Hello friends of the Newport Harbor Foundation,
There is an urgent issue we need a little help with… something that impacts one of our favorite local playgrounds – the Newport Harbor.
After years of lobbying the federal government for help, the City of Newport Beach has obtained grants of almost $16 million to pay for dredging of the harbor which will significantly enhance the quality of water and create safer boat passage in the harbor. Along with the dredging process, there is a process called CAD (contained aquatic disposal) which places unsuitable material now existing in the harbor into a safe and secure location deep below the harbor bed. This process is totally safe and has been used for many years all over the country, including harbors in California.
The project for Newport Harbor has been studied, vetted, and approved by Fish and Wildlife, EPA, Army Corp of Engineers, and the City of Newport Beach. The final permit needed is from the California State Water Board and once obtained, the California Coastal Commission staff will recommend its approval of the project at the next commission meeting in October. Without these final approvals, the City of Newport Beach risks losing the federal grants and the project will be delayed indefinitely.
The Water Board is where our issue is and your help is needed. Recently, a small group of individuals have opposed the CAD portion of the project and have raised concern with the Water Board with some untruths and opinions. These misstatements are being addressed over the next month in several ways. I will follow up with links where you can see these updates. In the meantime, what I ask is for a brief email to the California Water Board stating that you support the dredging and CAD project at this address:
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To: Maher Zaher
Subject Line: I support the CAD & Dredging Project in Newport Beach
Body: I support the CAD & Dredging Project in Newport Beach.
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IMPORTANT: This must be submitted no later than this Friday, September 16, 2022
IMPORTANT: This must be submitted no later than this Friday, September 16, 2022
Please address your comments to:
Maher Zaher
Subject Line: I support the CAD & Dredging Project in Newport Beach
Body: I support the CAD & Dredging Project in Newport Beach.
On May 23, the City Council approved a pilot program to change the harbor mooring fields configuration and approved changes to the Harbor Code to accommodate the proposed pilot program and the long-term plan for all the moorings in the harbor.
Speak Up Newport is hosting a meeting on Wednesday, June 14 to discuss the mooring plan with guest speaker Bill Kenney, the former Harbor Commission Chair. He will describe the Harbor Commission’s Open Water Initiative and the reasons for the changes to the mooring fields.
The valves, which were built in the 1970s to replace a system from the early 1900s, are necessary to prevent flooding in low-lying areas. They are manually operated, and need to be closed during high tides to prevent seawater from flooding the streets. Once the tide recedes, crews reopen the valves — nearly 90 in total — to allow water to flow from streets to the bay.
City Council this week unanimously approved a pilot project, called the open water initiative, related to mooring field design.
Councilmembers voted 7-0 on Tuesday (May 23) in support of the ordinance that would amend Title 17 (the city’s harbor code) related to mooring standards and permits. The approved action, stemming from Harbor Commission recommendations, will reconfigure mooring field C, which sits between Bay Island and the Balboa Peninsula ferry station.
March showers have given way to April flowers. The recent storms left in their wake perfect conditions throughout Southern California for thriving vegetation – a super bloom resulting in lush landscapes carpeted with abundant wildflowers.
The storms also replenished many of our major water supply reservoirs and significantly refilled our groundwater basin, resulting in higher-than-average levels compared to many years when these resources remained in limited supply indefinitely.
These same storms have another, less favorable effect on our community, as Newport Beach is at the end of the water “pipe” when it comes to trash and debris flow.
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