MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA

Transcription

1 MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA SHORELINE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP The Shoreline Preservation Working Group may take action on any item appearing on this agenda. Thursday, December 1, :30 a.m. 1 p.m. SANDAG, 7th Floor Conference Room 401 B Street, Suite 800 San Diego, CA Staff Contact: Shelby Tucker (619) stu@sandag.org SANDAG offices are accessible by public transit. Phone COMMUTE or see for route information. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), SANDAG will accommodate persons who require assistance in order to participate in SANDAG meetings. If such assistance is required, please contact SANDAG at (619) at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. To request this document or related reports in an alternative format, please call (619) , (619) (TTY), or fax (619)

2 SHORELINE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP Thursday, December 1, 2005 ITEM # RECOMMENDATION 1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS/COMMUNICATIONS COMMENTS Members of the public will have the opportunity to address the Shoreline Preservation Working Group during this time. +3. SUMMARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 MEETING APPROVE The September 1, 2005 meeting summary is enclosed. The SPWG should review and approve. +4. LIDAR MONITORING OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTLINE INFORMATION Scott Ashford from the University of California, San Diego will report on their research study, which uses Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to measure seacliff erosion. 5. ENCINITAS AND SOLANA BEACH SHORELINE FEASIBILITY STUDY INFORMATION Robert Blasberg from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide the Working Group with an update on the Encinitas and Solana Beach Feasibility Study (Study). The Study will investigate alternatives to reduce the coastal bluff erosion that occurs during severe winter wave climate along the shoreline within the cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach. 6. SAND COMPATIBILITY AND OPPORTUNISTIC USE PROGRAM (SCOUP) INFORMATION Chris Webb from Moffatt and Nichol will provide a status report on the SCOUP project and the preparation of the additional environmental document. 7. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE INFORMATION Steve Aceti from CalCoast will discuss the Headwaters to Oceans (H2O) Conference, legislation being pursued in 2006, and the Sacramento Symposium in April ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING INFORMATION The next SPWG meeting will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2006 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. +next to an agenda item indicates an attachment 2

3 San Diego Association of Governments SHORELINE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP December 1, 2005 AGENDA ITEM NO.: 3 Action Requested: APPROVE SUMMARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 MEETING File Number Members in Attendance Councilmember James Bond, City of Encinitas, Vice-Chair Councilmember Carrie Downey, City of Coronado Councilmember Jerry Finnell, City of Del Mar Councilmember Jim Janney, City of Imperial Beach Councilmember Joe Kellejian, City of Solana Beach (alternate) Advisory Members in Attendance August Felando, California Lobster & Trap Fisherman s Association Robert Hoffman, NMFS Mitch Purdue, U.S. Navy Natural Resources Marilyn Fluharty, California Department of Fish and Game Dedi Ridenour, Sierra Club Staff Working Group Ray Duncan, City of Oceanside Steven Jantz, City of Carlsbad Danny L. Schrotberger, City of San Diego John C. Swanson, City of Coronado Steven Apple, City of Solana Beach Brian Leslie, City of Encinitas Greg Wade, City of Imperial Beach Others Chris Webb, Moffatt & Nichol Dick Erhardt, City of Carlsbad Barry J. Snyder, AMEC Susan Steele, Seacoast Preservation Assn. Steve Aceti, CalCoast Kelly Laryie, California Geological Survey Clif Davenport, Coastal Sediment Management Workshop/ DBW Lawrence Honm, Merkel & Associates Tyler Huff, AMEC Bob Guta, Scripps Institute Dick Seymour, SIO Randy Kinghorn, SDSU Heather Schlosser, Army Corps of Engineers Julie Thomas, Scripps Institution Josh Schiffer, SANDAG Shelby Tucker, SANDAG Rob Rundle, SANDAG 3

4 1. Welcome and Introductions Vice Chair James Bond called the meeting to order. SPWG members and others provided self introductions. 2. Public Comments/ Communications James Bond announced that the Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study EIR for the Solana Beach/Encinitas sand replenishment and notch-fill joint project was completed. The notch-fill is a concrete material that will stabilize the deteriorated bluffs and will erode at the same rate as natural bluff. Sand dredged from offshore will also be placed on the eroded beaches, with re-nourishment occurring every five years. The latest information on the project can be found on Encinitas website 3. Consent Items Mr. Bond made a motion, which was seconded, to approve the consent calendar. The SPWG unanimously approved it. 4. Regional Beach Sand Project Shoreline Monitoring Results Greg Hearon, Coastal Frontiers, reported the results of the fourth and final year of monitoring since the Regional Beach Sand Project (RBSP) was completed. The monitoring report is available on SANDAG s Web site. Mr. Hearon announced that the beaches have greatly benefited from the RBSP over the fouryear period; with many cells showing greater beach width and sand volume now than before the RBSP. Oceanside and Mission Beach cells showed several areas of gains in beach width and sand volume, while Silver Strand did not fair as well. Mr. Hearon reported on the impact that RBSP material had on lagoon entrance openings. Agua Hedianda, Batiquitos, and Los Penasquitos lagoon entrances were open at a rate comparable to that of the historical average. San Elijo lagoon actually had an increase in openings, and San Diegito lagoon had a decrease. Mr. Hearon concluded that the beach condition is greatly improved and the lagoon entrance conditions varied. However, all impacts were modest and short lived. Lessons learned from the monitoring are: larger fills tended to last longer than smaller fills; coarse grain fills lasted longer than fine grain fill; and fills have regional benefits, as the sand disperses to improve down-coast beaches. SANDAG elected to continue with the monitoring program, however, Coastal Frontiers has been asked to find ways to reduce the program and still allow for meaningful monitoring. Coastal Frontiers is going to reduce the number of transects from 47 to 38, omit one of the aerial photo over-flights, cut back on the lagoon entrance component, and rely more on monthly inspections and ground photographs when monitoring. In addition, they will no longer take an in-depth look at each individual receiver site and instead focus more on a regional perspective. While the RBSP was a great success, its benefits will come to an end, and we have to find additional ways to put sand on the beaches. 4

5 Robert Hoffman was concerned that the RBSP material would have affected the lagoon openings more seriously if it was not for the power plant that increased its dredging to clear the extra sand from the RBSP. Mr. Hearon responded by saying that in the entrance channel itself, the elevation has not changed, and in fact, pre-rbsp power plant dredging rates during were actually a little higher than the post RBSP rates on a volume basis. Robert Hoffman followed up his comment by stating that there is more sand passing in front of the lagoons and being sucked into them, hence the maintenance burden is increased. 5. Regional Beach Sand Project Biological Monitoring Results Lawrence Honma from AMEC Earth and Environmental reported on the effects that sand movement had on nearshore resources since the RBSP was completed. The report will be available on the SANDAG Web site. Modeling has shown that the environmental impacts on sensitive marine resources in the vicinity of the receiver sites would be short term and reversible. However, the resource agency was still concerned and required the development of a monitoring plan that would determine where the sand would go and its potential effects on the marine environment. Mr. Honma reported that the nearshore fringe is a rocky habitat, with a lot of scouring and does not support a lot of perennial species. Further offshore, where there is less scouring, the reefs support a lot of indicator species. These reefs are protected by sand channels of up to six feet, which provide avenues for sediment to travel offshore without burying the reef. If sedimentation is increased, there may be a potential impact to these kelp forests, therefore monitoring was important to see how increased sand on the beach would impact the nearshore environment. In the biological monitoring, there are 36 monitoring locations that were established prior to construction. These sites are sampled twice a year, and AMEC looks at changes before the project to see if the RBSP affected it. Only three of the locations had increased sedimentation that may be attributed to the RBSP; one off Carlsbad, one off Bataquitos, and one off Solana Beach. It was difficult to come up with causal relationship between the effects that we saw and the RBSP. Although there was some short-term increases in sedimentation at some of these locations, there was no indication of impacts by sedimentation, and thus, we concluded that there were no apparent long-term effects caused by the RBSP. 6. Southern California Beach Processes Study Dr. Guza from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography presented two ongoing programs at Scripps that are relevant to the SPWG; the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) and the Southern California Beach Processes Study (SCBPS). CDIP studies waves in order to understand the nearshore waves climatology. The program has 27 operational stations, each consisting of a wave buoy that reports wave height and direction. The station data is used to give regional wave coverage and forecasts. The program started in 1975, and all the data has been archived and is available on the Web. 5

6 One objective of wave forecasting is tracking the movement of sand. SCBPS is monitoring and modeling beach erosion, which provides the knowledge base for more effective local and regional beach management. SCBPS measures beach width and volume changes semiannually from Long Beach to the Mexican Border with an airborne GPS system and monitors small, focused regions monthly with ground-based methods. By flying planes up and down the coast, Scripps makes a map of the sand level at low tide. With this technology we can measure everything instead of having to select a place that you think has erosion, and you can measure the sand s variability over time at different beaches. Dr. Guza would like to continue these surveys, which are funded by the Army Corps of Engineers, and he would like to consolidate all beach sand level data onto one user-friendly Web site. It is important to continue these surveys because it gives us information on existing beach conditions prior to any future sand nourishment project. 7. Legislative Update Steve Aceti, CalCoast, discussed the status of SB 658 and SB 153. SB 658, a CalCoast-sponsored bill, passed in the Senate and is on the assembly floor. It would give a coastal county the option to add a motor vehicle fee of up to $6 per vehicle to be used for coastal study projects. SB 153 has gotten held up in the assembly for unknown reasons and will not move in this session. They will make a push next session; they need coastal Republicans to help pass the two-thirds vote threshold. Rob Rundle added that in August, the SANDAG Executive Committee submitted a letter against SB 153, which was attached to the agenda. The board wrote against it on the grounds that there was no funding in it specifically for beach nourishment, and in addition, the earmark of $10 million for the San Diego River Conservancy was disproportionately small when compared with other conservancies throughout the state. 8. Update on SCOUP The pilot project in Oceanside had a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document released for public review about a week ago. After the public review period, the document will be finalized, and Oceanside will secure permits. Prior to this meeting, the Cities of Coronado, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, and Solana Beach held a kick off meeting with Chris Webb from Moffatt & Nichol to discuss the additional environmental document that will completed. This additional environmental document will allow the cities of Coronado, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, and Solana Beach to obtain permits for programs similar to the SCOUP in their jurisdictions. The Department of Boating and Waterways will contribute $20,000 toward this second document. 9. Adjournment Meeting was adjourned at 1:05 p.m. The next SPWG meeting will be held on December 1st from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 6

7 San Diego Association of Governments SHORELINE PRESERVATION WORKING GROUP December 1, 2005 AGENDA ITEM NO.: 4 Action Requested: INFORMATION LIDAR MONITORING OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTLINE File Number Attachment related to this item includes: Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) Fact Sheet 7

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