An education at Bolsa Chica

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

As promised, I went out to Bolsa Chica and the Talbert Flood

Control Channel with Independent columnists Vic Leipzig and Lou

Murray so they might convince me that I was wrong in my assessment of

the proposed Bolsa Chica inlet.

But before I delve into the details of our outing and what I

gleaned from it, let me touch on a couple things.

First off, and perhaps I did not make this clear enough the first

time around, I am totally in favor of the wetlands being restored.

The sooner those hideous oil fields can be replaced by natural

habitat, the better. This is not back pedaling, but something I

stated in my initial column.

Second, and more confounding to me, in response to my assertions

that I would hate to see a beautiful section of the beach dug up,

restoration supporters have come to some bizarre conclusions.

Someone wrote in saying “apparently Ms. Goulet finds the oil rigs

off the coast aesthetically pleasing.” Right. Sure I do -- that

follows logically.

Another said “she ignores the 35 to 40 acres of prime sandy beach

that have already been destroyed by asphalt pavement or monstrous

restrooms.”

Actually, I don’t ignore it. My point was that perhaps man has

done enough damage. I know it is idealistic and a lost cause, but as

we continue to consume this Earth and its natural resources at an

astronomical rate, perhaps we don’t need engineers to plan our

landscape and construction crews to build it. Maybe we can leave that

to nature.

Now, when I went out with Vic and Lou they did answer a couple of

misconceptions I had and corrected some misinformation that had been

given.

The proposed project has been likened to the Batiquitos Lagoon in

Carlsbad. I visited the lagoon with Jack Fancher, the lead U.S. Fish

and Wildlife engineer on that project and this one. The jetties I was

envisioning here in Huntington Beach were like the ones I stood on

with him there -- which jut far out into the water. Vic tells me that

is not so. Although they will be in the water at high tide, the beach

will be passable at low tide. This is good to know.

I was also told while reporting that the wetlands serve as a

natural filter to clean up runoff. That to me suggested that the

wetlands were intended to take on the runoff from the Wintersburg

Channel. Vic and Lou said they never would have backed the proposal

if this were true. No channel with empty into the restored wetlands.

Those two facts ease some of my concerns about the proposed inlet.

They do not, however, stop me from wishing there was another way to

achieve full tidal flooding other than cutting a swath through the

beach. So Vic, you have set my mind at ease, if not changed it. Thank

you.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at [email protected].