 

 Wliere available, beaches would therefore seem to be the most useful 

 summer recreational resource for the population as a whole, and 

 especially for the teenage population. The requirement for swimming 

 facilities is expected to more than double by 1980 when a demand of 

 184,000 participants is projected for the county. 



Recreation outlook 



According to outdoor recreation outlook to 1980 by the California 

 State Department of Parks and Recreation, population in the San 

 Diego area is expected to increase from 1,049,000 to 1,800,100 between 

 1960 and 1980, or 71.6 percent. The number of recreation participation 

 days is projected to increase from 107,300,000 to 212 million, an in- 

 crease of 97.5 percent based on population and participation days data. 



The total recreational benefit in 1970 is projected to be over $135 

 million. Of this, $40 million is related to water-oriented sports such 

 as swimming, boating, et cetera. An unknown percentage of the ap- 

 proximately $80 million relating to walking, driving, sightseeing, pic- 

 nicking, et cetera is attributable to the presence of San Diego Bay. 

 Total recreational economic benefits have been projected as almost $280 

 million for 1980, a more than threefold increase in comparison with 

 the estimated $91 million for 1960. 



MISSION BAY 

 (IV-3-3) 



The preceding presentation primarily reflected the situation in 

 San Diego County and reviewed that situation in light of the economic 

 base supplied by the bay estuary. However, another very important 

 part of the San Diego scene is Mission Bay. This particular bay is 

 an excellent example of recreational possibilities available in an 

 estuarine system. 



Mission Bay was formerly no more than a mudflat in a tidal area. 

 However, its development is comparable to the possibilities of any 

 large estuarine situation where a portion of the system can be devoted 

 to special recreational pursuits. The particular value in such a situa- 

 tion is that the use of special areas need not interfere with the major 

 uses of the estuary, although the amount of pollution in the estuary 

 must be limited so as not to preclude use of the recreational portion. 



The following summary of the Mission Bay experience points up 

 the multitude of possibilities that are available for recreational and 

 economic development in an estuary given some initial investment of 

 time and money. 



Mission Bay Park is the Nation's largest municipally owned aquatic 

 park and provides for public recreation in conjunction with land 



