Study launched to prevent Buck Gully erosion

Paul Clinton

The environmental group Orange County CoastKeeper has joined hands

with three public agencies to study a troubling erosion phenomenon in

Buck Gully.

The Newport Beach-based group hired an environmental consultant

who began work on Monday to look into methods of controlling

“headcutting,” a problem caused when polluted urban runoff erodes the

gully.

“The idea is to come up with a couple of solutions to see how we

want to proceed to fix the problem,” said Randy Seton, a CoastKeeper

leader.

Rivertech Inc., based in Riverside, began studying drainage in the

gully on Monday. CoastKeeper handed Rivertech researcher Hasan Nouri

$50,000 for a two-week effort.

Polluted water has been flowing from lawns, East Coast Highway and

other sources carrying pesticides, animal waste and copper residue

from brakes into the gully.

Water entering the gully from the watershed tends to pick up speed

as it flows down the hill toward Little Corona Beach. When the water

drops from a waterfall near the beach, it tends to carve out pockets

of erosion, thus cutting the soil at the head of the waterfall.

Heavier rainfall runoff during the winter storm season will wreak

more havoc in the gully, as El Nino-like conditions are expected

later this year. Heavy rainfall equates to heavy erosion, Seton said.

“When we have winter storms, that just makes it worse,” Seton

said. “It’s going to get nasty down there.”

Newport Beach, the Irvine Ranch Water District and the county are

partnering with CoastKeeper on the study. The Irvine Co. is also

helping to fund it.

County officials have completed detailed mapping of the terrain.

The other groups have also pledged support.

“We’re being asked to take a look at that,” said Marilyn Smith, a

district spokeswoman. “We’re very concerned about residential

runoff.”

Buck Gully has been the source of recent attention from

CoastKeeper, which has been working to keep the runoff away from the

beach. Children have been known to play in the puddles of waste water

as it meanders down the sand.

City leaders say they have launched a broader effort to control

pollution, as well as wild brush growth, in Newport Coast.

“I’m more concerned about the potential for wild fires,” Assistant

City Manager Dave Kiff said. “But the headcutting is a problem too.”