Heal the Bay Blog

Ruskin Hartley, Heal the Bay’s president, has found a reason to love an even rougher morning commute. 

It’s not often that a warning sign on my daily commute makes me happy. But this one did: In bold orange letters, it declared “Avoid PCH South of Temescal 2-5-14 to 4-15-15.” Anyone who knows the Pacific Coast Highway knows that is essentially impossible in Los Angeles. So why was I happy? Because this time, the big orange warning was a beacon of hope for the Bay.

A lot of construction is pretty mundane — filling pot holes or adding lanes so you can get to the next jam a little faster. This one, however, does something more important that will benefit millions every year. Let me explain.

Every day when I drive along the Bay there are a few places near the shoreline at creek and stormdrain outlets where water collects in the sand. Sometimes even at the end of summer these pools still lurk, rife with bacteria. One of these is right where Chautauqua Boulevard meets the Bay in Santa Monica Canyon. This stagnant pool is caused runoff from the canyon that has bypassed the current low-flow diversion. Upstream there are about 1,600 acres that drain to this one point. In a significant rainstorm the channel will breach the sandbar and flush a toxic soup of trash, bacteria and heavy metals into the Bay. But even in dry weather, without a properly maintained low-flow diversion this channel can seep the runoff from our daily lives — leaky pipes, irrigation water, washing your car – directly to the beach. All that water flows downstream, gathering nutrients and pollutants, until it hits the beach, resulting in a ponded area that attracts birds and other fecal bacteria sources. Authorities then advise everyone to keep away due to high bacteria levels. It’s a public health nuisance on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

Once this project is completed that stagnant pool will be history. The City of Los Angeles is about to embark on an $8 million, nine-month project to extend a 48-inch sewer line that that will divert all dry season runoff to the Hyperion treatment plant. Some of it will even be treated locally to provide irrigation water for the surrounding community. This is the next phase of the $20 million Coastal Interceptor Relief Sewer. When completed, it will help keep bacteria levels in Santa Monica Bay down and help protect your health every time you visit the beach.

For the past 29 years, Heal the Bay has been leading the charge to clean up this pollution by establishing strict pollution limits and by working with public agencies to secure the funding needed to upgrade our aging infrastructure. There’s much more work to be done, but this is an important next step.

I think a little traffic is a small price to pay to help protect the health of people who visit these beaches every year. I’ll report back next year and let you know how it worked.

So next time you’re stuck in traffic on PCH, remember that a healthier Bay is on its way…even if you’re not.

A day at the beach shouldn’t make you sick. It’s a core principle of Heal the Bay and many of our lawmakers deserve our gratitude for reminding others in Washington, D.C. of the importance of water quality testing. We especially want to thank Congressman Henry Waxman for his recent leadership and U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein for their support in the effort to reinstate funding for the BEACH Act grant program at the $9.8 million level. The program, run by the Environmental Protection Agency since its enactment in 2000, helps local governments pay for regular water-quality testing and  has tripled the number of beaches monitored for unsafe bacteria levels, now more than 3,600 locations. These funds are crucial to local communities’ ability to pay for consistent monitoring, a critical element for letting the public know when it’s safe to dive into our coastal waters.

Sarah Sikich, co-director of Heal the Bay’s science and policy department, celebrates a big win for the Santa Monica Mountains

In a unanimous decision, the California Coastal Commission approved the Santa Monica Mountains Land Use Plan at yesterday’s hearing in Santa Barbara. The Land Use Plan, created by the planning department of L.A. County and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’ s office, provides guidance for future development in a critical region of greater Los Angeles.

The plan, which had generated some controversy because of concerns from some landowners, ultimately protects scenic views, water quality, and wild lands in an area enveloped by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the largest urban national park in the U.S.

The Plan was endorsed by a wide group of supporters, including Heal the Bay, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, California Coastal Protection Network, Malibu Surfing Association, Mountains Restoration Trust, Surfrider Foundation, Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, and many residents and equestrian groups from the mountains. Some members of the equestrian community and vineyard developers opposed the plan, arguing that it put undue restrictions on their activities. Each side packed the hearing room, adorned in stickers and buttons showcasing their respective positions

The Land Use Plan outlines the future of the 52,000-acre Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone, a region characterized by steep rugged mountains and wildlife ranging from large mountain lions to federally threatened red-legged frogs. It’s also dotted by large estates, ranches, and pockets of communities. Some highlights of the Plan include stream and riparian habitat setback requirements for development, measures to prevent erosion of hillsides and streambanks, policies to prevent polluted runoff and habitat damage from agricultural use in the mountains, and a provision that does not allow for new vineyard development in the mountains.

The provision prohibiting new viticulture drew vocal opposition from some members of the wine community. But, the rugged character of these mountains isn’t compatible with vineyard development. Erosion from soils between rows planted on steep slopes clogs stream habitat upon which newts and frogs depend, and excessive nutrients and pesticide runoff from vineyards can foul water quality.

“You would not plant vineyards in Big Sur, and they shouldn’t be planted in the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Supervisor Yaroslavsky, putting the policy into perspective when he explained the vibrant life and scenic quality of these mountains, which draw in millions of visitors annually. The Plan also grants existing permitted vineyards to remain, and also allows for organic farming in specific regions of the mountains.

The Coastal Commission and Los Angeles County will now work on a parallel path to create the Local Implementation Plan, which determines specific measures to bring the Land Use Plan into effect. That framework is slated for Coastal Commission consideration in June.

Want to learn more about the beautiful Santa Monica Mountain ecoysystem? Join the Stream Team, our citizen scientist program!

With tax season upon us, it’s actually a good time to think inside the box. As April 15 approaches, ocean lovers throughout the state now have a chance to support their local beach when they file their returns.
 
By simply checking a box on your state tax return, you can make a one-time tax-deductible donation to the California Coastal Commission for any amount you choose.
 
Under the measure sponsored by Torrance-based Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, your contributions will support the Whale Tail Grants Program, doing an ocean of good for underserved kids, ocean-related museum exhibits, habitat cleanups and restoration projects.

So look sharp, feet-draggers: You’ve got a month to pinch those pennies for the Pacific!