LAGUNA BEACH — City officials on Tuesday, Jan. 22, are expected to approve a resolution to increase the city’s vigilance in protecting the ocean from urban runoff.
The City Council will review a resolution that follows guidelines established by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board to improve water quality along Laguna’s coastline by monitoring runoff that comes from inland communities.
Over the past few years, the water quality control board — tasked with implementing plans to protect the area’s waters — has developed stricter measures to regulate discharge through city storm drain systems. In 2013, the board developed a permit to regulate municipal stormwater in San Diego County; in 2015, it added south Orange County cities and in 2016 amended it again to include south Riverside County.
To meet the permit requirements, Laguna Beach must adopt regulations to prevent polluted runoff, implement programs that promote architectural features that reduce runoff from new development, inspect existing developments and construction sites for runoff pollution and educate the public on how to reduce runoff.
The new requirements for the discharge permit were adopted by Laguna Beach in March 2017. In June 2018, the water quality control board approved plans by Laguna Beach. On Tuesday, the City Council is expected to adopt the resolution for stricter regulations and appoint City Manager John Pietig to make sure no one violates the permit.
“This is another step to control runoff into the ocean,” said Mayor Bob Whalen. “We really intend to keep enforcement, making sure water is as clean as it can be in the whole region. If you include inland cities run-off, it’s a huge win. The inland cities are doing a much better job.”
Decades of over-fishing diminished much of California’s marine life and prompted a massive effort in the late 1990s to establish a statewide etwork of Marine Protected Areas.
The beaches off Laguna were declared a Marine Protected Area in 2012, the result of efforts of a coalition of local organizations and individuals – collectively the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition – that wanted to restore Laguna’s marine life and habitat.
By 2015, local surfers, stand-up paddle boarders and divers reported an increase in variety of fish, tide pool creatures and kelp along the protected coastline. Gray, blue and humpback whales are no longer a rarity in the picturesque coves.
The rich nutriments that are part of the marine ecosystem provide a host of habitats and opportunity for sea life.
“It’s great the city is aiming at higher water quality standards to protect the source of Laguna’s economy and health,” said Mike Beanan, an environmentalist who helped get Laguna’s MPA established and is on the city’s environmental and sustainability committee.
The City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave.
