Otay Management Plan

Prime or Subconsultant: Subconsultant

Prepared for: Caltrans and City of San Diego

Contact Person: Marty Rosen, Senior Environmental Planner, Caltrans District 11, P.O. Box 85406, San Diego, CA., (619) 688-6751

Project Name: SR 905

Date: 1998

Report Title: Management Plan for Otay Mesa Prehistoric Resources San Diego,California

Authors: Dennis R. Gallegos, Carolyn Kyle, Adella Schroth and Patricia Mitchell.

Project Description:
The Otay Management Plan Area (OMPA) is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Otay River Valley on the north, the San Ysidro Mountains on the east, and Mexico on the south. This area includes lagoon, bay, river valleys, canyons, mesa, and mountains, and contains 365 previously recorded prehistoric sites, many of which are portions of a sparse lithic scatter that covers the approximately 10,000 acre Otay Mesa study area. The Management Plan for Otay Mesa Prehistoric Resources provides: 1) a review and synthesis of the Otay database for approximately 30,000 acres with a focused analysis for Otay Mesa, approximately 10,000 acres; 2) intersite comparison of debitage and tools from selected habitation and quarry sites (Schroth and Flenniken 1997a); 3) identification of lithic scatters, temporary camps/artifact scatters, and habitation sites on the mesa and a discussion of site type criteria and methods to identify, evaluate, and record cultural resources on Otay Mesa; 4) identification of data gaps; 5) a discussion of research orientation that has been used for sites on the mesa and suggestions for future research based on what is currently known about prehistoric use of the mesa from 3,000 to 9,000 years ago; 6) a discussion of field methods to be used during future work; and 7) management recommendations. Recommendations include inventory and evaluation methods for each site type and recommendations for long-term protection of representative cultural resource sites from coastal lagoon, San Diego Bay, Otay and Tijuana river valleys, canyons, and mountain regions.