Malibu's Surfrider Beach is considered the roots of the Surfrider Foundation: In 1984, a coalition of surfers were gathered and led by Surfrider Foundation founder's Glenn Hening, Lance Carson and Tom Pratte, to fend off environmental mis-management, and to represent the voice of the surfing community. The Surfrider Foundation's Malibu Chapter represents the (approximately 31 mile) coastal environment from the Los Angeles and Ventura County line to Marina Del Rey.

According to a  Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project epidemiological study released in the spring of 1996, Malibu Surfrider Beach was the most polluted of all the storm drain areas that were studied in the Santa Monica Bay in 1995.

Malibu Lagoon (adjacent to Surfrider Beach) is not only a historical landmark for the city of Malibu, but it is home to two endangered species of fish, the Tidewater Gobi and the Steelhead Trout.  The wetland is also a nesting sanctuary for numerous species of coastal birds and is one of the last wetlands in the State of California. Back to top

MALIBU CHAPTER CHARTER

Our chapter mission is to provide the environmental voice for recreational ocean enthusiasts in a highly industrialized society and privatized ocean community.  To carry out this mission, we will lead the effort to achieve four main goals:  to educate, to eliminate ocean pollution, clean the coastal zones and keep them clean, and eliminate barriers to public beach access.

The northern portion of the Santa Monica Bay which is the Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Venice and Marina Del Rey coast (approximately 31 miles of coast) is different from other ocean communities in the U.S.  This highly populated metropolitan area (LA County's pop. approx. 12M) is urban, suburban, rural and sub-rural.  It is where the mountains meet the surf.  It is industrialized, has a myriad of national parks, state parks and wildlife preserves, and has privatized coastal properties (high tide line is the property line).

Surfing is year around at beach breaks, point breaks and reef breaks.  Los Angeles County has a population of over 300,000 surfers (includes all wave riding vehicles, and who ride more than 4 days a year).  Malibu Surfrider Beach has one of the highest frequency of visitors in the world (over 1.4 million visitors in 1996 according to LA County Lifeguards), to a beach area that is approximately 1/3 of a mile in length.

There are many environmental issues in our region, and we devote as much attention as possible to all of them. However, one area that  our Chapter has been working to improve since 1984 is Malibu Surfrider Beach and with good reason.

Malibu Surfrider Beach, besides being the roots of the Surfrider Foundation, is one of the most visited beaches in the world. Surfrider Beach has an extraordinary amount of biodiversity, the largest watershed  (approximately 109 square miles, and a model for the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project) that drains into the Santa Monica Bay, two endangered species, a threatened wetland, and poor water quality making the premiere surfing wave (a minute long ride!) unsafe.

Nonetheless, we are encouraging those whose like concerns need attention to become team leaders, encourage volunteers to join their team, form a committee, utilize our resourcefulness and solve the problem.

The Malibu Chapter welcomes all beach enthusiasts, including surfers, windsurfers, body boarders, divers and boaters. As an inclusive group, the Chapter will be capable of mobilizing large groups and thereby have an impact on the common concerns of ocean environmentalists.
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20TH ANNIVERSARY TOWN HALL MEETING
September 2004 - The Malibu Chapter held a historica meeting to commemorate Surfrider’s very first town hall meeting at Pt. Dume Elementary School - 20 years ago. Read the full recap and watch Lance Carson's actual speech>>>

TIMELINE OF SURFRIDER BEACH & MALIBU LAGOON

1938: The image to the right depicts a normal winter flush through the Malibu Lagoon and adjacent flood plain (now considered the Civic Center area).

1972: The Tapia Water Reclamation facility begins to alter the lagoon hydrology. Lifeguards open a channel across the beach from time to time, when Malibu Colony residents complain about septic systems backing up.

1976 to 1983: Malibu's Civic Center expanded, including the shopping center at Cross-Creek. This growth had a significant impact on sub-surface water quality. Leaks from large septic systems began leaching into the water table and the lagoon, causing water quality to deteriorate and health risks to increase substantially.

1982 to 1984: Malibu Lagoon was enlarged to serve as a bird sanctuary and an artificial marshland*. Channels from the lagoon to the beach were designated as a part of the new Malibu Lagoon State Park. The Surfrider Beach sign was taken down and the the park administrator ordered the lagoon flushed into the ocean as far from the park's parking lot as possible: into First Point.

*The photo to the above right shows the enlarged lagoon/bird sanctuary with channels during dry weather (note: the sand berm is closed and not releasing water into the surf zone). Date of photo unknown.

1983: First Point was ruined by a heavy rush of lagoon "flush" gouging across the cobblestone bottom. Park officials were alerted to the problem, but nothing was done to correct it.

1984: The Surfrider Foundation put pressure on the State Parks Department to open the lagoon as close to the Colony as possible.

1986: Data from both studies and water quality testing showed that the lagoon did not comply with public health standards (75% of the tests showed deficient water quality). Texaco was ordered to pump water out of the ground around its Cross Creek gas station, to filter it, and discharge the resulting "clean" water into the lagoon (in 1980, Caltrans workers were overcome with gas fumes when repairing the Cross Creek bridge - Texaco's tanks had leaked and contaminated the surrounding soil).

1989: The California Costal Commission permitted the Tapia Reclamation Facility to expand its discharge from a maximum of 10 MGD to 16.1 MGD. The Coastal Commission's rationale behind the decision was "We can't obstruct inland expansion - That's not our job." The permit for the increased discharge rate expired in 1994, and was renewed.

1990: GeoSurf Symposium, the first organized effort to establish the facts surrounding the degradation of beaches and surfing worldwide, was created. It's focus was on Surfrider Beach in particular. Also, a major confrontation took place at Surfrider Beach, with surfers blocking the lagoon's opening into the ocean. Parks Chief Dan Preece agreed to surfer's demands for reducing the threat to their health and consented to change the flushing schedule. Meanwhile, the GeoSurf Symposium surveyed the health of area surfers and received 110 responses reporting a variety of illesses.

1991: The Tapia facility increased its reclamation efforts to include lagoon discharge. The Surfrider Foundation met with Russ Guiney, the Lagoon Park Administrator in an attempt to develop solutions to the health risks faced by surfers at Surfrider Beach. Testing of the sand at First Point revealed high disease indices.

1992: The Surfrider Foundation met with John Lewis, Water Quality Control Board Member about halting the Texaco gas station discharge. He stated that some of the ground water was still contaminated. More than 6 million gallons of water enter the lagoon every 90 days. Heavy rains increased the lagoon contamination due to "rinsing" of the watershed after several years of drought. Major efforts by Jeff Harris, Environment Now!, Heal the Bay, the Natural Resources Defense Council were put forth including testing and studies. A partnership with the Tapia Facility was created specifically for a sophisticated testing program. The heavy rains also changed the face of Surfrider Beach. The lagoon and creek rose and were constantly full due to the higher water table and recurrent evening high tides.

2004: Surfrider Foundation's Malibu Chapter still views Surfrider Beach as its top priority... we've been VERY BUSY! Back to top