[ad_1]
The city unveiled Monday six possible options to improve the ecosystem along the coast, two of which should include the removal of parts of the breakwater and the restoration of waves on the Long Beach coastline.
Designed by the US Corps of Engineers in collaboration with the city and other partners, the much-awaited San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Study offers six options for restoring and improving the coastline.
While local surf advocates have long insisted on demolishing the 2.2-mile breakwater, officials said on Monday that removing the entire wall "would not be possible".
"I am encouraged to see a range of alternatives that will restore the ecosystem, including two that include the reconfiguration of the breakwater," said Mayor Robert Garcia on Monday. "Science will drive the outcome of the study, but we are committed to protecting property and infrastructure."
Mayor Robert Garcia announces the six highly anticipated alternative projects that were drawn from the ecosystem restoration study of San Pedro Bay East at Bluff Park in Long Beach on September 24, 2018. Photo of Thomas R. Cordova.
In addition to modifying the breakwater, the six alternative variants include options such as the addition of physical structures, oyster beds, a sandbank, rocky reefs, wetlands and kelp beds at the bay.
David Van Dorpe, deputy chief engineer for the Los Angeles District Corps, said the study, commissioned in 2016, shows the different opportunities for restoring degraded ocean habitat.
The project will now move to the environmental review process, where the six alternatives will be analyzed for their environmental impact.
The first option, called the basic option, is to leave the zone as it is:
The second option involves the restoration of kelp beds, eel grass and rocky reefs. It would be the least expensive, in addition to leaving the area as it is:
The third option, a reef restoration alternative, would add rocky reefs to support habitat biodiversity:
Option four is much larger and would support restoration of kelp and reef with other features, including a 24-acre sandy island near the peninsula and two coastal wetlands. . This would include a 10-acre wetland near the Los Angeles River and a 42-acre wetland just outside Long Beach Harbor. The project would also include a small oyster farm near the Alamitos Bay Pier. Mayor Robert Garcia calls this option an "exciting alternative".
Option Five would include all ecological restoration measures and add two 1000-foot steps along the west breakwater potion. This would increase the swell that could affect the oil islands, Pier J and the Carnival Cruise Terminal, but stones removed from the breakwater could be used to build barriers:
The last option would be to remove 24 acres from the existing breakwater. The preliminary wave modeling shows that this would have a significant impact on the oil islands, Belmont Pier and even the naval activities at Seal Beach, but the stones removed from the breakwater could be used as barriers. The plan would include higher rocky reefs to protect the peninsula. It's the most important and expensive option, but it's something that "needs to be explored," Garcia said.
The draft alternatives and an updated study will be presented at a community meeting at 5:30 pm on October 10 at the Bixby Park Community Center, 130 Ave. Cherry.
The city is asking for public comment as the study enters the environmental review process. The study is expected to be completed early next year.
Visit here for more information.
Contact the author at [email protected]
Free news is not cheap.
were 9% how to reach the goal of today!
We believe everyone should have access to important local news for free.
However, keeping a local press organization like this – which is owned and operated independently here in Long Beach, without the support of any national company – is expensive.
If independent local news is important to you, consider supporting it with a monthly or one-time contribution. Read more.
[ad_2]
Source link
