(June 27, 2019, 4:55 p.m.) -- A statement obtained by LBREPORT.com from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers L.A. District indicates that while it has made no final decisions regarding the viability of alternatives to modify the LB Breakwater, it has found BOTH of the two potential modifications studied thus far -- removing about a third of its eastern portion (offer the greater amount of wave activity) and creating two 1,000 foot notches in the Breakwater's western portion (offering lesser wave/tidal activity) -- would "significantly reduce" the Navy's operational capacity [at nearby Seal Beach weapons station] and other unspecified "maritime operations."

COE's statement says the agency doesn't anticipate conducting additional analysis of the eastern breakwater removal plan BUT says the City "has requested to conduct its own additional analysis" of the western notching alternative "to further study the potential impacts of this plan, possibly including feasible mitigation measures to reduce impacts." COE's statement says it supports "the City's decision to conduct further analysis of the Western notching alternative."

But what decision by the City? By whom? When? City management has no policy setting authority. Nor does Mayor Garcia. Further City study of the lesser western notching alternatives would involve City costs. How much? For the past half year, neither city management nor the Mayor have brought the issue to LB's policy setting City Council for public discussion culminating with a publicly recorded vote. And the Corps has offered no guarantee(s) that it would approve the result a City-paid study on "mitigation measures" to further reduce impacts of the notching alternative.

In a June 20, 2019 non-agendized memo to the Mayor and Council, City Manager Pat West said the City and Corps are "currently collaborating on a potential expanded scope of study" beyond the Corps' current "ecosystem restoration" guidelines. The City is requesting "additional studies of the western breakwater alternative to address local interests in ecosystem health, water quality improvements, and the recreational values of the city's beaches." The memo said the City is requesting that the Corps "share models and data compiled for this study."

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LBRPEORT.com has learned that representatives of the City and the Corps held multiple discussions between October 2018 and early January 2019. LBREPORT.com has learned that those discussions culminated in an Executive Level meeting on January 9, 2019 [we're working to learn participants] in which a representative of the City of LB conveyed to the Corps that the City wishes to pursue the western notching alternative (which the Corps has indicated require mitigation measures of some type(s) to further reduce its impacts.)

A few days later, Mayor Garcia delivered his 2019 State of the City message touting a forthcoming decision on the Breakwater without mentioning that the Corps had told the City days earlier that it considered both Breakwater modification plans not viable, with only a possibility (no guarantee) that it would consider an analysis if prepared (at City cost) on possible "mitigation measures" to further reduce the impacts of the western notching alternative.

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Corps of Engineers documents had previously indicated the following:

The four graphics, left to right, row to row, show the approximate number of days with wave heights greater than 1 ft, 2 ft, 3ft and 5 ft.

The four graphics, left to right, row to row, show the approximate number of days with wave heights greater than 1 ft, 2 ft, 3ft and 5 ft.

The four graphics, left to right, row to row, show the approximate number of days with wave heights greater than 1 ft, 2 ft, 3ft and 5 ft.

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On September 24, 2018, Mayor Robert Garcia held a press event with officials of the Corps of Engineers (LBREPORT.com coverage with VIDEO here) unveiling five possible East San Pedro bay "ecosystem restoration" measures, including the two possible Breakwater modifications (western notching and eastern portion removal.) .

Mayor Garcia described the two Breakwater modifying alternatives as follows:

• (1)Western Notching Alternative: Would create two 1,000 ft. notches in the western portion of the LB Breakwater; Mayor Garcia said preliminary wave modeling shows this alternative "would result in some increased swells that could impact the oil islands, Pier J as well as the Carnival Cruise terminal. However stones removed from the Long Beach Breakwater could be used to build mitigation measures, including protective structures along the oil islands, Pier J and open along the coast."

• (2)Eastern Removal Alternative: Would remove one third (24 acres) of the eastern end of the current LB Breakwater. Mayor Garcia said preliminary wave modeling indicates this would have impacts on LB's oil islands, possibly Belmont Pier and issues involving the Navy's use of its explosives anchorage in Seal Beach. The Mayor likewise said "we're looking at whether stones removed from the Long Beach breakwater could be used to build mitigation measures and this includes protective structures around the oil islands, the Belmont Pier, and of course we are working with our Navy partners." Mayor Garcia revealed that "just a few weeks ago, I met with the Navy and the top leadership...over here at the Navy base to discuss this measure and to work together in partnership as we move forward. Additionally, higher elevation near-shore rocky reefs will be added to mitigate the impacts to the Peninsula and to adjacent infrastructure."

Asked by LBREPORT.com at the time what alternative the Mayor would recommend, Mayor Garcia said:

Mayor Garcia: I've said from day-one as Mayor that I absolutely support this process, and that I believe that ecosystem restoration is critical to the future of this coastline and it's the right thing to do. As far as where we end, I think we've got to be very committed to the science telling us which of these alternatives are feasible, what the impacts are and then how we mitigate when there are impacts. Clearly, and I have said, I think that, I love the idea of going as far as we can with including all our mitigation but I think we want to make sure that those that are going to take over and do this environmental review have an opportunity to do so extensively and that we'll wait till we get the results and see what happens at that point.

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A little over a week later on Oct. 2., 2018, the Commanding Officer of the Navy's Seal Beach Weapons Station informed City of LB Public Works staff by letter that any modifications to the breakwater will impact the Navy's mission with increases in wave energy affecting vessel motion, increasing the risk to safety of personnel and damage to vessels and equipment which "would seriously impact the Navy's ability to respond during a time of national or international crisis."

In a three page letter dated Oct. 2, 2018 and directed to the City's Public Works Capital Project Coordinator Monica Der Gevorgian, the Commanding Officer of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, Captain N. J. Dahlke, wrote:

Any modifications to the breakwater will impact the Navy's mission due to the anticipated changes in wave energy and sea state. Potential alternatives would be cost-prohibitive and are unlikely to move forward due to public opposition. Impacts to operational readiness for response to national defense incidents cannot be quantified. The Navy must maintain year-round readiness and capability for ordinance and fuel transfer operations at the D8 explosives anchorage. Any modification to the breakwater would bring on increases in wave energy affecting vessel motion and increasing the risk to safety of personnel and damage to vessels and equipment. This unwanted effect would seriously impact the Navy's ability to respond during a time of national or international crisis.

Just days later on Oct. 5, 2018, Hurricane Sergio took an unexpected turn off Baja California, coinciding with a regular high tide (not a "King Tide") that resulted in overtopping the roughly 7 foot high protective sand berm along the Peninsula (with overtopping mainly eastward of 61st Place, most visible around 64th Place.) Oct.5, 2018 morning video includes on-scene comments of 3rd dist. Councilwoman Suzie Price, who urged those supporting the return of waves to see for themselves what happened. The evening high tide video at 64th Place shows the beach has basically disappeared, filled by the ocean, with waves overtopping the berm and knocking against, and in some spots penetrating, gaps in wood planks hurriedly installed with temporary struts while heavy equipment worked to bolster the sand berm.

(LBREPORT.com full coverage here.

Mayor Garcia campaigned for election in 2014, and has thereafter stated his commitment, to try to support measures to clean up frequently stagnant water along the city's shoreline and possibly reintroduce waves to draw more visitors and tourists to LB's beaches.

The LB Breakwater is a federally owned/operated property, originally built to protect U.S. Navy ships at LB 's former Naval Station and Naval Shipyard. It's still favored by Port of LB commercial interests as ensuring calm berthings and by property owners along LB's Peninsula, where homes that are among the costliest in Long Beach might otherwise be regularly flooded by storm surges.

As a federal asset, federal agencies (including the Corps of Engineers) ultimately decide what is or isn't done to the LB Breakwater, not the City of Long Beach.

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