While the Malibu Lagoon is slated to be bulldozed with tax/bond money in the millions used for this plan, the ocean is rising steadily. Sea level has risen by seven inches over the last century in California. By 2050, it’s projected to rise between 12 to 18 inches. There have been futile attempts to curb coastal erosion, which is a problem expected to grow worse with rising seas fueled by global warming.
The sea is a living organism that is relentless—any line drawn in the sand or any castle built in the sand is likely to eventually wash over. As Jimi Hendrix has sung, “And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually.” Raw materials for concrete include cement, masonry or builder’s sand or other clean sand.
So, I ask while millions are being spent to destroy the living organism of the Malibu Lagoon—during California’s budget crunch—what will happen to the lagoon (the experiment by State Parks of destruction and reconfiguration) while the sea continues to rise?
In 2009, state coastal regulators turned down a proposal by Santa Barbara County to fortify an eroding section of Goleta Beach Park. After the state rejected the construction, park officials worked with environmentalists and came up with a plan to move gas, water and sewer lines out of the risk zone, relocate a bike path to higher ground, demolish parking spaces and allow an acre of asphalt to be reclaimed by the beach. In Alaska, entire villages have been forced to move to higher ground due to melting sea ice. Hawaii’s famous beaches are slowly shrinking and scientists urge the state to explore moving back development. South of San Francisco, the beach town of Pacifica has planned retreat as it battles constant erosion (in 2002 the city purchased some homes that were at risk of falling into the sea and demolished them).
Last year, a disintegrating oceanfront bike path at Surfer’s Point in Ventura was removed and a new one was built farther inland. This summer, the city is going ahead with building a retreat. Several states along the Atlantic coast adopted policies that include no-build zones, homeowners promise not to build seawalls and must either move inland or just let go.
All these precautions, yet California State Parks insists on using millions to bulldoze a thriving lagoon that will most likely be under the sea in a few decades. Waste of money, waste of time and energy!
Finally people are realizing that nature will always win.
Alessandra DeClario, Ph.D.