Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area, and Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take)

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands were once extensive but now represent one of the last remaining saltwater marshes south of Point Conception. The narrow Bolsa Bay SMCA is sandwiched between Highway 1 and the lower mesa, a part of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve designated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Canary Island date palms on the lower mesa adjacent to Bolsa Bay SMCA serve as a nesting area for great blue herons that hunt in wetlands of the bay and grassy areas of the mesa.

Bird watching is excellent from the trails that wind throughout the SMCA. Red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, and great horned owls soar overhead. The wetlands are an important stop for migratory birds in North America. In the winter, western sandpipers hop along the shore, double-crested cormorants dive into the water, and snowy egrets fly overhead. Endangered species such as the Belding's savannah sparrow and California least tern can be spotted during summer months.

Within the intertidal marsh of Bolsa Bay SMCA, daily inundations of tidal water cause fluctuating salinity. California sea hares can be spotted in the waters below the foot bridge, grazing on algae while stingrays hunt nearby and jellyfish drift past. During the summer months, filter-feeding animals such as sea squirts, clams, and sponges feed on decomposing algae. Many of the marsh plants flower in summer, including tall stalks of purple and white sea lavender.

For centuries, Native American Tribes in California have relied on marine and coastal resources. Many Native American Tribes in California continue to regularly harvest marine resources within their ancestral territories and maintain relationships with the coast for ongoing customary uses. The Bolsa Chica Wetlands area is within the traditional territory of the Tongva and Acjachemen peoples. These Tribes developed specialized crafts and tools, including nets, fish hooks, and tule canoes. The canoes enabled travel offshore and gave the Tribes access to deep water marine resources such as fish, abalone, and mussels.

The Cabrillo Expedition, led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the 1540s, was likely the first group of Europeans to explore Bolsa Bay, but Spanish settlement did not occur here until the construction of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in 1771. The largest ever land grant in California was granted to a Spanish soldier, Manuel Perez Nieto in 1787, and included the area now known as the Bolsa Chica Wetlands.

In 1834, the rancho was subdivided into six parcels, and the Bolsa Bay Wetlands became known as Rancho Las Bolsas and Rancho Bolsa Chica. In 1895, a small portion of Rancho Bolsa Chica was sold to Los Angeles businessmen who created the Bolsa Chica Gun Club. They used this stretch of coastline as a duck hunting preserve and constructed a hunting lodge and several other buildings. Most notably, the gun club constructed a dam which separated the inner and outer Bolsa Bay, preventing direct tidal flow to and from the ocean. This greatly damaged the natural ecology of the area, changing the landscape from a saltwater marsh to freshwater ponds.

The 1900s saw turnover in ownership and management of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands area. In 1920, the Standard Oil Company began leasing land from the Bolsa Chica Gun Club, although oil drilling in the lowlands did not begin until 1940. The 300-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve was created in 1970 in response to objections to a large development project. Tide gates were installed in the dam, allowing salt water to flow again. In 1976, the group Amigos de Bolsa Chica was created and in 1990, the Bolsa Chica Conservancy was founded with a mission to educate the public about the importance of wetlands. By 2000, about 1,200 acres of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands area had been officially set aside for protection and restoration. Between 2004 and 2006, more than 500 acres of the Bolsa Chica lowlands were restored to conditions prevalent in the 1800s.

These MPAs are easily accessible. There is a small parking lot southeast of the intersection of Warner Ave. and the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), next to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center. From here, visitors can access the Mesa Trail which leads to an overlook. Another small parking lot on the Pacific Coast Highway across from the entrance to Bolsa Chica State Beach leads to the 1½ mile Loop Trail.

The three organizations involved in the conservation of Bolsa Chica ― Amigos de Bolsa Chica, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, and Bolsa Chica Land Trust ― all offer guided tours of the wetlands and ample volunteer opportunities.

While no take is allowed within the Bolsa Chica Basin SMCA, the recreational take of finfish from shore by hook-and-line is allowed in designated areas of Bolsa Bay SMCA, specifically at the fishing area next to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center. In this designated area along the shoreline, anglers can try their luck at catching fish such as yellowfin croaker, California scorpionfish, and spotted sand bass.

The five-mile trail system around the MPAs provides incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Photography and birdwatching are especially popular, with as many as 70 different species of birds that can be spotted in a single day. Across the highway, the Bolsa Chica State Beach Visitor Center features interpretive exhibits and the beach has 50 RV campsites. 

Coordinates

Bolsa Bay SMCA

This area includes the waters below the mean high tide line within Bolsa Bay estuary southward of a line that approximates the Warner Avenue bridge located between the following two points:

33° 42.700' N. lat. 118° 03.633' W. long.; and
33° 42.700' N. lat. 118° 03.604' W. long.;

and northward of a line that approximates the pedestrian bridge located between the following two points:

33° 42.219' N. lat. 118° 03.167' W. long.; and
33° 42.177' N. lat. 118° 03.186' W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(121)

Bolsa Chica Basin SMCA (No-Take)

Downloads for Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations

Downloads for Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area (No-Take)

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations