RBOC Submits Concerns with Boating Impacts of East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Project

RBOC has filed formal comments expressing concerns with the negative impact that the East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration project would have on recreational boating.

The project is the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report pertaining to the East San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study of the City of Long Beach.

RBOC acknowledges and appreciates the objectives of this project to restore 18 square miles of the East San Pedro Bay from approximately the Port of Long Beach to Alamitos Bay in a manner that restores aquatic ecosystems in a marine environment, and that increases abundance and biodiversity of marine populations in East San Pedro Bay.

RBOC is concerned that elements in this project, which include additional rock habitat structure that would support kelp, eelgrass and other sensitive species or habitat types, would have a significant, negative impact on boating.

Specifically and as clearly shown in the study materials, the project would place kelp beds in areas that are very popular for boaters throughout the region. These routes provide for safe navigation and have been extensively utilized for several decades. This will only increase in the future as key boating events are planned in this area that will provide both recreational opportunities and economic benefits for the region.

RBOC has therefore requested that:

  1. The RBOC organization be included as a stakeholder in any process going forward.

  2. The Tentatively Selected Plan (Alternative 4A) be revised to ensure that the negative impacts on recreational boating are eliminated as the project moves forward.  The provisions are set forth on P367, Lines 18-21.

RBOC has submitted comments to the Los Angeles District of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

For the RBOC comment letter including specific excerpts from the study that are of concern: click here

RBOC Opposing California WaterFix, Citing Negative Impact on Boating

RBOC has adopted a position in opposition to the proposed WaterFix project, a massive construction project that could seriously impact boaters’ access to the Delta for years to come.

“RBOC has, for decades, been at the forefront of opposing proposals that would impair the ability of boaters to access to the 1,000 miles of waterways in the Delta,” said Peter Robertson, president of the organization.  “We successfully opposed permanent barriers that would have blocked navigation to popular Delta destinations.  We have supported legislation that would increase funds for fighting invasive species such as the water hyacinth,” stated Robertson.

According to RBOC, the proposed WaterFix project is the latest threat to boating in the Delta.  The project, which could take 14 years or more to complete, involves digging huge, 47-mile long tunnels under the Delta to facilitate movement of water.  During construction, major waterways and tributaries could be closed to recreational boaters.

At an August 1 meeting of its Board of Directors, RBOC identified specific, boater-related concerns with the Notice of Determination (NOD) for the California WaterFix environmental analysis.  These include:

  • The significant, negative impact that will occur with the closure of waterways to navigation during the lengthy construction period.

  • The absence of a plan to ensure that the Delta infrastructure will not only be preserved, but improved.

  • The lack of surety that the plan will address the threat that climate change and increased water transfer pose to the amount and quality of water in the Delta.

“We are encouraging the state to consider other sources of water such as increased storage and desalination,” stated Robertson.