Morro Bay, California
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Morro Bay (Morro, Spanish for "Hill")<ref>City of Morro Bay - Morro Rock Beach</ref><ref>1000 California Place Names</ref><ref>California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names</ref> is a seaside city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast of California, the city's population was 10,757 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,234 at the 2010 census. The town overlooks Morro Bay, a natural embayment with an all-weather, small-craft, commercial and recreational harbor.
History
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The prehistory of Morro Bay relates to Chumash settlement, particularly near the mouth of Morro Creek. At least as early as the Millingstone Horizon thousands of years before present, an extensive settlement existed along the banks and terraces above Morro Creek.<ref>C. Michael Hogan (2008). "Morro Creek". ed. by A. Burnham.</ref> A tribal site on present-day Morro Bay was named tsɨtqawɨ, Obispeño for "Place of the Dogs".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The first recorded Filipinos to visit America arrived at Morro Bay on October 18, 1587, from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> one of whom was killed by local Native Americans while scouting ahead.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The first European land exploration of Alta California, the Spanish Portolá expedition, came down Los Osos Valley and camped near today's Morro Bay on September 8, 1769. Franciscan missionary and expedition member Juan Crespí noted in his diary, "we saw a great rock in the form of a round morro".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
While governed by Mexico, large land grants split the surrounding area into cattle and dairy ranchos, which needed shipping to bring in dry goods and to carry their crops, animals, and other farm products to cities.
The town of Morro Bay was founded by Franklin Riley in 1870 as a port for the export of dairy and ranch products. He was instrumental in the building of a wharf, which has now become the Embarcadero.<ref>Template:Cite book
Template:Cite book</ref> During the 1870s, schooners could often be seen at the Embarcadero, picking up wool, potatoes, barley, and dairy products.Template:Citation needed
A subspecies of butterfly, the "Morro Bay Blue" or " Morro Blue" (Icaricia icarioides moroensis) was first found at Morro Beach by entomologist Robert F. Sternitzky, in June 1929.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
During World War II, a U.S. Navy base, Amphibious Training Base Morro Bay, was on the north side of Morro Rock, where sailors were trained to operate LCVPs. The breakwater on the southwest side of the rock was built in 1944–45 to protect the LCVPs entering and leaving the harbor. Soldiers from Camp San Luis Obispo came to Morro Bay and practice loading into the LCVPs. Many of those men were at Normandy on D-Day.
In the 1940s, Morro Bay developed an abalone-fishing industry; it peaked in 1957; stocks of abalone had declined significantly due to overfishing.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> Halibut, sole, rockfish, albacore, and many other species are still caught by both commercial and sport vessels. In addition, oysters are grown by aquaculture in the shallow back bay.
In the 1950s, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company built the Morro Bay Power Plant, which created jobs and increased the tax base and led to the city acquiring the nickname "Three Stacks and a Rock".Template:R The city incorporated in 1964.<ref name="LAFCO">Template:Cite web</ref> The plant closed in February 2014.Template:R
Geography
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Morro Bay is the name of the large estuary situated along the northern shores of the bay itself. The larger bay on which the local area lies is Estero Bay, which also encompasses the communities of Cayucos and Los Osos. The city of Morro Bay is Template:Convert northwest of San Luis Obispo and is located on Highway 1. Los Osos Creek discharges into Morro Bay.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (48.63%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Morro Rock
[edit]Morro Rock is a 576-ft-high (176 m) volcanic plug<ref name="Fodor's2010">Template:Cite book</ref> located at the entrance to the harbor. The descriptive term morro is common to the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian languages, and the word is part of many place names where a distinctive and prominent hill-shaped rock formation exists.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Originally, it was surrounded by water, but the northern channel was filled in to make the harbor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was quarried from 1889 to 1969,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 1968, it was designated a Historical Landmark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The area around the base of Morro Rock is open to visitors, with parking lots and paths. Climbing the rock is prohibited<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> due to risk of injury, and because it is a peregrine falcon reserve.<ref name="Fodor's2010"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Morro Rock is one in a series of similar plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters.Template:Citation needed
Morro Bay Harbor
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Morro Bay is a natural embayment with an artificial harbor constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is the only all-weather, small-craft, commercial and recreational harbor between Santa Barbara and Monterey. Morro Rock was originally surrounded by water, but the Army built a large artificial breakwater and road across the north end of the harbor, linking Morro Rock and the mainland. Some of the rock used for this and for the artificial breakwaters was quarried from Morro Rock itself. Other rock was imported by barge from Catalina Island. The bay extends inland and parallels the shore for a distance of about Template:Cvt south of its entrance at Morro Rock. Morro Bay is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy.<ref name="swrcb">State Water Resources Control Board Water Quality Control Policy for the Enclosed Bays and Estuaries of California (1974) State of California</ref> A small summer colony of otters ususally can be seen in the kelp near the harbor entrance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
[edit]Morro Bay experiences a mild warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) characteristic of coastal California, featuring dry, warm summers and wet, mild winters. The city is located next to the Pacific Ocean, which helps moderate temperatures and create an overall pleasant, mild, year-round climate, resulting in warmer winters and cooler summers compared with places farther inland, such as Atascadero. Summers in Morro Bay are cool for a city located at 35°N latitude, with July averaging around Template:Convert. Winters are mild, with January averaging at Template:Convert with around eight days of measurable precipitation.
Demographics
[edit]2010
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The 2010 United States Census<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> reported that Morro Bay had a population of 10,234. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of Morro Bay was 87.1% White, 0.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.0% from other races, and 3.0%from two or more races. About 14.9% of the residents were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. The census reported that 98.4% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in noninstitutionalized group quarters, and 1.2% were institutionalized.
Of the 4,844 households, 19.0% had children under 18 living in them, 40.7% were opposite-sex married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present; 6.8% were unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0.7% were same-sex married couples or partnerships. Of the 1,808 households, 37.3% were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.08. About 53.6% of all households were families; the average family size was 2.70.
The city's age distribution was 15.0% under 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 48.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
The 6,320 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert, of which 53.3% were owner-occupied and 46.7% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%. About 51.0% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 47.4% lived in rental housing units.
2000
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As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> 10,350 people, 4,986 households, and 2,612 families resided in Morro Bay. The population density was Template:Convert. The 6,251 housing units at had average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 89.44% White, 0.68% African American, 0.95% Native American, 1.81% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 4.10% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.43% of the population.
Of the 4,986 households, 16.7% had children under 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were not families. About 38.0% were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the city, the age distribution was 15.1% under 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,379, and for a family was $43,508. Males had a median income of $31,073 versus $25,576 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,687. About 8.1% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under 18 and 5.8% of those 65 or over.
Morro Bay High School, Los Osos Middle School, and Del Mar Elementary offer education for grades 9-12, grades 6-8, and kindergarten through grade 5, respectively.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Economy
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Tourism is the city's largest industry,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> coexisting with the town's commercial fishery. A number of tourist attractions are found along the shoreline and the streets closest to it, especially the Embarcadero, including restaurants, shops and parks. Further, hospitality is the cornerstone of Morro Bay's economy. The city heavily relies on visitors staying at hotels, as tax revenues from those stays make up a significant portion of the city's General Fund.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The importance of travelers staying in hotels is solidified by the number and variety of accommodations. Hotels, motels, and inns within Morro Bay continuously adapt to accommodate visitors by investing in their amenities, accommodations, and conditions.
The most popular beach is on the north side of Morro Rock, north of the harbor. Also, excellent beaches are found north and south of the town, at Morro Strand State Beach and Morro Bay State Park, respectively.
Power plant
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The power plant has played a large role in Morro Bay, and in providing electricity to the Central Coast and the Central Valley of California (primarily Fresno and Bakersfield). It was built by PG&E in the mid-1950s<ref name="NYT 2022-06-17"/><ref name=Trib>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to a design by architect William Gladstone Merchant, and was expanded in the 1960s.<ref name=Hist>Template:Cite web</ref> A portion of the city's budget came from taxes on the natural gas the plant burned.<ref name=Trib/> In 1997, PG&E sold the plant to Duke Energy under a state law requiring energy producers to reduce their assets.<ref name=Trib/>
The 650-megawatt plant employed more than 100 workers at its peak and operated around the clock during the energy crisis of 2000, but by the mid-2010s, when it was owned by Dynegy, it had become uneconomical and was operating at 5% of capacity, primarily during periods of peak energy demand. It would have required expensive upgrades by 2015 to conform to state law.<ref name=Trib-closes>Template:Cite news</ref> Duke had proposed modernizing the plant by converting it to combined cycle power generation,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the modernization was not carried out,<ref name=Trib/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Dynegy closed the plant in February 2014.<ref name=Trib-closes/><ref name="SFG 2022-05-03">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2018, a joint venture of German energy company EnBW and Seattle-based Trident Winds announced its plan to obtain the power plant's grid connection to connect a 650 MW floating offshore wind park comprising up to 100 floating wind turbines and a floating substation situated some Template:Convert off the coast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, TotalEnergies, a French energy company, entered the joint venture with Trident Winds and took over the shares previously held by EnBW.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
In 2021, the city council of Morro Bay voted 4–1 to take down the power plant's smokestacks by 2028.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The city estimated that maintaining the smoke stacks would cost around a million dollars per year. Vistra Energy, which had purchased Dynegy, agreed to tear down the stacks and plans to build a Template:Val lithium-ion battery installation.<ref name="NYT 2022-06-17">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Government
[edit]In the California State Legislature, Morro Bay is in Template:Representative, and in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United States House of Representatives, Morro Bay is in California's 24th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +4<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is represented by Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>
Notable people
[edit]- James Horvath, children's author and illustrator<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jack LaLanne, American fitness, exercise, nutritional expert and motivational speaker<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Jerome Long, NFL defensive lineman
- Kent Nagano, conductor and opera administrator, grew up in Morro Bay and graduated from Morro Bay High School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Mel Queen, professional baseball player, coach, scout and executive<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Gladys Walton, silent film actress<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In popular culture
[edit]- Morro Bay served as the primary setting for Pixar's 2016 film Finding Dory, in which it was revealed that Dory's childhood home was the Marine Life Institute, known as "The Jewel of Morro Bay, California".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The 2002 film Murder by Numbers was filmed on the Morro Bay Embarcadero, as well as in Los Osos and San Luis Obispo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The track scenes in the 1982 film Personal Best were filmed at Morro Bay High School, with other filming throughout San Luis Obispo County.
- Morro Bay provides the setting for episode five, season four of television drama series The Affair (2018).
- A fictionalized version of Morro Bay, known as Night City, serves as the main setting of the RPG series Cyberpunk.
- Paleto Bay, a community in the video game Grand Theft Auto V, was heavily based on Morro Bay.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
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Template:San Luis Obispo County, California Template:California Central Coast