| Buena Vista Lagoon | |
|---|---|
 A marker at Buena Vista Lagoon | |
  Buena Vista Lagoon | |
| Location | San Diego County, California |
| Coordinates | 33°10′11″N117°21′11″W / 33.1696660°N 117.3531612°W /33.1696660; -117.3531612 |
| Type | Inlet |
| Primary outflows | Pacific Ocean |
| Surface area | 223 acres (90 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Settlements | Carlsbad Oceanside |
| References | GNIS[1] |
Buena Vista Lagoon is a freshwaterlagoon adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in theSouth Coast region ofSouthern California within theNorth County region ofSan Diego County. The lagoon covers 223 acres ofwetland habitat and serves as a geographic border betweenCarlsbad andOceanside.
Buena Vista Lagoon is managed by theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife.[2] It is home to theBuena Vista Audubon Society Nature Center,[3] and is California's first Ecological Reserve. Two non-profit organizations are committed to the preservation and management of the lagoon: the Buena Vista Audubon Society[4] and the Buena Vista Lagoon Foundation[5]
The lagoon harbors at least 103 bird species, 18 mammals, and 14 amphibians and reptiles. Buena Vista also serves as a valuable wetland habitat for migrating bird species during the fall months.[2] In the 1970s, the lagoon was home to a group ofpink flamingos that locals believed escaped from theSan Diego Zoo, but the zoo steadfastly denied that they were missing any flamingos.[6]
A weir exists about 100 yards from the ocean. Depending on the season and rainfall, there may be outflow into the Pacific Ocean.
There has been discussion on whether to maintain Buena Vista Lagoon as freshwater or to open it to the ocean, allowing saltwater mixing much as with the nearby Agua Hedionda Lagoon. As of early 2018, no definitive plans have been set to change the lagoon, however.[7]
