Lagoon restoration project creates conflict between surfers, environmentalists, local residents
By: Marcus Sanders
Reposted from Surfline.com:
http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surf-and-the-malibu-lagoon-restoration-project_54876/
April 27, 2011
Malibu is one of the best summertime waves in Southern California and the birthplace of West Coast surf culture. Last October, it was designated as the country's first-ever World Surfing Reserve in a feel-good ceremony with smiling locals, a hand-holding paddle-out and a Chumash-inspired sage-smudging.
This summer's not shaping up to be so feel-good.
The Malibu Lagoon Restoration Project, slated to begin in June, has created a bitterly-divisive rift amongst surfers, other surfers, environmentalists, politicians, scientists, bird-watchers, wetland advocates, beachgoers and tourists.
In a nutshell, the project aims to drain, dredge and rebuild the western section of the Malibu Lagoon. Essentially a wetlands restoration project, it's also been called a fix-it to the 1983 project which cut out canals into the western part of the lagoon. Bulldozers will come in and excavate and grade close to 90,000 cubic yards of mud and wetland habitat, which will ideally serve to flush out nutrients and reduce pools of stagnant water.
This will also increase the amount of water in the lagoon (by 2 acre-feet, less than 5% of its total volume) and increase the salt marsh by four acres. The existing islands -- and the three wooden footbridges connecting them -- will all be destroyed, and the permanent path out along the edge of the wetland and behind the Colony houses will be maintained.
After over a decade of stakeholder-led meetings (including citizens), studies and environmental impact reports, the project was unanimously approved by the California Coastal Commission in October 2010. It was supported by myriad environmental organizations, including Heal the Bay, the Surfrider Foundation and Save the Waves, as well as the local surfing club, the Malibu Surfing Association.
But many local surfers (and some wetlands activists) aren't entirely stoked on the idea, thinking the project will affect the sand-flow and wave-shape at Surfrider Beach -- which has arguably gotten worse since the 1983 dredging project, as the creek outlet has drifted further east, pushing sand down towards the pier and away from the top of the point.
Longtime local ripper Andy Lyon has been the most vocal opponent, going as far as getting himself forcibly removed from a Malibu City Council meeting earlier this month for yelling that the plan would make the surf "Worse than it is now!" Lyon went on to yell, "I don't care if I'm off the record. I'm not going for City Council. I'm going to surf. Not you!"
"No scientific studies have been done to see what effect it's gonna have on the wave." --Malibu local, Andy Lyon
Lyon was removed from that meeting, but continues to push for a stop to the project. "This is like Trestles," he told Surfline, referring to the proposed 241 Toll Road Expansion that was successfully fought by surfers a couple years ago. "This is changing the face of Malibu forever. They haven't taken the wave into account; they're gonna change something and they don't know what they're doing."
Some surfers have argued that less water in the lagoon is better than more water. After the first rain of the year, when water comes rushing down Malibu creek into the lagoon, if the water levels are low, the water flow will be more focused, and will be propelled with explosive force through the sand berm, allowing sand and sediment from the lagoon to escape into the lineup and create a tight sandbar. If there is more water in the lagoon, they argue, the first rains won't have as explosive an impact and the water might just trickle over the berm, not bringing any sediment or sand. "If they make it bigger, there'll be more water," continues Lyon. "And when it goes out, it could take all the sand out to the end of the pier."
But not everyone's convinced the wave will be ruined. "We've looked at the EIR on the project and nothing we've seen would indicate any adverse effect on the break," explains Save the Waves' Executive Director Dean LaTourette. "In speaking to the locals, we know that there's an existing issue with where the Lagoon currently breaches into the ocean each season -- specifically down the point versus at the top. But this project wasn't ever designed to address that issue, nor do we see any evidence that it will affect that one way or the other."
But, as Lyon points out, "no scientific studies have been done to see what effect it's gonna have on the wave. And Surfrider was created right here!"
Indeed, the Surfrider Foundation was founded on issues surrounding Malibu back in 1984. And while this particular project was never really intended to address the wave here -- it's a wetlands/water quality project -- it's clear that some believe that wave quality should have been a part of the process all along. Chad Nelson, Surfrider's Environmental Director echoes LaTourette's point: "Will this wetland project impede the wetland's ability to breach to the west and screw up the wave? I'm not convinced that's the case -- nor is anyone else I can find. But we're digging deeper more closely right now." Nelson goes out to add that having the lagoon breach further west -- at the top of the point as it did pre-1983 -- does not seem to have any negative biological effects.
Surfrider just hired Dave Revell (geologist, surfer) and Bob Batallio (coastal engineer, surfer) from environmental consulting firm ESA & PWA to "take a closer look at how the Malibu Restoration Project may affect how the inlet breaches and the surf," Nelson says. "And to see if there's a solution that could help both protect the Adamson House and improve the surf by controlling where the breach occurs."
Longtime Malibu local Allen Sarlo agrees. "They need to make sure it stays open up top," he says. "That would solve so many problems."
Of course this is the 11th hour -- the project is slated to start in just over a month. Even if Surfrider finds it financially and environmentally beneficial to breach the lagoon at the top of the point, it's not clear that anything could be done. "They didn't seem adverse to doing that," says Nelson. "It's just a matter of compelling them to do it."
Sarlo -- who spent last Saturday protesting the lagoon on PCH with dozens of other surfers and wetland activists -- adds, "We're just asking that they wait till December to start the project. Then it wouldn't affect businesses, traffic -- and they'd get a chance to talk to local surfers who have years of experience here, like Andy Lyon and myself, about what we want and what's best for the wave. Let's try to make it better -- it would be great to see Third Point come back."
And while surfers have been vocal about this, it's the wetlands activists that have been most successful in their fight. They feel the bulldozers are unnecessary and will destroy an ecosystem that's just getting back to its feet. They have years of professional, science-based activism experience at their disposal as well, and recently filed an injunction against the California Coastal Commission which will be heard in San Francisco on May 9th. Barring an order from the governor, this day in court is the last chance for opponents to stop -- or slow down -- this project.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
San Onofre Ocean Energy Project
Learn more about the San Onofre Ocean Energy Project on Surfrider's Ocean Amps Blog:
http://oceanamps.blogspot.com/2011/02/san-onofre-ocean-energy-project.html
http://oceanamps.blogspot.com/2011/02/san-onofre-ocean-energy-project.html
Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Surfrider Long Beach Launches Letter Campaign For Army Corps Money
The Long Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has begun a letter-writing campaign to convince the government to help pay for a study of the East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem — including the Long Beach Breakwater. Read more here in the Gazette:
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Southern California - Chapter News - April 2011
The cities of Santa Barbara and Long Beach are one step closer to banning the bag! Both cities have directed city staff to draft ordinances, which are expected to go before council for a final vote in the coming months. Tell Santa Barbara to ban the bag!
Plastic: The Real Sea Monster program will continue to visit preschools and K-12 programs throughout the year to educate kids and families of the dangers that single use plastics pose to our marine environment. The West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter has also teamed up with The Children's Nature Institute (CNI) of Los Angeles for a year long residency. CNI, which is located close to downtown LA is providing space and support for the creation of five wearable plastic sea monster costumes to be used at various events, rallies and campaigns. The five costumes will be named after the five great garbage patches in our oceans. The "The North Pacific Monster" was begun at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum in the North American Mammal Hall as a part of the Museum's World Water Day in March.
The West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter's Rise Above Plastics' Make A Bag station has already made numerous appearances at chapter events. They transform old T-shirts and tank tops into re-usable bags and silkscreened them with the RAP and Ban the Bag logos. View their “How To” instructional video on Facebook.
Huntington Beach / Seal Beach Chapter activist Andre Faubert wanted to show his love for the ocean and give back to the thing he holds dear to his heart. Simply named "The 30/30 Experiment", his goal was to pick up plastic debris along his local beach for 1 hour a day over 30 days. By day 28, Andre had collected a total weight of 537.3 lbs - an average of 19.2 lbs of trash per day! Activist Sarah Bayles is going for 365 non-consecutive days of collecting beach trash in Santa Monica. She has 160 more days to go. Follow Sarah’s blog "The Daily Ocean"
Raising Watershed Awareness was the goal of the Newport Beach Chapter's 4th Annual RockWater Relay Race from Mountain to Ocean. The winning team reveled in the glory of being the team who collected the most trash along the 28.9 mile course. Volunteer teams included Between Rock & Wet Place, RockHarbor Runners, and the Watershed Ducks. Many thanks to Hurley, Tattooed Steel, Cliff Bars, HDS water supplement and Cabo Chips.
Members of South Orange County Chapter's youth program traveled to Sacramento with Surfrider Global staff for Oceans Day 2011. They discussed the importance of marine protected areas, the need for legislation to reduce and stop pollution from plastic bags and polystrene, and a strong State Water Board Trash Policy. They also engaged state legislators regarding their support for marine animal and sustainable seafood legislation.
Rise Above Plastics in the San Diego Chapter had a busy Earth Month with a screening of 'Bag it' and several booth events in honor of Earth Day. They are also joining efforts with the Kids for Clean Water program to include plastic pollution in their presentations, and are developing a new presentation to college students in their SDSU club.
 |
| Ban the Plastic Bag in Long Beach! |
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| Ban the Bag - Santa Barbara |
Plastic: The Real Sea Monster program will continue to visit preschools and K-12 programs throughout the year to educate kids and families of the dangers that single use plastics pose to our marine environment. The West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter has also teamed up with The Children's Nature Institute (CNI) of Los Angeles for a year long residency. CNI, which is located close to downtown LA is providing space and support for the creation of five wearable plastic sea monster costumes to be used at various events, rallies and campaigns. The five costumes will be named after the five great garbage patches in our oceans. The "The North Pacific Monster" was begun at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum in the North American Mammal Hall as a part of the Museum's World Water Day in March.
 |
| Plastic: The Real Sea Monster at the Natural History Museum |
 |
| Kids love Sea Monsters, Moms love the message |
The West Los Angeles / Malibu Chapter's Rise Above Plastics' Make A Bag station has already made numerous appearances at chapter events. They transform old T-shirts and tank tops into re-usable bags and silkscreened them with the RAP and Ban the Bag logos. View their “How To” instructional video on Facebook.
Huntington Beach / Seal Beach Chapter activist Andre Faubert wanted to show his love for the ocean and give back to the thing he holds dear to his heart. Simply named "The 30/30 Experiment", his goal was to pick up plastic debris along his local beach for 1 hour a day over 30 days. By day 28, Andre had collected a total weight of 537.3 lbs - an average of 19.2 lbs of trash per day! Activist Sarah Bayles is going for 365 non-consecutive days of collecting beach trash in Santa Monica. She has 160 more days to go. Follow Sarah’s blog "The Daily Ocean"
 |
| Huntington/Seal Beach activist Andre Faubert |
Raising Watershed Awareness was the goal of the Newport Beach Chapter's 4th Annual RockWater Relay Race from Mountain to Ocean. The winning team reveled in the glory of being the team who collected the most trash along the 28.9 mile course. Volunteer teams included Between Rock & Wet Place, RockHarbor Runners, and the Watershed Ducks. Many thanks to Hurley, Tattooed Steel, Cliff Bars, HDS water supplement and Cabo Chips.
 |
| The Watershed Ducks go for the "best dressed" award |
Members of South Orange County Chapter's youth program traveled to Sacramento with Surfrider Global staff for Oceans Day 2011. They discussed the importance of marine protected areas, the need for legislation to reduce and stop pollution from plastic bags and polystrene, and a strong State Water Board Trash Policy. They also engaged state legislators regarding their support for marine animal and sustainable seafood legislation.
Rise Above Plastics in the San Diego Chapter had a busy Earth Month with a screening of 'Bag it' and several booth events in honor of Earth Day. They are also joining efforts with the Kids for Clean Water program to include plastic pollution in their presentations, and are developing a new presentation to college students in their SDSU club.
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