SEAL BEACH : City to Join Study on State’s Beaches

Seal Beach officials have agreed to participate in a regional study of the state’s beaches that is being conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers and the county’s Environmental Management Agency.

The city was invited to join the program by state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) and will send acting chief of lifeguards Dan Dorsey to participate in the regional discussions. Seal Beach has actively monitored its beaches with extensive studies during the last seven years. This latest study would serve as a planner’s guide for future man-made structures along the county coastline.

The regional study is expected to take five years and will cost $5 million. It will encompass a 38-mile stretch of Orange County shoreline from Dana Point to the Los Angeles County border, said Larry Paul, manager of coastal facilities with the Environmental Management Agency.

“The study is aimed at providing a five-year snapshot that will measure all the effects on the coastline,” Paul said.

Participation in the program is free--a key factor in Seal Beach’s decision to take part, said City Manager Jerry L. Bankston. Last August, the city turned down an opportunity to participate in the study because it would have cost Seal Beach nearly $140,000.

Seal Beach conducted a comprehensive study of its own in 1985. Officials will share their earlier findings with other cities involved in the regional program.

According to the 1985 study, Seal Beach needs about $3 million to protect and improve its shoreline. Earlier this year, officials agreed to spend more than $8,000 to update the original study and determine whether other funding sources are available.

The city’s current fiscal plan does not include spending for beach improvements. However, Seal Beach has $137,000 in a beach reserve fund, officials said.

Bankston said that while Seal Beach will benefit by participating in the county and state study, it needs to move quickly to put the various recommendations into practice.