Bringing back Sand to the Beach?

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The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
If this were only cleared away,’
They said, it would be grand!’
‘If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose,’ the Walrus said,
That they could get it clear?’
I doubt it,’ said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
…
‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
To talk of many things:
Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —
Of cabbages — and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings.’
Winships! That’s your cue!

Having lived in Newport Beach since 1952 has had its advantages.  We remember when the population was 11,570, of which the winter population was really about 2800.  The Spring population was about 250,000 and the summer population was about 30,000, plus day visitors.  These were the days when every type of shell was spotted on every brilliant white sand beach.  Sand dollars, Conch Shells, the Shell logo and 100 more. The water in the bay was so clear you could see the bottom all the way out to the breakwater.  The Day Fishing Boats from Blackies would purge their tanks on the way out, in the middle of the bay and the brown cloud of stinky stuff would create those wonderful “plumes”….that the future would bring along our coast in a much bigger and bigger environmental impact.  How bad did it get?  Well, the county actually had to extend sewer pipes three miles out to sea.  When the dredging machines dug up the harbor in order for it to be navigated by PT Joe and the MOJO, or by the Pioneer and Goodwill….or the folks at the Newport Beach Yacht Club….found their three yachts aground……well, you get the idea.  Remember the Back Bay, where people dumped dead bodies, all kinds of DDT and which held the Salt Flats?  Which of course wound all the way down to the Rosan Corporation right there now on the Newport Beach Restaurant Row.  What did Rosan Corporation make?  It was toxic…that is for sure.   The good news was that Newport Beach in those days had a bunch of WWII rich guys that made sure Corona Del Mar, Big Corona, Little Corona and the Beaches on the Peninsula got beautiful white sand from the Caribbean to replace the constant erosion, after all we were a giant tourist destination and what would be Bal Week or Easter Week without beautiful for the beautiful babes to sit on?  Did you ever wonder why we can’t find a decent shell on any beach in Orange County?  Tourist…..too many tourists with bucks that buy food, gas and lots of tourist gear, stays at hotels  and upscale store buying.

Well, welcome to the future and the days of lowered expectations.  The constant erosion of sand from the beaches now extends along the entire coast of California.  Seawalls are having to be raised by three to five feet on Balboa Island just to keep those annual rising tides from flooding homes and the streets.  As usual, everything is based upon budgetary concerns.  The Budgetary Concerns of the lowest bidder and the lowered expectations that come with a huge spike in the population.  The County of Orange in its wisdom has determined that taking or rather dredging sand from the mouth of the Santa Ana River (which separates Newport Beach from Huntington Beach) and using that sand for replacement sand on beaches is a great idea.  First of the everything that comes down the Santa Ana River into the Pacific Ocean and Newport Beach is polluted.  Paint chips, medical needles, dog poop, and a larger lists which would definitely choke a horse.  This is the reason why the beaches of Newport Beach for years had machines which sifted the trash out of the sand.  Many years ago, those machines were sent to sister cities in Baja California.  Do they still sift the sand?  Not so often.  One thing is certain, the City Fathers and Mothers of many communities love to do anything that they don’t do – on the cheap!  Ask your local official when the last time it was that they went to the beach with their significant other or their families.

Our point is –  we need a Regional Beach Plan Replenishment Project directed by the County of Orange.  Every time we bring up something that impacts the county at large – the County says:  “Oh, that is a city problem!”  Be it Transportation, Homelessness, Environmental Impacts, AirBnb and Short Term Rentals, Toll Roads, A OC Veteran’s Cemetery, HOV Lanes on our Freeways.. and now our Beaches!  Perhaps our County Supervisors need to spend more time on issues which directly affect the residents and commercial businesses here in Orange County and less on whether the Sheriff’s Office needs to be re-organized or whether the District Attorney’s Office needs retrofitting.  Don’t get us wrong, we have some very nice folks up there in the rare air of the 5th Floor in the County Building.  Perhaps, they just like listening to those folks with fat wallets that keep sending them their annual campaign contributions.  We have no idea!  We do know however, that the County has serious issues and problems which need resolution….that cannot or should not be dumped unceremoniously back onto the Cities.  At least not so – when many times they only need a little direction, an occasional State or Federal Grant or some coordination with the three or four Congressional seats that are supposed to look after our beautiful county.

So what has to happen?  Should all of us go on vacation to a world beach resort and bring back a 5 lb Coffee Can full of sand to put back on our beaches.  Hopefully, Homeland Security will not bust us or US Customs won’t demand a fee for importing sand without a license.  Ridiculous…..yes it is.  Come on Orange County …lead, follow or get out of the way!  Fix our beaches….they are SO CAL’s greatest resource!  Even if YOU don’t go there!

Let’s start: Bringing back Sand to the Beach?  Try, the good stuff….not Santa Ana River Run-off please!

There is water at the bottom of the ocean!