Water
Volcan Mountain is a main contributor to quenching San Diego’s thirst! It is the source waters for 3 western flowing rivers, and 1 eastern flowing creek in San Diego County, contributing to 3 of the largest watersheds in the region. The San Diego, San Dieguito and San Luis Rey watersheds comprise 1,366 square miles out of the total 2,951 square miles of coastal flowing watersheds in San Diego County.
The local Native Americans named what we now know as Volcan Mountain, Hahachepang. This means, ‘where the water comes from’; referring to several abundant springs, as well as the 30+ inches of average rainfall per year.
With pristine and abundant source waters such as Ironside and Catfish Springs, the mountain and its foothills hold the headwaters for San Felipe Creek which flows eastward to the Anza-Borrego Desert, and the San Diego, San Dieguito, and San Luis Rey Rivers which flow 55-60 miles to San Diego’s metropolitan communities and coastline.
Protecting headwater areas is the single most effective way of maintaining downstream water quality and hydrologic functions of watersheds. Loss of natural watershed processes in headwater streams can cascade to areas far downstream of the source of the impact itself, so water quality on Volcan is extemely important. Through conservation efforts on the mountain we protect habitat downstream.