Films & Documents

VEGETATION

A Malibu Patch blog of 9 Oct. relates that about 1/2 of the 70,000 plants have been planted and that Calif. State Parks received a 15-day extension to 31 Oct. to work in the wetland area of the channels in order to finish planting. Dike removal, originally scheduled to begin on 10/2, is now planned for Oct. 15-17.
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Approximately 70,000 plants will be used in the revegetation of the channels area.  Volunteers will likely be needed not so much for the planting, but for the weeding and maintenance that will continue for a while.  Annoying & invasive plants like castor bean have already started popping up again. Link to plant list, courtesy of TheRealMalibu411.
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COASTAL COMMISSION DENIES PERMIT REVOCATION REQUEST

On Weds. 8/8/12, the California Coastal Commission denied the request by project opponents to revoke the permit for the project.
“There’s not a single shred of evidence that would have to be proven for us to entertain revocation,” said Commissioner Jana Zimmer.
David Wiseman, attorney for Cal. State Parks, said: “ [The request] was not timely and not filed with due diligence….These types of revocation requests are really broad for the intention of causing delay.” He also asked the commission to consider granting a request from State Parks to recoup attorneys fees and other costs to staff.   Malibu Patch article link
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YOU TUBE PROJECT PRESENTATIONS

Bob Purvey several films about the project, featuring project presentations and interviews with Mark Abramson (Senior Watershed Advisor, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation) & Suzanne Goode (Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Parks).
1. Mark Abramson’s Dec. 2011 presentation:   Why it’s being done and what will be new.   25 minutes.   Highly recommended.   Watch the whole film, but the coming birder-friendly features start at 11:30 minutes.
2. Preliminary dewatering system test on 7/8/10.   Mark Abramson narrates.   7 minutes.   Bottom line:   Untreated channel water has a higher level of chlorine than can be legally discharged.   After treatment, chlorine was cut in half and turbidity (tiny particles making the water cloudy) was cut by 90%.   At this point, origin of the chlorine is unknown, possibilities include: leaks from nearby swimming pools, cleansers from local street runoff or from upstream.
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YOU TUBE PROJECT INTERVIEWS

Weekly interviews by CeCe Stein & Steve Woods of TheRealMalibu411.com.
Questions welcome!   Send them to CeCe Stein at realmalibu411 [AT] gmail.com.
#1.  6/26/12, 12:55 mins.    Suzanne Goode & Mark Abramson.
#2.  7/03/12, 13:35 mins.   Mark Abramson & Suzanne Goode.
#3.  7/10/12, 12:02 mins.   Mark Abramson. Linda Atkinson, Producer.
#4.  7/13/12, 8:44 mins. Mark & Suzanne. Dewatering test 2nd phase; security.
#5.  7/16/12, 10:32.  Mark & Suzanne. Dewatering; Snowy Plovers.
#6.  7/23/12, 9:03.  Mark & Suzanne. Dewatering – initial discharge test.
#7.  7/27/12, 10:29.  Mark & Craig Sap. Dewatering update & drinking.
#8.  8/03/12, 7:32.  Mark . Channel, island, plover habitat, pathway.
#9.  8/09/12, 13:47.  Mark . Soil mixing, water level & tests, channelizing, pathway.
#10.  8/20/12, 9:32.  Mark . Channelizing, tributaries, islands, water testing.
#11.  8/29/12, 23:51.  Mark & Suzanne . Excavated trash, “the boot,” soils, plant removal & re-vegetation, water basins, dewatering, swale for colony water.
#12.  9/13/12, 18:18.  Mark. Aquatic microhabitats, roosting trees,  construction road removal, perimeter swale ditch, revegetation & volunteers, tidal clock.
#13. 9/25/12, 1:51.  Revegetation activity with a musical soundtrack.
#14. 10/24/12, 9:50. Bob Purvey asks Don Hartley about the revegetation (25,000 plants so far) and Suzanne Goode about gobies, steelhead and the swale. Newsflash: The colony has always had an easement to “discharge surface drainage without treatment” into the lagoon. The new swale will address this problem.
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WATER QUALITY TESTS!

Project opposition people and the general community  are interested in the quality of the water discharged from the channels after passing through the treatment plant. TheRealMalibu411 published the results of the first tests; I hope they continue with later tests.  As there are multiple tests, I am providing a link to TRM411 blogsite, from which you can link directly to the results.

Matthew Horns, who knows much more about water quality testing than I do, had these comments on the first set of results:
1. Samples are collected and analyzed at intake system intake and outlet.
2. Samples are ID’d with  5-digit number, then a dash, then either INF or EFF.
3. INF: INFLUENT, water from dewatering basin into the treatment system.
4. EFF: EFFLUENT, treatment system water discharged onto the beach.
5. The data form columns labeled TDL and RDL concern water quality standards, but are blank on most data sheets. We can’t tell how well standards are being met unless we already know what those standards are (which I do not).
6. What we can see, is that levels of bacteria and suspended solids are clearly much lower going out than coming into the treatment system.
Let’s us at 411, and anyone else who is willing, get to work getting a better understanding of what these results really mean.

Test #1. 8/1/12:  “The plant continues to operate as designed and water quality in the lagoon is far superior after treatment. Included are the acute toxicity results from July 17th prior to ocean discharge and the results from July 23rd through July 25th when the treatment plant discharge began flowing to the ocean.” – Mark Abramson, Senior Watershed Advisor, Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation.
All Later Tests :   So far there are 13 tests listed on the RealMalibu411 website, accessible from the same page, just scroll up and down.
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