See Detailed Text From Corps of Engrs Document Re Projected LB Infrastructure Impacts And Protective Measures Needed For Two Breakwater Reconfiguration Alternatives
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(Sept. 25, 2018, 8:40 a.m.) -- Below are salient portions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers document "DRAFT East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study" (dated Sept. 10, 2018.) It provides details on the five action alternatives regarding East San Pedro Bay, two of which include Breakwater reconfiguration alternatives, summarized by Mayor Robert Garcia at a press event yesterday (Sept. 24, VIDEO on LBREPORT.com here.)
The document includes details on COE-projected infrastructure impacts of notching the western portion or removing a third of the eastern portion of the LB Breakwater. It also lists the two Breakwater-reconfiguration proposals as less than "best buy" plans. LBREPORT.com has separately learned that although all the action alternatives involve some amount local "cost sharing" (local taxpayer funding), the Corps-designated "best buy" plans would be roughly 60% federal, 30% local taxpayer funded, while the Breakwater reconfiguration plans would require significantly higher local taxpayer funding, perhaps as high as 90% local.
The COE document was (to our knowledge) first published online on LAist this morning (Sept. 25) bylined to Adolfo Guzman-Lopez here The document includes federal boilerplate stating:
"All data contained herein is preliminary in nature and therefore subject to change. The data is for general information purposes ONLY and SHALL NOT be used in technical applications such as, but not limited to, studies or designs. All critical data should be obtained from and verified by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The United States Government assumes no liability for the completeness or accuracy of the data contained herein and any use of such data inconsistent with this disclaimer shall be solely at the risk of the user.
Below are salient portions:
[Scroll down for further.]
The six plans in the draft final array of alternatives are as follows and all but Alternative 1 are described on the following pages, and are subject to change in the Draft IFR/EIS-EIR:
Alternative 1: No Action Alternative [without project conditon]
Alternative 2: Kelp Restoration Plan (Best Buy Plan 2)
Alternative 4: Reef Restoration Plan (Best Buy Plan 4)
Alternative 9: Scarce Habitat Restoration Plan (Best Buy Plan 9)
Alternative BW1: Breakwater Western Notching Plan
Alternative BW2: Breakwater Eastern Removal Plan
...Breakwater Western Notching Plan + Best Buy Plan 2 (Modified)
The Breakwater Western Notching Plan (Alternative BW1) includes all of the ecosystem restoration measures specified for Alternative 2 along with the following additional measures:
BREAKWATER MODIFICATION
Under this plan, two 1,000 foot notches on the western portion of the existing Long Beach Breakwater would be created. Stones removed from the breakwater would be reused to build protective structures around the Oil Islands, Pier J structures, and the parking lot near Junipero Beach. Stones would be removed by crane, cleaned, and transported by barge to serve as protective measures for the oil islands.
The remaining sand and clay core material would remain in place to be naturally transported or dredged
and utilized as fill material.
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Under this alternative, protective measures would be needed to limit the impacts from increased wave energy on existing infrastructure. The increase of wave heights will cause additional damage to the existing revetments from Pier J to the Queen Mary and near Shoreline Marina. To reduce the risk of failure, the revetments should be rehabilitated to withstand the new wave climate with only minor maintenance over the structural life. For this study, the rehabilitation of the revetments was used to account for total project costs. Increased periodic maintenance could be considered instead (no construction of reinforced revetment, decreasing the total first cost [construction]); however, this option would leave a significant risk of structural failure that would require emergency repairs and may
affect adjacent infrastructure.
Protective measures would include increasing the amount of protection (armoring) of the existing oil islands and Pier J (see red lines on map). This would be accomplished by placing a second layer of larger stone along the existing slopes of the oil islands. A cast-in place concrete parapet wall would also be added on top of the revetment. The nearshore rocky reefs would be increased in elevation to provide for a similar level of protection against runup and erosion from Alamitos Bay to Belmont Pier. A small emergent breakwater would be created to protect Belmont Pier from increased wave energy. Increases in wave heights as a result of Alternative BW1 alters the longshore sediment transport in the area of Junipero Beach and adjacent areas (but not as to threaten other structures). The increase in wave heights are not anticipated to cause damages from overtopping, but would increase the longshore transport rates to a point where the parking lot will begin to be undermined within 10-15 years without any additional action. An offshore submerged breakwater will decrease the incident wave energy thus reducing the local sediment transport and protecting the existing infrastructure.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Impacts to the Port of Long Beach, the Navy and other navigational interests resulting from the Breakwater Western Notching Plan remain under analysis. Measures to reduce or mitigate for these impacts are also under development. Those impacts and potential mitigation measures would be more thoroughly presented in the Draft IFR/EIS-EIR.
Slight modifications from Alternative 2 would be necessary for this and the other breakwater plan. These include a shifted rocky reef shoal/eelgrass bed to provide coverage for Peninsula Beach, and kelp beds being split apart to allow for boat passage out of Alamitos Bay.
For NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) analysis purposes, the team is currently reviewing the compatibility of breakwater modification measures to the other best buy plans, Alternative 4 and Alternative 9.
The Breakwater Eastern Removal Plan (Alternative BW2) includes all of the ecosystem restoration measures specified for Alternative 2 along with the following additional measures:
BREAKWATER MODIFICATION
Under this Breakwater Plan, approximately 1/3 (approximately 24-acres) of the existing Long Beach Breakwater would be removed. Stones removed from the breakwater would be reused to build protective structures around the Oil Islands and Belmont Pier only. Armoring methods for these features would be as described for the Alternative BW1.
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Under this alternative, protective measures would be needed to reduce impacts to existing infrastructure and shoreline development from increased wave energy and coastal flooding. These would require increasing the amount of protection (armoring) of the existing oil islands and the creation of a small emergent breakwater to protect Belmont Pier. Additionally, the nearshore reefs would need to be constructed to a higher elevation to achieve a similar level of protection as the existing Long Beach Breakwater to the shorefront structures and limit excessive shoreline erosion along East Beach.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
Impacts to the Port of Long Beach, the Navy and other navigational interests resulting from the Breakwater Eastern Removal Plan remain under analysis. Measures to reduce or mitigate for these impacts are also under development. Those impacts and potential mitigation measures would be more thoroughly presented in the Draft IFR/EIS-EIR.
Slight modifications from Alternative 2 are the same as described above.
For NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) analysis purposes, the team is currently reviewing the compatibility of breakwater modification measures to the other best buy plans, Alternative 4 and Alternative 9.
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At yesterday's press event, Ed DeMesa, Planning Division Chief for the Army Corps of Engineers (Greater L.A. area), said the agency's target for a draft report is "sometime in early 2019."
Asked by LBREPORT.com how much the two Breakwater reconfiguration actions would cost, Ed DeMesa, Planning Division Chief for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Greater L.A. area) said "we are not at that stage of our process yet...I'm not in a position to give that out at this point."
Asked by LBREPORT.com 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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