Tuesday, July 23, 2013

EPA implements new water quality regulations for Malibu Watershed



Malibu Creek and Lagoon in 2007
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2013 6:45 am
By Colin Newton / Special to The Malibu Times | 1 comment
The Environmental Protection Agency established new regulations for the Malibu Watershed earlier this month.
The EPA listed Malibu Creek and Lagoon as impaired, and identified some sediments, nutrients, including phosphorous and nitrogen, as pollutants.
According to the EPA, the extra sediments and nutrients can have an adverse affect on microscopic organisms, which can negatively impact animals that feed on them, such as clams and shellfish, in the watershed.
“It’s part of the food web,” said Dennis Washburn, chairman of the Malibu Creek Watershed Council. “The system can collapse from the bottom up.”
The goal of the regulations is to control nutrients and sediments at Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon by establishing the “Total Maximum Daily Loads” (TMDLs) of pollutants the water body can receive.
“It’s a calculation of how much trash a particular water body can stand,” Washburn said.
It is currently unknown how this will change the way Malibu approaches water management projects, City Manager Jim Thorsen said.
City hall was still reviewing the new regulations, he said.
The EPA also finalized a plan for the Ventura River Estuary and Tributaries, which addresses TMDLs in Ventura and their impact on algae.
The regulations conclude a 14-year effort with the State of California to establish TMDLs for water bodies in the Los Angeles region.
To read the EPA's full report, visit here

Friday, July 19, 2013

Damn the Dam!


A watershed of information concerning the details over the Rindge Dam Removal are soon to take shape.

Below is an article published in April by Westlake Malibu Lifestyle Magazine providing a brief history of the Malibu Creek Watershed.






Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Very First Creek Obstructionist





Mr Rindge spoke with poetic fondness of fishing for his beloved trout in the upper reaches of the Malibu Creek before his wife persuaded him to construct a dam to hold water for their cattle in anticipation of prolonged droughts. Of the 109 miles of the Malibu creek watershed, the Steelhead had 70 miles of suitable habitat for spawning. Since 1926 the Steelhead habitat has been reduced to just 2 miles. Although much of the upper watershed has been degraded with development, removing the dam opens up miles and miles of prime spawning ecosystems through to Malibu Creek State Park with its deep cool pools that once held the largest steelhead.

As the plan for the dams removal draws near, criticism has grown over the cost of restoring the creeks fish habitat. A local newspaper reported that some city council members do not trust the State to improve its own  state controlled waterway. But if the state does not jump in, no other entity can manage or take responsibility  for repairing the obstructed waterway, ( certainly not the city of Malibu ). Due to a vocal minority, local mob that shouted down council members over the Malibu Lagoon Restoration Project, the Malibu City council changed their support of the Restoration to opposing it even though the City council had zero jurisdiction over State Land. Again it appears that the council may bow to a few local interest groups who do not understand the importance of allowing the sediment locked up behind the dam to flow down the creek to replenish our beaches that are suffering from sediment deficiencies. Broad Beach and its $20 million sand replenishment project is just one example of beach front houses being threatened from a lack beach replenishment. If money is not spent  removing useless concrete barriers in our watersheds it will be used for damages resulting in coastal erosion. 
  
If the city council is figuring it can count on surfers to oppose the dams removal like the Lagoon project they are mistaken. Surfers up and down the coast realize the importance of sediment flows out to the surf zones and will feverishly support the dams removal.

            

Monday, July 8, 2013

Prevailing Wind Circulation Creates Upwelling


State Showers Surfers with a Stainless Steal Gift!

Here is a picture of the first Surfer getting a rinse from the newly installed shower at the Malibu  Lagoon parking lot. The old shower was donated by the Malibu Surfing Association and Santa Monica Bay Keeper which was vandalized many times and out of use for the last year. State Parks put this shower in for Surfers to use but does not have the budget to maintain it should it continue to be vandalized. Visitors  have also been stealing sprinkler heads along the path to third point. A warning to those in the area that are suspected of vandalizing state property that fines and punishment can be tough if convicted. 



 

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Clean Water Advocate's Rebuttal to Andy Lyon's Claims

The article below is a rebuttal by Bob Purvey of ECOMALIBU to a recent Malibu Times OP ED article submitted by vocal Lagoon Restoration opponent Andy Lyon.



By Bob Purvey

As always, Mr. Lyon is wrong about the lagoon restoration. He has again misinterpreted, and then misrepresented the facts in his recent Op-Ed piece.
Here are the facts:
Lyon issue #1: No Hydrology studies
No project of this size and importance could be designed and implemented without extensive hydrological studies. The studies included detailed modeling of the circulation, both an open and closed condition, to evaluate different channel configurations and how they would perform. These studies were the basis for the precision design of the newly restored Malibu Lagoon. The tides reach the exact elevations as marked on the islands and winter ramp. The wind now circulates the water throughout the entire lagoon, including the area formerly known as the “dead-zone.” Thus far, the lagoon is performing better than expected. Tidal circulation has dramatically increased during an open condition, and wind driven circulation is vastly improved during closed conditions. This is exactly what the hydrologists, engineers and project proponents said would occur. Now, the lagoon fish and wildlife are truly thriving and willcontinue to improve as this restoration matures.
Lyon issue #2: Algae paddy going from bank to bank
Interesting how the picture I took this morning of the same place in your picture doesn’t show the same amount of algae one day later... I wonder why? Yes, algae is in the Lagoon, as well as Malibu Creek and throughout the watershed. This lagoon restoration was intended to clean out pollutants and restore the circulation within the western channels that are sandwiched in by ten neighboring Colony residences, the Perrenchio golf course, PCH and the adjacent Cross Creek shopping malls. It was never intended to eliminate algae because of the significant up-stream influence of nutrient rich creek water circulating through the lagoon. There are major sources of nutrients upstream and adjacent to the lagoon that cause algal blooms. As these sources of nutrients are reduced by implementing water quality laws that prevent the nutrient issues, the quality of the lagoon will continue to improve. Nonetheless, algae is a natural occurrence in a functioning lagoon system. There will always be algae in the lagoon. The improved circulation will now prevent an inordinate accumulation of decomposing algae on the bottom that robs dissolved oxygen from the water. The wind driven circulation in the newly restored lagoon will oxygenate the water and will protect against the extremely low levels of dissolved oxygen that prevented fish and other aquatic wildlife from fully thriving. But let’s be clear, algae is a food source for certain species of fish and birds, which are important to the natural lagoon (estuary) system.
Lyon issue # 3: Rindge Dam no hydrology studies and 150 million dollars
As always, any project that impacts or changes hydrology will be meticulously studied. The Rindge Dam study has been ongoing for more than 10 years. Millions of dollars have been spent studying the hydrology, sediment regime, flood protection, wildlife habitat, and improved beach sand replenishment associated with the dam removal. No price tag has been stated for the removal of Rindge Dam nor has the method by which the dam might be removed been decided upon, however nothing even close to 150 million has ever been mentioned within the community of long-term environmentalist.
Andy, facts are facts.




Comments ?


Matt Horns posted at 1:56 am on Thu, Jul 4, 2013.

Posts: 166
Malibu Lagoon is one of three coastal wetlands in Los Angeles County (the others are Los Angeles River's and Ballona Creek's estuaries) that support thriving populations of striped mullet. Striped mullet feed on dead decayed algae and diatoms that have sunk to the bottom. They keep the bottom of the lagoon clean. That enhances dissolved oxygen levels in the substrate. This improves habitat for tidewater gobies and dozens if other imperilled native aquatic species. Striped mullets' habitat in Malibu Lagoon has been hugely expanded by the recent lagoon restoration project. This allows the "Newly Restored and Enhanced" west channels to once again support a thriving native ecosystem for the first time in almost 100 years.


stevewoodzy@aol.com
7:03 PM (14 hours ago)

to BobPurvey
Absolutely , we would be honored to post your suggestion ,, really well done ,, we have other pics too ,, just have not had the time . but will soon as possible