Newport Beach City Manager Update:
Harbor Dept. Deploys State-of-the-Art, Real-Time Water Quality Monitors
By Guest Contributor Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager – Sept 01, 2023
Source: Newport Beach Independent – Newport Beach City Manager Update: Lifeguard 100th Anniversary, Labor Day
Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Newport Beach, known for its pristine beaches and picturesque harbors, has long been committed to preserving its natural resources. To further increase the City’s ability to monitor and maintain water quality in Newport Harbor, the City’s Harbor Department recently deployed two state-of-the-art water quality sensing buoys, or DataPods, in the harbor.
The water quality sensing buoys, developed by Clean Earth Rovers, are equipped with cutting-edge technology that allows for real-time monitoring of water quality data essential for maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.
The DataPod buoys are equipped with advanced sensors that can detect and report changes in water quality in real-time, ensuring accurate and reliable data collection. The gathered data is transmitted via cellular signal to a central computer system monitored by the Harbor Department.
With the ability to continuously monitor and collect data on key water quality metrics such as temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH levels, City staff can address any issues more quickly and effectively.
Water quality in Newport Harbor is of paramount importance, both for recreation and the health of marine life. This data-driven approach will significantly enhance the City’s ability to maintain and improve Newport Harbor’s water quality.
Source: Newport Beach Independent – Newport Beach City Manager Update: Lifeguard 100th Anniversary, Labor Day
It’s hard to believe that Thursday, July 6 will mark nine years since the passing of Newport Beach Lifeguard Ben Carlson. He was special to so many people, as his unexpected and untimely death would prove.
On that Sunday, in 2014, shortly after 5 p.m., a Newport Beach rescue boat identified a swimmer in distress off 16th Street. The surf at the time was six-to-eight feet.
Ben, as everyone knew, entered the water to make that rescue and swam to the man, making contact, before they were both hit by an unexpected large wave. The swimmer Ben was attempting to rescue was successfully pulled from the water, but Ben was not.
Newport Beach scored high marks during the summer season in the 33rd Annual Heal the Bay Beach Report Card, released Wednesday, June 14.
Of the 36 Newport Beach bay and ocean testing sites listed in the report, 32 earned an A or A+ during the summer season, when the beaches are most frequented. Four sites earned a B grade. Heal the Bay’s annual report measures bacterial pollution for more than 700 West Coast beaches, from Washington to Baja, ranking them and grading their water quality from A to F.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) has halted the dredging of Lower Newport Bay and construction authorization for the City of Newport Beach’s (the city’s) Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) facility. The Corps put things on hold after Orange County Coastkeeper (Coastkeeper) filed a lawsuit challenging their failure to fully analyze actions possibly violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA).
So, is that a good thing or a bad thing?
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.
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