(Jan. 27, 2010) -- 4th dist. Councilman Patrick O’Donnell has scheduled a public meeting -- titled "The State of the Long Beach Breakwater" -- on Feb. 8 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos area Ecco's Pizza, to [release text] "discuss the vision and next steps for Long Beach’s Breakwater Reconnaissance Study."
Photo source: City of LB
The event will include an update from city management's government affairs staff...and the event is free.
"This meeting is a great opportunity for the public to discuss the next steps in the City’s Breakwater Reconnaissance Study...I look forward to working with our Government Affairs team to update the public. With the recent congressional approval to fund the study, we are happy to be moving forward and want the public to be our partner in this effort," Councilman O'Donnell said in a release.
He added, "We now have the potential to take greater steps towards clean water and a restored shore. This about a better Long Beach."
A Jan. 19, 2010 tornado-warning magnitude storm (whose storm cell approach was first reported by LBReport.com) brought waves to the LB area not seen in decades, leading some to speculate on what reconfiguring the breakwater might bring. However, the level of breakwater reconfiguration discussed (at least thus far) by city officialdom has focused mainly on increasing tidal activity to periodically flush out pollutants, not necessarily bring back waves.
As previously reported on LBReport.com, the Port of LB's 1970s-80's era expansion of Pier J has been implicated by others as a major cause of quashing wave activity in LB. Older locals say the breakwater did indeed reduce wave activity but didn't completely kill it; they describe waves in LB after the breakwater was completed (until the Port completed Pier J).
Councilman O'Donnell's release says the breakwater is "one of one of three off-shore barriers that protect the Port of Long Beach. It served to safeguard the former Long Beach Naval Base, which closed in 1994. Residents, surfers and environmentalists have contended that reconfiguration of the breakwater could eliminate beach erosion and lead to improved tidal activity and water quality.
Councilman O'Donnell's "State of the Long Beach Breakwater" Public Meeting
Monday, Feb. 8, 2010- 7:00-8:30 pm
Ecco’s Pizza
2123 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA
