| 1920’s |
Ellen Browning Scripps begins discussions with city engineer H.N
Savage for the building of a breakwater. |
| 1931 |
State of California grants the land at the Children’s Pool “to
be devoted exclusively to public park, bathing pool for children.” |
| 1931 |
Ellen Browning Scripps dedicates the breakwater “As a gratuity to children.” |
| 1931 to 1993 |
Children, families and wildlife enjoy the Children's Pool and Seal Rock areas together. |
| September 17, 1994 |
Seal Rock Marine Mammal Reserve is created by the City Council for a 5-year trial period.
The ordinance makes Seal Rock and waters around the rock off limits to all except fishermen. |
| September 4, 1994 |
County Department of Environmental Health closes Children’s Pool beach to human contact due
to high fecal coliform levels. |
| January, 1997 |
DNA studies conclude that Seals are the cause of the high fecal coliform levels. |
| March 29, 1999 |
City Manager brings forward a plan to increase the water area of the pool to provide
additional tidal flushing as a way to eliminate the pollution at Children’s Pool.
City Council decides not to move forward with the plan and instead erect barriers
between the people and seals. |
| August, 1999 |
City Council applies to the California Coastal Commission to create a permanent
seal rock reserve. |
| January, 2000 |
President Clinton creates a national monument called the California Coastal Monument
which includes all islands, rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles above the mean high
tide within 12 nautical miles of the shoreline of the State of California. |
| January 3, 2001 |
California Coastal Commission declines to permit a permanent reserve and notes
that “the proposed project raises issues of conflicts between public access to
the ocean and protection for the harbor seals.” They also note that the Department
of Fish and Game indicated “the City has no authority to create a seal reserve
from granted tidelands.” The State Lands Commission also expresses concerns with
the area being closed to public access. The Coastal Commission grants a temporary
5-year renewal of the seal rock reserve with modifications to the boundaries of
the reserve. |
| April 1, 2003 |
City Council will take up the issue of the Coastal Commission changes to the
application for the seal rock reserve. |
