http://marinedebrisblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/a8-anchorage/

Cleaning up the A-8 in San Diego Bay
October 24, 2013 by NOAA Marine Debris Program

By: Sherry Lippiatt

We’re all familiar with the saying “everything but the kitchen sink.” 
Well, at an old vessel anchorage site in the middle of San Diego Bay, 
where the Port of San Diego is wrapping up a major marine debris removal 
project, they’re going to have to get a little bit more creative. Since 
2008, the Port has pulled out of the water everything from entire 
vessels and other boat parts to a bathtub, washing machine, and yes, 
even the proverbial kitchen sink.

 From the 1980s until October 2008, A-8 was a free anchorage site in San 
Diego Harbor that accommodated up to 150 vessels (see the map). Over 
time, the combined forces of inclement weather, improper maintenance, 
and general human neglect led to a number of sunken vessels and the loss 
of other debris. Even so, the Port continues to be surprised by the 
sheer amount and types of debris that they’ve found here.

Through our Community-based Marine Debris Removal grant program, the 
NOAA Marine Debris Program provided funding for the first two phases of 
the San Diego Bay project in 2008 and 2010, where nearly 340 metric tons 
of debris were removed from the A-8 site and surrounding shorelines. A 
2011 side scan sonar survey of the area showed that a significant number 
of large debris items remained scattered in a 350 acre area surrounding 
the old A-8 Anchorage. In 2012, the MDP awarded additional funding for 
the third and final phase of the project.