Malibu Lagoon 2012-13 Project
This page is primarily devoted to scenery at the lagoon, focusing on the 2012 Malibu Lagoon reconfiguration project and highlighting the process of change. SMBAS supported the project, but rather than using this page to proselytize, it is intended to be a record of what went on. On associated pages (see below) we also present summaries of our monthly bird censuses and other interesting tidbits and links. We start off by putting all the photos into a slideshow. We kept the show at under 200 slides, eliminating old & repetitive slides as new ones are added.
*************************
The official ribbon-cutting opening ceremony was on Friday, May 3, 2013: read about it here.
*************************
1. Page Jump to Bird Census Summaries May 2012 – June 2014
2. Page Jump to Lagoon project films, interviews & links to documents
3. Page Jump to Winter Ramp – Summer Clock
*************************
3/15/12: Stacey hangs a plover information sign (Chuck Almdale) 
3/15/12: Kids make beautiful signs for the virtual fence (Chuck Almdale) 
5/27/12: Lagoon view from Malibu Cyn. Rd. (Lu Plauzoles) 
5/27/12: Adamson Boat House view (Lu Plauzoles) 
5/27/12: Picnic area end of path to beach (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Path to ‘the point’ (Lu Plauzoles) 
5/27/12: North reed bed near ‘the point’ (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: PCH bridge view from ‘the point’ (Lu Plauzoles) 
5/27/12: View from ‘the point” SW to colony houses (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: North channel view NE to PCH bridge (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: North channel view to west towards golf course (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Path to middle footbridge (Lu Plauzoles) 
2/15/12: Middle channel view east, low water in February (Jim Kenney) 
5/27/12: View down middle channel W to golf course (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Middle channel, high water – view east to lagoon (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: View N from south footbridge to PCH bridge (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: View from south footbridge across vegetation & lagoon to NE (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: South channel view SE to beach (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: South channel view NW to Pepperdine (Lillian Johnson) 
5/19/12: Midway south channel – typical detritus situation in back channels (M.Horns) 
5/27/12: Future path (road) on left, path to S. bridge on right (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Beach end of path, weeded area on right (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Brush on fill hill west end of beach (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Beach view east – birders and Plover enclosure (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: Beach view west to cypresses behind south channel (Lillian Johnson) 
5/27/12: View from beach across lagoon (Lu Plauzoles) 
5/27/12: Snowy Plover Virtual Enclosure sign created by schoolkids (Lillian Johnson) 
6/1/12: Reconfiguration protesters day 1 (Jim Kenney) 
6/01/12: Reconfiguration supporters day 1 (Jim Kenney) 
6/07/12: Biologist marking nest locations (Jim Kenney) 
6/11/12: Official Notice (Jim Kenney) 
6/11/12: Signs holding down the protest, day 11 (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: Artist’s Rendering of west channels (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com) 
6/29/12: Artist’s perspective of west channels view from W. side (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com) 
6/11/12: Project map, north (Pacific Coast Hwy) at top (J.imKenney) 
6/11/12: Fence along westside trail to beach (Jim Kenney) 
6/11/12: The mid-beach breach (Jim Kenney) 
6/11/12: Empty lagoon view N to PCH bridge (Jim Kenney) 
6/11/12: S. channel empty after beach breach (J.m Kenney) 
6/12/12: In memoriam, Stephenie Glas, project supporter (Jim Kenney) 
6/12/12: Sandbagged plastic – water barriers? (Jim Kenney) 
6/12/12: Gathering critters in the grass (Jim Kenney) 
6/12/12: Clearing dewatering filtration site near Malibu Colony (Jim Kenney) 
6/15/12: Yellow turbidity curtain at S. channel mouth (Jim Kenney) 
6/15/12: Scoop in progress (Jim Kenney) 
6/15/12: Workmen and scoops (Jim Kenney) 
6/15/12: North or perhaps middle Footbridge (Jim Kenney) 
6/16/12: Berm construction, yelllow turbidity curtain at south channel (Jim Kenney) 
6/18/12: Earth pile & trees near PCH bridge (Jim Kenney) 
6/18/12: Berm construction (Jim Kenney) 
6/18/12: North footbridge & earth pile, seen from PCH (Jim Kenney) 
6/19/12: Scoop & North footbridge from PCH (Jim Kenney) 
6/19/12: Building the berm between lagoon & channels, seen from PCH (Jim Kenney) 
6/19/12: New long berm closes middle channel (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Channel dewatering treatment tanks near Malibu Colony (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Channel dewatering treatment tanks (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Scooper near middle channel berm (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Large dirt pile near north footbridge (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: North footbridge & worker (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: North channel footbridge partially disassembled (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Berm & yellow turbidity curtain near PCH (Jim Kenney) 
6/21/12: Berm & plastic water turbidity barrier at south channel (Jim Kenney) 
6/24/12: Signs remain, but no sign of the protesters (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Looking through the green mesh (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Lagoon Panorama east from PCH bridge (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Lagoon Panorama west from PCH bridge (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Lagoon Panorama from PCH bridge of west channels (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Reeds still remaining in north channel (Joyce Waterman) 
6/24/12: Coot nest in N. channel protected by yellow tape (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Mallard family south channel west end (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Bird flocks on the sand islands (Chuck Almdale) 
6/24/12: Sand ‘cliff’ at breach east edge, Adamson House behind (Chuck Almdale) 
6/25/12: Two scoopers at work (Jim Kenney) 
6/27/12: Aerial View of Malibu Lagoon (L. Protopapadakis / LightHawk) 
6/29/12: View north over middle channel water towards PCH bridge (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: Footbridge stays until Black Phoebes finish nesting underneath (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: Scoop at north edge of middle channel (Lillian Johnson) 
6/29/12: Lillian & Suzanne Goode talk; Chuck spots a Ruddy Duck in main lagoon (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: View SW towards colony & cypresses (Lillian Johnson) 
6/29/12: Removing old highway fill dirt (Chuck Almdale) 
6/29/12: Back down the berm we come (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: Jim and Lillian check the plans with Mark (Lillian Johnson) 
6/29/12: View south over middle channel water towards beach, dewatering towers, colony (Lillian Johnson) 
6/29/12: Two Coots in middle channel water (Lillian Johnson) 
7/02/12: Moving ground seepage water from channel to channel (Jim Kenney) 
7/02/12: Truck moving soil (Jim Kenney) 
7/02/12: Workmen on the mud flats, Malibu Pier in background (Jim Kenney) 
7/11/12: Scoop and recently unburied concrete chunks (Jim Kenney) 
7/11/12: Remains of last footbridge (Jim Kenney) 
7/11/12: Lagoon, berm & channel water; dewatering system in distance (Jim Kenney) 
7/24/12: Great Blue Heron across water from scoops (Jim Kenney) 
7/24/12: Lots of ground seepage water in the channels (Jim Kenney) 
7/24/12: Filtered water flows into discharge force buffer box (Jim Kenney) 
7/24/12: Water flows from bottom of discharge force buffer box (Jim Kenney) 
8/09/12: Great Blue Heron across main lagoon from the project (Jim Kenney) 
8/18/12: Temporary beach path, PCH end (Jim Kenney) 
8/18/12: Surfers using the path on the temporary berm (Jim Kenney) 
9/24/12: Main channel in west basin portion of channels (Jim Kenney) 
9/24/12: East basin portion of channels area – tree and Great Blue Heron in foreground (Jim Kenney) 
9/24/12: Piles of removed fill dirt at NE corner, soon to be trucked away (Jim Kenney) 
9/24/12: Dike path separating lagoon (left) from east basin (right). Dike will be largely removed, starting 10/2/12 (Jim Kenney) 
9/26/12: The new bird island already hosts Great & Snowy Egrets, Western & California Gulls and especially Black-bellied Plovers (Jim Kenney) 
9/26/12: Preparing the foundation for the winter ramp (Jim Kenney) 
9/26/12: Revegetation begins with the first truckload (Jim Kenney) 
9/26/12: Some reeds are reappearing without assistance (Jim Kenney) 
9/26/12: Scoop working the slope, probably creating small ‘microhabitat’ holes (Jim Kenney) 
9/29/12: Winter ramp rebar foundations for cement “planks” (Jim Kenney) 
10/6/12: Progress on the winter ramp (Jim Kenney) 
10/06/12: View to south across channels to the sea (Jim Kenney) 
10/20/12: Channel area & sprinklers from PCH bridge (Lillian. Johnson) 
10/20/12: High tide waves wash over the beach (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: Beach washed smooth by high tide (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: Sprinkling the channel area new vegetation (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: Very narrow temporary path to beach alongside colony (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: View of channel & path-to-be over the temporary path fence (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: Channel west end, looking east (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: Channel west end looking south – tidal clock path construction (Lillian Johnson) 
10/20/12: The new park sign is finally erected – portion of winter ramp in foreground (Lillian Johnson ) 
11/11/12: South and middle channel mouths, looking west from beach, winter ramp in distance (Jim Kenney) 
11/12/12: Across channel SE to beach (Jim Kenney) 
11/15/12: Flagged plants & channel mouth (Jim Kenney) 
11/20/12: Aerial View of Malibu Lagoon (RealMalibu411) 
11/21/12: Across channel NE to PCH bridge (Jim Kenney) 
11/21/12: Bird island & channel mouth, Pepperdine U. in left distance (Jim Kenney) 
11/21/12: Mouth of new channel, viewed from Adamson boat house, winter ramp in far distance (Jim Kenney) 
11/21/12: Flagged plant (Jim Kenney) 
11/25/12: Channel view from PCH bridge (Lillian Johnson) 
11/25/12: Snowy Egret lures naive fish by stirring the water (Chuck Bragg) 
11/25/12: Brant keeps the Snow Goose company (Chuck Bragg) 
11/25/12: 3 Royal Terns among the Willets, Whimbrels & Black-bellied Plovers (Chuck Bragg) 
11/25/12: Belted Kingfisher on distant snag (Chuck Bragg) 
11/25/12: Say’s Phoebe on the beach vegetation (Lillian Johnson) 
11/25/12: Foggy wrack-covered beach (Lillian Johnson) 
11/25/12: Foggy channel (Lillian Johnson) 
12/3/12: Birds at the beach breach (Jim Kenney) 
12/3/12: Breach and gulls (Jim Kenney) 
12/10/12: West end of channel at 10am, winter ramp area in foreground (Jim Kenney) 
12/10/12: West end of channel at 3pm, winter ramp area in foreground (Jim Kenney) 
12/10/12: Tidal clock construction continues (Jim Kenney) 
12/10/12: A googolplex of gulls after the breach (Jim Kenney) 
12/19/12: Malibu Lagoon aerial view on (LightHawk, courtesy of SMBRC) 
12/22/12: Tidal Clock & Viewing Platform in SW corner (Jim Kenney) 
1/20/13: SW channel (Jim Kenney) 
1/20/13: Path construction, winter ramp on far right (Jim Kenney) 
1/20/13: Viewing Platform in SW corner (Jim Kenney) 
2/24/13: View of NW channel shore, picnic tables installed, pavilion under construction (Lillian Johnson) 
2/24/13: The SE channel & lagoon viewing area (Lillian Johnson) 
2/24/13: Pepperdine & mountains from the beach (Lillian Johnson ) 
3/7/13: Central meeting area under construction (Jim Kenney) 
3/7/13: View from west end (Jim Kenney) 
3/7/13: Tidal Clock & Viewing Platform near SW corner (Jim Kenney) 
3/7/13: Winter ramp and path building, west end of channel, topo map foundation in foreground (Jim Kenney) 
3/11/13: Flooded peninsula and N. viewing area (Jim Kenney) 
3/11/13: Flooded peninsula , from PCH bridge (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: Snag in water, south channel (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: Lagoon western edge looking north (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: SW channel looking west (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: Viewing Platform in SW corner (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: View from Platform on west channel (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: Winter ramp west end, different angle, looking north (Jim Kenney) 
3/15/13: Winter ramp west end, looking east (Jim Kenney) 3/15/13: Meeting area west end (Jim Kenney) 
3/24/13: West channel viewing area (Lillian Johnson) 
3/24/13: Unplanted plants – Blue-eyed Grass (Lillian Johnson) 
3/24/13: Planted plants (Lillian Johnson) 
4/13/13: Channel area view from Las Virgenes Rd. (Lu Plauzoles) 
4/16/13: Tidal Clock at work, ticking away (Jim Kenney) 
4/16/13: Tidal Clock time tiles are 6′ 9.6″ (Jim Kenney) 
5/3/13: Part of the grand opening crowd (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Shelley Luce of SMBRC emcees at the podium (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Sanctuary in the pavilion’s shade (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Chuck and his telescope get interviewed (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Microscopes reveal tiny lagoon critters (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Suzanne Goode wears one of her many hats (Lillian Johnson) 
5/3/13: Chuck gets a plaque (Jim Kenney) 
5/23/13 Podium people (Jim Kenney) 
5/3/13: Plaque awardees (Jim Kenney) 
6/29/12: Artist’s Rendering of west channels (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com) 
6/29/12: Artist’s perspective of west channels view from W. side (RestoreMalibuLagoon . com) 
7/27/14: Lagoon looking east (Randy Ehler) 
Lagoon with people looking every which way (Randy Ehler 7/27/14) 
8-22-21: Our rarest lagoon bird ever, a Red-necked Stint, visiting from Asia. (Chris Tosdevin, 9:38 am)
Slides are in reverse date order.
Hover cursor over slideshow for Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Pause and Go.
*************************
The EcoMalibu website video had over 20 films pertaining to the lagoon and the reconfiguration project. Unfortunately, it seems to be defunct and now belongs to some SE Asian ‘gel’ distributor. The films were all different; the underwater films were especially interesting.
1. Aug. 7, 2013 Length 1:48 minutes “Life Below the Surface”
2. Aug. 12, 2013 Length 9:20 minutes “Malibu Lagoon Aquarium”
3. Sep. 9, 2013 Length 4:55 minutes “Malibu Lagoon Aquarium III”
4. Sep. 30, 2013 Length 1:47 minutes “Shrimpfest”
5. Oct. 2, 2013 Length 2:42 minutes “Malibu Lagoon Aquarium IV”
6. Oct. 22, 2013 Length 8:31 minutes “Fish, Fish, Fish”
7. Nov. 4, 2013 Length 0:57 minutes “The Big Fish”
8. Apr. 30, 2014 Length 3:36 minutes “Lagoon Crustaceans”
9. Jun. 18, 2014 Length 3:49 minutes “Aquarium & Aviary”
10. Jun. 25, 2014 Length 2:21 minutes “Got Fish? Malibu Lagoon Does”
11. Jun. 25, 2014 Length 2:08 minutes “Shrimpfest II”
12. Jul. 7, 2014 Length 1:56 minutes “Mullet Adult School”
13. May-June, 2014 Slide Show “Dance of the Striped Mullet”
*************************
(Jim Kenney 12/10/12)
The large flock of gulls which appeared on the islands and mud flats of the breached lagoon was widely reported within the Los Angeles birding community.
*************************
*************************
(courtesy of Real Malibu 411)
*************************
(L. Protopapadakis / LightHawk)
The above photo came from a PDF file on the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission website
.*************************
We rarely took photos of crud in the channel water. Who wants to look at crud? But we saw it all the time, especially in the south channel where it really piled up due to lack of water circulation. On Coastal Cleanup Day, 3rd Saturday of Sept., you could spend a whole morning trying to gather up the thousands of pieces of plastic, cigarette butts and other crud that collected at the west end of the south channel. This 5/19/12 Matt Horns photo was taken at the salinity gauge pole mid-way down the south channel, when Jane and I took a ‘water oxygen’ tour with him. A dead Brown Pelican is underwater out towards the gauge but you can’t see it in the photo due to murky water and surface reflections. Anyone need Flip-flops?
(Matt Horns 5/19/12)
*************************
SANTA MONICA BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY BLOG 