Our Current Projects
Save Trestles
The future of Trestles grows increasingly uncertain. The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) -- a privately held agency -- has been aiming to build an extension to the existing 241 Toll Road for nearly ten years now. Plans would connect the expansion with Interstate 5 at Basilone Rd, just south of Trestles Beach. Environmental activists and concerned surfers have recently begun doing all they can to throw a wrench in TCA's plans.
Read Our Save Trestles Page...>>>
Blue Water Task Force
The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is the Surfrider Foundation’s water quality monitoring, education and advocacy program. It is utilized by our Chapters and members to alert citizens and officials in their communities about water quality problems and to work toward solutions. BWTF has demonstrated success by raising public awareness of coastal water pollution levels and precipitating the establishment of state and local government water quality monitoring programs in many communities where the program has been implemented.
To volunteer, email: Brian Alper>>>
Respect The Beach
Respect the Beach (RTB) is an award-winning coastal educational program that includes field trips, classroom lectures, handouts, video, and hands-on projects designed to coastal watershed processes, shoreline ecology and coastal areas stewardship to K-12 students and community groups. The Respect the Beach program is brought into classrooms by Surfrider members, who represent ocean environmentalism from the surfer's perspective, and who are role models that students can relate to.
To volunteer, contact: Mike Epeneter>>>
To host a Respect The Beach presentation at your classroom or group meeting, Complete This Form>>>
Brooks Street Stairs
The City of Laguna Beach is planning to remodel the beach access at Brooks Street. The Laguna Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and other citizen’s have had the opportunity to see the conceptual plans for the new beach access and we are very happy to say that we believe the City’s plans will improve both beach access and views without impacting the beach or surf.
Read More...>>>
Laguna Water Testing
We implement Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) program using both community volunteers (summer) and students (school year). We sponsor a Surfrider Club at Laguna Beach High School that performs weekly water testing at several of Laguna's beaches. The testing program is under the direction of Club President Marshall Thomas and faculty advisor Art Smart. View the testing results:
http://www.surfrider.org/southorangecounty/waterquality.html
http://www.surfrider.org/BWTFoutput.htm
We also post these results around town at surf shops and other businesses.
The financial support for this program comes entirely from private donations and fundraising events. The cost for testing materials is approximately $100 per week. You or your business can help support this program by sending a tax deductible donation to:
Surfrider Foundation, South Orange County Chapter
PO Box 865
San Clemente, CA 92672
Keep Rockpile Natural
The City of Laguna Beach is planning to renovate Heisler Park. While the Laguna Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is generally supportive of the City's plan to renovate Heisler Park and believe that some of the proposed plans will improve the park, we are opposed to the construction of a seawall/bulkhead at Rockpile Beach that is being proposed.
Read More...>>>
Aliso Creek
Surfrider Foundation, Orange County Health Care Agency, and South Orange County Wastewater Authority cooperated to conduct sampling at Aliso Beach in September 2003 and in February/March 2004. This was part of a large "Bight '03" study that will evaluate the influence of creek flows on ocean water quality during dry weather and wet weather. We sampled the Creek, the ocean directly in front of the creek mouth, and at various distances up and down the beach from the creek to see how far the creek's pollution extended. This was the first time that "surf zone" samples were collected at the same time that the normal "ankle deep" samples were collected. The February 2004 sampling required braving some rather large waves (see photos) in cold and polluted water.
Surfrider Foundation, Laguna Beach Chapter is also an active participant in an Aliso Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group and is supporting studies and restoration efforts for both Aliso Creek and Laguna Canyon Creek. We are working to help develop and implement solutions to water quality and other environmental degradation problems in these watersheds that impact Aliso Beach and Main Beach. We invite you to get involved and help protect and restore our watersheds. Healthy watersheds mean clean beaches!
Dana Headlands/Strands
THE END - On June 15, 2005 the campaign to prevent the armoring of Strands Beach and the protection coastal habitat came to a disheartening end when Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael Brenner denied the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club’s request for a Preliminary Injunction in their Headlands/Strands lawsuit. The Sierra Club and Surfrider representatives and our attorneys met to assess the situation. Much consideration, thought and discussion led to a regretful consensus that we must end the Headlands/Strands campaign.
Dowload Summary Report (.pdf)...>>>
El Morro/Crystal Cove
El Morro Settlement - Both the LA Times and the OC Register reported on November 5 that a settlement has finally been reached between CA State Parks and the residents of El Morro Trailer Park to end their occupation of this section of the State Park and allow the State Park restoration plan to proceed starting next Spring. The residents must leave by March 1, 2006 and must pay the state $650,000 for project delays and back rent. After the trailers are gone, the State will build a 60 unit campground and a day use parking area on the inland side of the Coast Hwy. The beach will be left completely natural. We can't wait!
- El Morro Page - To get the whole scoop...
- OC Register article (Mar 25 '04) on El Morro
Beach Cleanups
We typically hold beach cleanup events quarterly. For these events we usually partner with Clean Water Now! and other environmental groups. These events are free and we even supply the bags and gloves. They're an easy way to do something good for our beaches and ocean and to raise public awareness of issues like littering and protection of our marine resources. Students can receive community service hours credits for this activity.
Special Places And Marine Protected Areas
Surfrider Foundation's Special Places campaign is working to identify and protect special coastal and ocean places — preserving our coastal legacy. http://www.surfrider.org/specialplaces/
In Laguna Beach, although tidepools ("intertidal area") throughout the city are protected by law, the tidepools are being ravaged by those either ignorant of the regulations or by those who choose to ignore the law. In attempt to combat this serious problem, several Surfrider members are participating in a new Tidewater Docent program (see below).
In addition, the ocean waters beyond the intertidal zone are also a wasteland compared to decades ago. This problem is described in more detail at www.shiftingbaselines.org.
Surfrider Foundation, South Orange County Chapter is participating in a coalition of environmentalists to evaluate the status of existing Marine Protected Areas in Laguna Beach and elsewhere in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
Tidewater Docents
Our tidepools need your help! Over 70 volunteer docents have been trained through a program put together and managed by Ocean Laguna www.oceanlaguna.org
The actual docent work only requires a few hours per month of your time and you get to spend it at the beach! To get involved, contact Mia Davidson at mia3825d@earthlink.net.
In order to increase both the level of enforcement of our existing laws that protect our marine resources and to increase public awareness of these regulations, Surfrider Foundation, Laguna Beach Chapter supported the City's recent decision to hire a full-time Marine Safety officer to address these issues.
We also support investigating the feasibility of constructing a tidepool interpretive center at Main Beach, perhaps in conjunction with a remodeled lifeguard headquarters, which is also desperately needed.
Surfing And Skimming Restrictions
Are you confused and frustrated by the City of Laguna Beach’s restrictions on surfing and skimboarding? Read the city’s ordinance on this here http://bpc.iserver.net/codes/lagunab/
It’s chapter 18.20. If you’re still confused or want to change things, contact Rick Wilson at 492-8170 or rwilson@surfrider.org
