Editor,
Recent studies by the California Fish & Wildlife Commission evaluated Laguna Beach as exceptional in the recovery of sea life. The South Coast Baseline Study found:
“Biodiversity, or richness in the variety of species, is higher in places that have had marine protection for a longer period of time, such as the Channel Islands, the report says. An exception to this was Laguna Beach, where a fishing ban was imposed five years ago. It was the only place during the five-year study where California tonguefish and barred sand bass were observed, the report says.”
Within Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for restoring sea life, “Both observers and the document agree that the California spiny lobster numbers are on the rise – it bounced back almost immediately after the protections went into place.”
In communities working together like Laguna Beach, MPAs yield exceptional results.
The remaining challenge is to complement efforts to further improve the ecology and restore local ocean water quality in the MPAs by reducing near-shore pollution from ocean discharges of urban runoff and secondary sewage disposal.
Sewage wastewater from Emerald Bay and Laguna Beach joins flows from Dana Point for processing at the Coastal Treatment Plant next to the Aliso golf course. Wastewater that does not receive advanced treatment for recycled water is sent to the Aliso Creek ocean outfall along with wastewater flows from inland south county cities.
The Aliso Creek ocean outfall, just 1.2 miles off of Laguna Beach, discharges 10 million gallons each day of treated secondary sewage or more than 3 billion gallons annually. Daily ocean upwelling and inshore currents flowing counter clockwise distribute 1 to 5 million gallons of urban runoff from Aliso Creek and the sewage plume up and down coast according to the “Bight ’13 Regional Monitoring Report” by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project.
Sustainable solutions to ocean pollution are operating in communities that care enough to invest in smart water measures. Orange County Sanitation District, for instance, treats 100 million gallons of wastewater each day to potable quality using fuel cell power supplied by biogas – a renewal source of “natural gas” from sewage.
An exceptional commitment to zero liquid discharges to Laguna’s ocean will help our marine life, and us, to thrive.
Mike Beanan is co-founder of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition and serves on the city’s Environmental & Sustainability Committee.
They’re historically called “Bugs” for a reason .
Where residence and visitors here in Southern California (4 years ago) could purchase a langostina for the already inflationary price of 20.00 each. Some entrepreneurs started exporting them to China for 50.00 apiece.
Who could compete with that?
Laws in Mexico prohibit catching of Lobsters by other than local residence.