The inaugural COPRI Project Excellence Award was presented to Michael McCarthy of Moffatt & Nichol at the June 10, 2009 ASCE – Los Angeles Section, Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch Waterways Harbors & Coastal Engineering Technical Group meeting. The event consisted of the award ceremony and a presentation by Russell Boudreau, also of Moffatt & Nichol, on the Los Angeles Breakwater Reconfiguration Study.
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| COPRI Vice President Ron Noble presents PEA to Michael McCarthy |
McCarthy told attendees that Moffatt & Nichol that he was pleased to receive this inaugural Project Excellence Award from COPRI. It was presented by COPRI Vice President Ron Noble, P.E., F.ASCE, LS, on behalf of the Institute.
“M&N has been involved on projects at Bolsa Chica for several decades, sometimes with those who wished to develop the site and ultimately with the agencies involved in leading the restoration efforts,” McCarthy said. “Many of you here tonight were also involved in the planning and design, and we appreciate the efforts of all those involved to make the project a success, especially the Ports and the Federal and State agencies that made up the project Steering Committee. We are continuing to be involved with the monitoring of the project, and are very pleased with how well the project is doing. Thank you again to COPRI for this award.”
Several miles north of the Bolsa Chica project, Long Beach city officials are investigating the potential reconfiguration of the Long Beach Breakwater. Boudreau noted that while the Long Beach Breakwater was constructed by the federal government in the late 1940s, in recent years, questions regarding the ongoing need for the breakwater have arisen. In response, the Long Beach City Council has directed City staff, through the consulting services of Moffatt and Nichol, to conduct a federal Reconnaissance study of the breakwater to determine if a reconfiguration has the potential to enhance the existing ecosystem, improve water quality and restore wave activity to Long Beach, while continuing to protect navigation and property.
Important issues associated with the project include:
• How much does the existing Long Beach Breakwater affect water circulation?
• Could water quality and habitat improve if the breakwater were reconfigured?
• Would a reconfiguration continue to protect property, protect against storm damage, and protect navigation?
• Can good quality waves be restored without exacerbating an existing localized beach erosion problem?
• What is the potential for increased wave activity negatively impacting both existing infrastructure and operations?
• How much will the breakwater configuration cost?
• What are the potential economic and environmental benefits?
The presentation provided a background of the breakwater and existing conditions and discussed some of the key engineering, environmental and economic issues. Four alternative breakwater and/or Los Angeles River mouth modifications were investigated as to their potential impacts in providing wave protection and water circulation/water quality benefits. No definitive conclusions were determined from this initial investigation.
