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July 28, 2019

Dear Friends,

I am learning a lot first hand about the CI Harbor Water degradation from nitrates (fertilizers) and pesticides.  The attached photo from our docks and rip rap, taken today is not mud – it’s a stagnant water growing field of all sorts of algae as a direct result of the post NRG power plant era.  On one hand, the Clean Water Act and the related shut down of power plants up and down the Coast of California sought to save the marine life at the outflow to the sea.

Now the NRG plant’s mandated shut down has a direct impact on all marine and bird life that resides in and around our harbor. The lack of flushing of the sea water through the Edison Canal rolling through our harbor allows growth of things that are not good for the health of our harbor – namely algae.  The scientists tell us that the long summer days directly impact the growth rate of the algae and the dropping of oxygen levels in the harbor.  No oxygen – marine life dies.  We’re not the only harbors experiencing algal blooms, it’s global impacting both fresh and ocean water.

So here is what I am doing to clean up my little part of my dockside paradise and it only took me about 30 minutes today, a laundry basket with some extra holes drilled into the bottom by my terrific husband Werner and a small rake. (You Tube video is not required for this experiment.)  Put on a hat, sunscreen and some gloves.  Head out to your dock with a friend and rake out everything that looks like green algae floating material.  Today my “catch” is primarily sea lettuce which feels like waxed paper. It’s amazingly hearty and grows wide and deep.  Pull out everything you can (nothing with fins, feathers or flippers please) and dump it into the laundry basket with holes.  My first attempt at collection was with black trash bags, which broke through quickly.  My laundry basket filled to the top with sea lettuce weighs in at just under 28 pounds.  I’m going to leave it on my dock to drain for a few days.  Before hauling it off your dock to the trash, consider doing it on your trash day, because it really smells bad!     

Share your own dockside clean up pictures and You Tube videos with me, of your dockside algae clean ups.  Be safe and careful on the water!

PS:  Hope to see you this Thursday, August 1st at our Channel Islands Neighborhood Council meeting.  CINC’s Marine Advisory Comittee will give you a full report on everything else we’ve been learning about C.I. Harbor Water Quality.

Make it a great day on our harbor,

Audrey Keller

Chair, Channel Islands Neighborhood Council

(818) 292-0447

Visit:  www.cineighbors.com