Beach Trading Blog

Many residents of Long Beach, CA, including members of the Surfrider Foundation and other local environment groups have been fighting for many years to have the Army Corp of Engineers either take down or reconfigure the breakwater that was erected back in the 40′s for the Naval ships that once docked in the harbor there.

They got one step closer today when, pending approval from Congress and the President, $90,000 was approved for the Army Corps of Engineers to review the reconnaissance study that was produced over the summer by a local Long Beach engineering firm .

The naval yard is gone but the breakwater remains, preventing the natural water movement and wave action that the filthy beaches in Long Beach need to help clean up the water there.

What once was clear water and white sand beaches with world famous surf is now like a flat ‘pond’ with no waves and little water movement resulting in very poor water quality for residents and tourists alike.

The Corps will now determine whether any of the breakwater alterations proposed in the reconnaissance study are feasible or cost-effective. The reconnaissance study offered several options that would likely improve water circulation and quality, and possibly the return of waves to the coast of Long Beach – the thought of which has some residents extremely excited – as a live and vibrant beach would not only improve their quality of life but raise property values and increase tourism.