Focl Newlsetter April2012 Final Color

Friends of Colorado Lagoon
FOCL POINTS
Friends of Colorado Lagoon is a coalition of concerned citizens working to preserve and restore Colorado Lagoon
Friends of Colorado Lagoons FOCL Points Newsletter No. 16
Presidents Letter
April 2012
by Dr. Christine Whitcraft, FOCL Vice President
As I walk and run near the lagoon, I can almost see past the cloth hanging on the fences around Colorado
Lagoon, but not quite! I see neighbors, visitors, bikers, and other also craning their necks to see past the fence and into
the construction zone. We all ask the same questions: What is going on in there? Where is all that mud going? The
Friends of Colorado Lagoon thought this would be an excellent time to update you about the construction progress at
the lagoon; consider it your glimpse through the fence!
The goal of this phase of the restoration project is to remove 75,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment from
throughout the lagoon. This sediment has accumulated over the last 80+ years, brought to the lagoon by storm runoff
along with pollutants like lead. The dredging is mandated by the State Water Board who recently set very strict limits
for pollutants in the lagoon.
In order to accomplish this, AIS Construction has mobilized several large barges each with its own excavator
on top. On any given morning, you can see these excavators slowly crawling through the lagoon, moving the barges
into place to begin dredging for the day. Working Monday through Saturday, AIS is dredging approximately 1,000
cubic yards of sediment a day on average. This sediment includes thousands of golf balls and at least one car (so far).
Once the material is removed from the lagoon, it is staged and, if needed, treated on site. Then trucks haul away the
dredged material, which raises the next question, Where does the sediment go once it leaves the lagoon?
The treated sediment leaving the lagoon is headed for the Port of Long Beach, to be used as fill in the Middle
Harbor Project. The port has given AIS a specific window of time in which to bring the sediment, and this has driven
the schedule and has necessitated the extended working hours. By accepting the sediment, the port has saved the
lagoon project significant trucking costs that would have been incurred if the material had to be trucked to another site.
(Presidents Letter - continued on page 2)
Page 1
April 2012
Photo on previous page: the AIS dredge on the water at the Lagoon
with FOCLs East Bank Restoration in the background; Photo above: the
staging area for the dredged sediment before it is taken to the Port of
Long Beach; Photo below: an automobile engine pulled up from depths
of the Lagoon. All photos from Dave Pirazzi.
(Presidents Letter - continued from

page 1)
Once dredging is complete,
the banks of the lagoon will be recontoured to increase intertidal habitat
at the lagoon. The ambitious goal is
for all of this work to be completed by
July 2012. Once the heavy machinery
is done with its work, FOCL will then
manage the revegetation of the
intertidal and upland habitats. FOCL
has already begun salvaging nine salt
marsh plant species that inhabit the
soon-to-be-disturbed
shorelines.
These plants will be nurtured in a
nearby growing space and returned to
the lagoon in the 20122013 planting
season. A portion of this work will be
funded by the newly received Rivers
and Mountains Conservancy grant
that FOCL received. It will provide
lots of opportunities for you, the
community, to come out, get your
hands dirty, and repopulate the lagoon
with plants! Keep checking back on
our webpage, Facebook page, and
blog to hear about the construction
progress.
Also, were still looking for a
few passionate individuals to join our
Board of Directors. Specific needs
include grant research/writing, event
planning/coordination,
public
relations/communications, and web
master, but anyone with passion and a
willingness to help is welcome. We
are a dedicated group of community
members who pride ourselves on
working collaboratively with the
government, community, and other
non-profits to restore, improve and
protect the lagoon. We strive to
remain
non-political,
nonconfrontational, and focused on our
mission, all while having as much fun
as possible. If you are looking for a
way to channel your passion right
here in our community, please contact
us at [email protected].
Page 2
April 2012
Native Trees
by Whitney Graves, FOCL Restoration Technician
A Salt Marsh Seen

by Eric Zahn, M.S. FOCLs Restoration Director
I have been a been a contributor to this newsletter now for 5
years and with each article I keep thinking that I will run out
of natural muses to inspire my writings about Colorado
Lagoon. Thus far I have shared my observations of the
Lagoons salt marsh plant community, invasive plants, insects,
encrusting invertebrates, fishes, bioswale system, trash,
grasslands, and of course YOU the people (Ive never had to
write about birds thanks to Rich Sonnenbergs column). Yet, it
never fails that between editions something new about this
dynamic conservation effort captures me.
Populus fremontii (Fremonts cottonwood) is a

large deciduous tree native to the southwestern United
States and Mexico. It is partial to riparian zones and
therefore grows well at low elevations near streams,
rivers, and wetlands. Its leaves are cordate, or heartshaped.
Fremonts cottonwoods are easily grown by
taking branch samples from a mature tree and placing
them in soil. Eventually, roots begin to form, new leaves
begin to show, and a new plant is made. This plant
propagation technique is commonly called striking or
cutting.
Native uses for Populus fremontii were numerous
and varied; basketweaving and tool making were
common, and some tribes used the tree as a favorite wood
source for their drums. The inner bark is rich in Vitamin C
and was chewed as an antiscorbutic, or treatment for
scurvy.
Be sure to check out Eric Zahns article about the

Lagoon restoration in SMBRFs Urban Coast Journal:
The Complexity of Urban Tidal Wetlands Restoration
Projects Exemplified at Colorado Lagoon at
SantaMonicaBay.org
Some may recall the first article I wrote in April 2007 entitled
A Salt Marsh Unseen. In this communication I challenged
Lagoon visitors to take some time to look a little closer
andsee a whole new world at your feet. At that time it was
challenging to find the small remnants of salt marsh habitat
that existed. This was before FOCLs education and
community-based restoration programs had been established
at the WAMSEC and well before FOCL began its first
restoration project on the East Bank in November 2008. In
fact, so much has changed at Colorado Lagoon since that time.
This was before the storm drains were diverted and tons of
trash trapped from entering the lagoon. This was before the
culvert was cleaned and the tidal regime improved. This was
before FOCL created the beach garden that runs from the
WAMSEC to the Playgroup and before the Termino Avenue
Drain Project steamed through the Appian Way parking lot.
And of course this was before 4 excavators and an army of
trucks were unleashed on the Lagoon to remove its
contaminated sediments.
While all of these achievements have been of importance, the
biggest milestone for Friends Of Colorado Lagoon was
reached on March 26th, 2012 when the Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy voted unanimously support of FOCLs grant
application for $500,000 to revegetate 5 acres of habitat in the
Lagoons western arm, along with the installation of trails and
interpretive elements (see page 4 for more info). This new
project will make the Lagoons salt marsh and associated plant
communities more visible than ever before, but will only be
possible with the support of community volunteers. FOCL
plans to host over 200 public restoration events over the next 2
years to accomplish this work.
So as this conservation effort moves forward I now ask you,
the supporters of Colorado Lagoon, to take some time to get
a little closer involved and create a whole new world at your
feet. Together we will build new habitats and restore
Colorado Lagoons salt marsh ecosystem to be seen by future
generations to come.
Page 3
April 2012

6475 East PCH #252
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 261-9058
www.coloradolagoon.org
FOCL POINTS is published three times a year by

Editors
Contributors
Whitney Graves
Taylor Parker
Dave Pirazzi
Dr. Christine Whitcraft
Eric Zahn
FOCL Receives $500,000 Grant from RMC!

On March 19th, 2012 the Friends of Colorado Lagoon were
awarded a competitive grant from the San Gabriel & Lower Los
Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy for $500,000 to
revegetate the Western Arm of the Colorado Lagoon. In addition to
restoring the salt marsh and adjacent habitat, FOCL will develop
interpretive signage, improve the surrounding trails, and conduct
monitoring of the project. The awarded funding comes from
Proposition 84 and in coordination with the City of Long Beach,
this new project will begin after the current dredging project,
which is expected to be completed by August of this year.
FOCL is very grateful to the RMC for this funding as it is an
integral piece of the restoration puzzle. This recent award adds to
FOCLs history of receiving competitive grant funds for
community-based habitat restoration of the Colorado Lagoon. In
2008, FOCL was awarded $29,800 from the Southern California
Wetland Recovery Project and $73,400 from the United States
Fish and Wildlife Services Coastal Program to restore the
Lagoons eastern shoreline.
FOCL works with many community partners and local
schools to raise awareness and provide education for our valuable
coastal habitats while offering opportunities for the general public
to help restore Colorado Lagoon. Involvement from local citizens
will make FOCLs efforts most successful. Those interested in
participating should contact FOCLs education program.
Page 4

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Friends of Colorado Lagoon

Friends of Colorado Lagoons FOCL Points Newsletter No. 16

by Dr. Christine Whitcraft, FOCL Vice President

(Presidents Letter - continued from

by Whitney Graves, FOCL Restoration Technician

A Salt Marsh Seen

Populus fremontii (Fremonts cottonwood) is a

Be sure to check out Eric Zahns article about the

Friends of Colorado Lagoon

FOCL POINTS is published three times a year by

FOCL Receives $500,000 Grant from RMC!

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