All sides seemed willing to talk Monday, the first in what could be many steps toward improving conditions at the Malibu Lagoon.
In 2012, the lagoon went through a massive and controversial restoration project, undertaken by California State Parks, that included a redirection of water flow. Since then, various biological studies have indicated the lagoon is doing well … but local surfers beg to differ.
Last summer, Malibu Surfing Association members raised the alarm, stating that overflow from the lagoon has not only altered the surf at Malibu’s iconic Third Point, but was also beginning to threaten the grounds of the Adamson House.
Last week, representatives from state and local agencies met with surfers to begin talks about how to move forward and begin solving some of these issues.
At Monday’s Malibu City Council meeting, voices from the surf community, State Parks Angeles Superintendent Craig Sap, Adamson House Board Member, surf shop owner and Council Member Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner and Surfrider Foundation local chapter coordinator Graham Hamilton, all expressed enthusiasm for a way forward.
“A lot of work has been done in the last several months to bring some otherwise antagonistic members of the community together to talk about what’s happening in Malibu with erosion and bruised wounds from the lagoon restoration and I’m just really encouraged with the progress that’s brought us here today,” Hamilton said.
At the meeting, Sap described the history of the lagoon, including historical photos.
“Going back to the 1970s, there was a program where the lagoon was breached periodically by Beaches and Harbors, State Parks, and it was about that time the Coastal Commission said, ‘You really can’t do that, that’s something that’s artificial and it really has had a detrimental effect on … gobies and other biological features.”
Breaching the lagoon today would require a whole team of experts signing off on the practice, especially considering, as Sap pointed out, the surf spot has been designated a historic district.
“The kernel of it was, we need some kind of hydrological study to look at that, and what the effects are, and what we can do,” the superintendent said.
Wagner, who previously indicated the lagoon restoration was unsuccessful, struck a more positive note Monday, saying that the state has done “a fine job with renovations so far with the lagoon.”
“For many of us, we see the successes of [the lagoon restoration] and what we’re looking at now is continued success as well as possibly talking about mitigation of some of the movement of some of the nutrients that are deposited at Third Point,” Wagner said.
Peak also expressed support for a hydrological study.
“I think what we would probably come back to the council at some point in the future … to ask for us to look more in depth at a hydrological study, possibly some funding for that and working with State Parks, Department of Wildlife, and Beaches and Harbors,” Peak said. “Come up with a plan to better look at how we can protect some of the state’s assets, like the Adamson House. There’s a real historical element of preservation having to do with that.”
Hamilton urged all sides to come up with a plan quickly.
“Quite frankly, we don’t really have any other choice as the effects of climate change and sea level rise become more and more pronounced,” Hamilton said.
