Critique of Bolsa Chica Wetlands Stand by Surfers Sparks Return Fire

The letters supporting development of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and trivializing the opposition posed by surfers demand challenge.

One issue is certainly environmental concern, but that was examined in depth by the agency watchdogs who unanimously criticized the EIR to the point of ridicule.

The other issue is the potential damage to the beach area at the south end of Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Perhaps the casual attitude toward the development plan by many Huntington Beach residents is caused by inadequate description of the inlet channel portion of the project.

The plan is to build two rock jetties to form the inlet channel to the new harbor. The jetties, each eight to 13 feet high, will extend the length of two football fields into the ocean and will be 250 feet apart. A 10- to 13-foot rock revetment, or retaining wall, will be built upon 1,000 feet of wide, sandy beach to the south and 500 feet to the north of the jetties. Almost 2,000 feet of beach will be sacrificed.

There is well-founded speculation that the jetties will impede the seasonal movement of sand, resulting in erosion of large sections of beach to the north and south.

The geniuses that built the Oceanside harbor jetties in the 1960s ignored the sand migration issue and turned miles of wide beaches into a rocky shoreline.

We understand the short-term commercial gains available to contractors and developers.

We just don’t feel that trading the beach for commercial opportunity is in the best interest of the community.

LEE O’CONNOR

Huntington Beach