Cuyamaca, California

Cuyamaca (Kumeyaay: 'Ekwiiyemak^[1]) is a region of eastern San Diego County. It lies east of the Capitan Grande Indian Reservation in the western Laguna Mountains, north of Descanso and south of Julian. Named for the 1845 Rancho Cuyamaca Mexican land grant, the region is now dominated by the 26,000 acres (105.2 km²) Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Within the park is the prominent Cuyamaca Peak, the second-highest mountain in San Diego County at 6,512 feet (1,984.9 m). In 1889 Cuyamaca Dam was completed, creating Cuyamaca Reservoir. A wooden flume, now long gone, was constructed to carry water west toward San Diego. Before the Cedar Fire of 2003 the community of Cuyamaca consisted of approximately 145 homes on a mountain (North Peak) north of the reservoir.

The name is a Spanish corruption of the Kumeyaay phrase "'Ekwiiyemak", which means, according to Margaret Langdon's translation, "Behind the clouds".^[2] It has also been translated as "the place where it rains", a reference to the region's higher average precipitation than San Diego County's low coastal areas. Cuyamaca is a popular toponym lending its name to streets, businesses and a community college in the San Diego area.

Cedar Fire

Main article: Cedar Fire

On October 27 and 28th, 2003 most of the Cuyamaca region was consumed by the Cedar Fire. Nearly 25,000 acres (101.2 km²) in the state park and 120 homes in the community of Cuyamaca were incinerated. The historic Dyer Ranch house in the center of the state park, which functioned as a museum and the park headquarters, was also destroyed.^[3]

References

1. ^ Ted Couro and Christina Hutcheson (1973), Dictionary of Mesa Grande Diegueño, Malki Museum Press, Morongo Indian Reservation, Banning, California 
2. ^ Erwin G. Gudde (author) and William Bright (Revised by) (1998 (1949)), California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names (4 ed.), University of California Press .
3. ^ "California wildfires burn through 600,000 acres", CNN, October 29, 2003, retrieved August 30, 2007

External links

• Photo of Lake Cuyamaca

Coordinates: 32°56′46″N 116°34′34″W / 32.94611°N 116.57611°W / 32.94611; -116.57611