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Called
Huntington Harbor, the area's
official title is
Sunset/Huntington Harbor and
includes Sunset Marina park as
well as 2 public marinas.
Most of the harbor consists of
privately held slips adjacent to
residences, with a total of about
3,000 boats in the harbor.
Entrance is through Anaheim Bay
and between the Naval Weapons Station
and Huntington Harbor and under
the PCH bridge. Boats pass
through the Anaheim Bay National
Wildlife Refuge. This is home to numerous types of marine life and birds that thrive in the natural
habitat that has existed for years. The area is said to be one of the most important
and beautiful natural wildlife areas along the Pacific Coast.
History... The harbor first opened its facilities in 1969. Prior to that, the area
was an undeveloped natural waterway adjacent to the huge wildlife area that is still
untouched. Sunset Bay as it was called was first thought to be a potential
recreation site in 1957 and was
surveyed in 1958 for
feasibility. By 1961 the necessary steps had been taken to assure that this would be a future harbor.
Originally, 64 acres of this area belonged to the federal government and was part of the Naval Ammunition Station in Seal Beach. Declared surplus, the site was acquired by the Harbor District with the condition that it be developed as a public park for recreational purposes. At the time of purchase, in 1962, the property consisted of tidal marshlands that were completely covered by water at high tide. Additional acreage, consisting of state tidelands of approximately 31 acres, were leased. The site required approximately 5 feet of fill before being suitable for development.
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Some channel dredging was also necessary to ensure that the harbor would be navigable.
Public hearings held in October, 1961, discussed the plans for harbor development. Many proposals were presented before the final adoption of existing facilities. A new harbor improvement area was created. Construction was initiated in 1963. A concessionaire lease was bid in the late 1960's. The selected concessionaire constructed boat slips, landscaping and parking areas. Later, a sublease developed a full service boat repair facility. Future development is expected to include a campground, wildlife observations area, additional boat slips and boat storage.
(County
of Orange, Harbors, Beaches and
Parks)
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