Surfers and Dredging

The winter season is the best time of year for surfers. Unfortunately, this is also dredging season.

The Surfrider Foundation office in Ventura is always inundated with calls asking, “What is all the black stuff being pumped onto the beach?” or, “Is it safe to go in the water?”

I hope the following information helps to answer these questions.

First, it is important to understand why it is necessary to dredge onto the beach. The beach is like a river of sand constantly flowing along the coast. But jetties at the harbor entrances act like dams to this flow. Sand builds up to the north while the beach shrinks on the south side of the harbors. This sand must be “bypassed” around the harbors to keep the entrances open for boats and to keep that river of sand flowing down the coast. Our beaches rely on this annual dredging process.

The dredging operations require a whole set of permits. Before permits are issued the sediments have to be tested for a variety of things, including bacteria, certain chemicals, even the size of the individual grains of sand.

Theoretically, the dredging operations are putting safe sand onto the beach. However, these sediments have been sitting on the bottom of the harbor. Everything in the water settles out and accumulates on the sea floor and this supports a whole community of organisms.

Unlike dry sand on the beach, the material dredged off the bottom contains a large amount of organic matter. When this organic matter is pumped onto the beach, it looks black and smells like, well, dead “organic matter.” Phew!

Dredging is an industrial operation that turns the beach into a construction site. Heavy equipment and the dirty water and sand create an ugly situation. However, after awhile the organic matter dissipates, the sun bleaches out the sand and the beach cleans up by summer.

It is hard to stay on the beach when perfect waves are to be had. But when the dredge is stirring things up and the water is the color of chocolate, it is best to play it safe and stay out of the water.

If you do venture into the water and pick up some bizarre disease, the Surfrider Foundation would like to hear about it. Please visit our web site and fill out a survey: https://www.west.net/~srfrdrvc/index.html.

Tell us your symptoms and where you got sick. Also, let us know if it was after a rain or if the dredge was doing its thing. In that case, there’s no telling what you might catch!

PAUL JENKIN, Ventura Chapter Chair, Surfrider Foundation