The study will focus primarily on restoring the aquatic ecosystem. Officials will conduct engineering analysis that will include coastal engineering, as well as geotechnical engineering design of any alternative affecting the Long Beach Breakwater, including wave modeling to assess surface wave effects on infrastructure, navigation and recreation, and circulation modeling that will show movement of water within the East San Pedro Bay. The expert evaluations will shed light on opportunities for kelp, eelgrass, and wetlands restoration within the East San Pedro Bay.
“Improving our ecosystem and coastal experience is a win for residents and visitors and will be a boost to the Long Beach economy,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said. “This is an opportunity to transform our beaches and our city, and I want to thank the Army Corps for their support of moving forward.”
Maj. Gen. Ed Jackson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, called it a unique opportunity and challenge “to investigate together how we can best restore a Southern California coastal marine environment located in a heavily urbanized location, near one of the world’s largest port complexes, at the mouth of one of the nation’s most altered rivers, the Los Angeles River.”
The City of Long Beach and Army Corps have committed to mitigating any impacts to the capacity for maritime operations within the project area and not tolerate negative impacts to coastal homes and infrastructure, according to city officials.
“I am thrilled that some of the brightest minds in aquatic ecosystem restoration will be focused on Long Beach,” said Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal. “The prospect of continuing to improve our most precious natural habitats, and by extension, the essential Long Beach experience, is very exciting.”
The signing enables the Army Corps to accept local funding to begin the study, at a cost of $3 million that will be shared between the City and the Army Corps. Ecosystem restoration is one of the primary missions of the Army Corps. “This phase of the process begins the long awaited study that will ultimately answer many questions regarding the feasibility of modifying the breakwater as it is currently configured,” said 3rd District Councilmember Suzie Price. “For the residents of my district, ensuring a process that allows for public input and the consideration of the various factors impacting this area will be critical. I am committed to being fully engaged with our community as we move through this process.”
Since 2007, the City’s effort to study the East San Pedro Bay ecosystem has involved significant public outreach and involvement, and that will continue, city officials said.
Initial community meetings will begin in the next few months. The first order of business will be to develop potential study alternatives with which to evaluate using the Corps’ Cost Effectiveness and Incremental Cost Share Analyses model. The study is expected to take three years to complete. To get involved, residents can sign up for updates at longbeach.gov/ linkLB by looking for “Bay Ecosystem Study.”
