Public Works said that portion of the canyon has been ‘on the to-do list’ for a few years now
With recent quite frequent earthquake swarms in Malibu and other parts of Southern California, some folks up Corral Canyon and some hikers are voicing concerns about growing cracks in Corral Canyon Road that they surmise may be somewhat exacerbated by recent seismic activity and possibly by quakes in January 2023.
On Sept. 12, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter 3.5 miles northwest of Malibu struck inland from Point Dume in the Malibu Hills off Kanan Dume Road around Ramirez Canyon. The quake, which was 6.8 miles deep, rattled the Los Angeles area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A 2.8-magnitude earthquake immediately following the 4.7 quake was located northwest of the larger one, along Pacific Coast Highway and west of Zuma Beach, the agency reported, adding that more than a dozen aftershocks followed within the next two hours, including a 3.4-magnitude quake located just northeast of the larger quake occurred just over an hour after the 4.7 quake.
The next day, a 3.4-magnitude aftershock stuck near Malibu. Swarms of lesser earthquakes have periodically occurred as well, according to the agency. Finally, when one considers any possible effect of earthquakes on Malibu’s roads, it is noteworthy that on Jan. 25, 2023, there was a swarm of quakes centered in the ocean south of Malibu, including a 4.2-magnitude quake followed by a 3.5-magnitude quake two minutes later and that there was a 2.8-magnitude quake 19 minutes after the 3.5 quake.
Residents up Corral Canyon are not sure whether seismic activity last year or this year caused some cracks in the road or whether other land movement caused or contributed crevices along the road. That is certainly understandable because, as seismologist Lucy Jones stated in a Caltech press conference after the 4.7 quake, “Moderate or significant damage doesn’t show up until you’re at or above a magnitude 5.” Jones noted that the epicenter of the 4.7 quake was closest to the Malibu fault but may also have been associated with the Anacapa fault.
However, residents do know that it’s time for the county to repair one of the larger cracks and they note that, finally, the county is taking action.
“There’s one fissure near the first stop sign as one goes up Corral Canyon,” resident Jay Tod Levitt said. “There’s a second one higher up above the first one.”
Resident Susie Duff, who lives in the Malibu Bowl, said, “Approximately two miles above the Pacific Coast Canyon on Corral Canyon Road sits El Nido, a community with approximately 100 homes. When one drives approximately one mile past El Nido, one reaches the intersection of Corral Canyon and Newell Road, a very narrow road that is only approximately one-quarter mile in length.”
Newell Road resident Paul Morra and Duff both note that on Corral Canyon Road just south of the turn off for Newell Road about 600 yards, an issue first appeared well over a year ago that has compromised the road.
“The Department of Water and Power placed cones in an area approximately 600 feet below Newell Road and approximately 2.5 miles from Pacific Coast Highway last year. To me, it looked like it might be a bit of a sinkhole.”Morra said. “The county repaved it. However, in the last year, the crack has resurfaced, so that didn’t take care of the issue.”
Duff agreed, saying, “the county putting bubble gum in the problem area did not fix the concern.”
Elaborating, Duff said, “There’s been a big crack in the road that results in the road only being a one-way road and itwill most likely involve major construction. To complicate things further, due to the need to comply with the Dark Sky ordinance, the road is not lit and it is very dark.”
However, both Morra and Duff state that it looks like the Department of Public Works is preparing to repair the concern properly as black tarps were recently placed across the cracked section of the road, which is reduced to a one-lane road for about 200 feet.
Moreover, Duff added, the guardrail to the right when one turns onto Newell Road doesn’t have effective reflectors on one side.
“We’ve had many earthquakes recently and we really feel them up here in Corral Canyon,” Duff noted. “We’veexperienced many rock slides on Corral Canyon Road since last January and I do my best to remove them.”
The Malibu Times caught up with Troy Norman, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Superintendent for Yard #336, who is responsible for the relevant part of Malibu.
“We should be repairing that portion of Corral Canyon that we’ve cordoned off in the next few weeks.” Norman said.
“Look, we live in the mountains!” Mora said. “Although that part of the road cracking is not, I don’t think, attributable to seismic activity, such activity is always ongoing — when you choose to live in the mountains, land movement and seismic shifts are to be expected.”
But what about the top of Corral Canyon, which has been closed for years
Having Corral Canyon temporarily closed due to landslides is nothing new, several residents note. One who is writing about such closures would be remiss if he did not briefly mention that, back in the day, many lookie-loos would drive up Corral Canyon Road for about five miles until they hit a dirt path. Then, they’d keep on going until they reached a small parking lot that served as the entrance for hikers in the area. If a person chose to follow the sign for the Corral Canyon Backbone Trail and hiked for about 0.75 mile more, arrows on large rocks would guide him to a cave on the left, just before the rock spirals.
When inside, hikers would see vibrant colors and psychedelic drawings on the cave with some intriguing rock carvings.Some attributed the drawings and bright paintings to Jim Morrison of the Doors and claimed it served as his lair of poetry and prose, an impression Morra dismisses as pure sophistry. “The Jim Morrison Cave is an old myth.” Morra said. “I know someone who was close to Jim and he apparently did not hang in Corral Canyon, but everyone refers to it as such.”
Others maintain that the drawings and paintings in the cave were added to the cave in the 1980s, long after Morrison passed away.
However, the ultimate truth remains a canyon mystery and seemingly no one will break on through to the truth as that portion of Upper Corral Canyon Road has been closed for a few years as it is, as locals state with a resigned sigh, “on the to-do list of the Department of Public Works.”
“Unfortunately, ‘The Cave’ became very problematic for Corral Canyon residents, especially back in 2007,” Morra said.“That’s when the Corral Fire broke out from a party in the cave. The road blockage way up Corral near the cave has blocked motor vehicle access to the top of Corral Canyon due to another landslide, and the county has made no attempts to repair that section of the road for years.”
That’s very concerning, Morra notes: “Folks cannot enjoy the trails up there and Arson Watch volunteers cannot keep a proper eye on the Cave area for fire concerns.”
Unfortunately, according to Norman, the department does not have any plans to repair the top of Corral anytime soon.
“That project has been placed on hold,” he said.