Newport Beach homeowners feel eelgrass’ squeeze

June Casagrande

A few years ago, a homeowner would pay about $2,000 to dredge under a

private pier. Today, it can cost up to $40,000.

The difference is eelgrass, a protected plant species that has

proliferated in the harbor because of favorable weather. Though not

an endangered plant species, it is protected by state and federal

governments because it is home to many fish and other animals. But

the animals’ gain could be homeowners’ loss as the plant threatens to

choke local waterways.

“It could significantly impact the economy of the harbor if

eelgrass becomes so prevalent that people can’t dredge under their

slips,” Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

A big part of the problem, Kiff said, is that state and federal

regulations don’t specify how much eelgrass throughout the harbor is

enough. Instead, the rules err on the side of caution and require all

homeowners with eelgrass near their slips to replant the eelgrass

after dredging -- a practice that can be extremely costly.

Workers must carefully remove the eel grass, then dredge out the

sediment under it, then replant it. The homeowner then must pay to

monitor the plant for five to seven years to make sure it survives

and thrives. If it dies, the homeowner is responsible for replacing

it.

City officials are looking for solutions. Kiff said that the city

hopes to convince regulators to decide on an amount of eelgrass in

the bay that qualifies as enough.

In El Nino years, when the water becomes too murky to let in much

sunlight, the city’s eelgrass supply can get down to about three

acres. Right now, about 30 or 35 acres underwater are covered in

eelgrass. If regulatory agencies decided that, for example, 30 acres

was enough, then homeowners would be allowed to dredge in eelgrass in

boon times without replacing the plant.

Mayor Steve Bromberg said he hopes to arrange a meeting among

local, state and federal representatives, including U.S. Rep. Chris

Cox, to talk about setting guidelines to correct a problem he calls a

“sleeping giant.”

“We don’t dispute that eelgrass is good for the fish and the bay,”

Bromberg said. “What we dispute is the fact that even though we have

so much of it, people are still in this situation.”

In the meantime, the city’s Harbor Commission is considering

whether the city should set up underwater eelgrass nurseries where

residents can pay the city to regrow eelgrass to make up for

quantities lost to dredging.

“A lot of people around the harbor think that the city is

willingly and aggressively enforcing this eel grass policy, but we

didn’t want this provision in there,” Kiff said. “We want a sensible

eelgrass policy and we don’t think what’s in place is all that

sensible.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].