Several solutions to flooding

John H. Rudolph

After reading the articles about the restoration of Laguna Canyon

Creek, I called Craig Justice of the environmental services of Laguna

Beach. He patiently let me talk about my ideas as to what should be

done to stop the flooding in Laguna Canyon, to biologically purify

the floodwater before it reaches Main Beach and to make the Laguna

Canyon Creek a viable year-round naturally flowing stream.

As we talked, two questions came immediately into mind. When the

upper end of the Laguna Creek bed is cleared of debris to make a

beautiful stream, floodwater from the roofs, driveways and streets in

Aliso Viejo, Laguna Woods, Club Laguna area will flow to the upper

end of Laguna Creek.

Water from the non-absorbing surfaces of El Toro Road, the toll

road, Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine Ranch and the Moulton Ranch will

also naturally flow to the same place. This torrent of water will

quickly overflow the existing aqueduct and destroy residential and

business property along Laguna Canyon and Downtown Laguna Beach, the

same as the floodwater does now.

We have not solved our flooding problem, instead we’ve possibly

added to a bad situation.

My second question is, where does the Aspen Group plan to get

water for the creek, during the six or so months of the dry season?

Why spend more than $1 million on a stream, which will flow only five

or six months out of the year?

Most letters to the editor are negative and derogatory about a

person or a policy that was approved. Seldom does anyone suggest ways

to solve the problem.

Here’s my solution as to how to make many needed projects in

Laguna Beach come to fruition. Use the money proposed to put the

second aqueduct down Broadway, the idea won’t work anyway. Use some

of the proposed money to restore Laguna Canyon Creek. Use some of the

parking meter fees from the new parking spaces over the existing

aqueduct to build a series of small natural earthen dams, or

reservoirs along El Toro and Laguna Canyon roads. The dams would be

constructed to look as natural as possible. They should be covered

with native and possibly some special cultured plants.

The upper dams would naturally overflow into the lower dam or

dams. Water levels in the dams could be controlled by drain pipes

connecting the dams and with valves and pumps. The water contained in

the impoundments will have plants, such as water lilies, even

Hydrilla, which could be harvested, when necessary, to help

biologically purify the stored water. The non-polluted floodwater

would be controllably released into the creek and in the fall of the

year, the water level would be lowered and the water released into

the ocean at Main Beach to make room for the winter rains.

A large aesthetic pool or catch basin with possibly a small

waterfall, water lilies, sand surrounding habitat for birds and

animals could be at the lower end of the creek. A pump would move the

water from the basin, back to the upper dams. Energy to operated this

pump, fountains, and irrigation pumps, could be produced from solar

collectors, or by conventional means.

Fountains in the dams and pools would not only be beautiful, but

would aerate the water. Some retained water could be diverted to

sprinkler systems on the tops and sides of the dams and along each

side of Laguna Canyon Road to insure a year-round blooming

flower-lined entrance road the Laguna Beach. How about a small dam on

Laguna Canyon Road, across from Castle Rock Road, to collect the

water from the watershed areas below the upper dams? This dam could

be the centerpiece to the entrance to the city.

Since most of the canyon flooding comes from Aliso Viejo, Laguna

Woods, Club Laguna, the toll road, El Toro Road, Laguna Canyon Road,

Irvine Ranch and Moulton Ranch, they should be held liable for their

share of our problems and should hopefully be willing partners in

correcting them.

I have more than 15 necessary and pressing projects that are

possible to develop that will benefit Laguna Beach, only if the dams

are built.

Probably the most important and immediate project is to provide

parking for the art festival and Downtown Laguna Beach.

When the dams are in place, the present aqueduct or ugly and

dangerous concrete flood ditch will not be necessary to control even

abnormal rain. However, the aqueduct should remain for emergency

flooding, just in case. Easy access to immediate parking will get

hundreds of cars off the street and will help to relieve traffic

congestion all over town. A concrete lid can be poured over the top

of the aqueduct to provide parking for hundreds of cars from Ganahl

Lumber down to the Bus Depot. A special space, in conjunction with

the proposed festival parking structure across Laguna Canyon Road

from the festival grounds, should be set aside for a beautiful small

park. A pond with a fountain, water plats and natural habitat for

birds and animals, it would also include a beautiful lawn with

walkways, statues and benches created by local artists (The ultimate

environmental art). Can you see it? I can. Man made. “Mother nature

at her finest.”

A helicopter landing pad could be built next to or over the lower

dam to provide easy access to salt-free water for immediate

protection and control of Laguna Canyon and Laguna Beach.

So far this city has to acquire only a small amount of developed

property for the dams and no property for the new parking spaces over

the aqueduct. Sound like a good deal to me.

Property below the dams will no longer be in a flood plane, so

more creative and functional buildings can be built in Laguna Canyon

with much less initial expense and no more flood insurance. A new

Laguna Beach City Hall could be built at Big Bend and would have

adequate City Hall parking and recreational facilities, such as

tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.

The property purchased for a new Senior Citizen Center, could be

sold and the money received, could be used to build part of the new

City Hall, or it could be used to renovate the old City Hall and make

it into a super senior enter, located away from the dangerous

intersection at the corner of Third and Mermaid streets, where it is

proposed to be built. The police station and the Downtown fire

station could be enlarged or at least updated.

The Greenbelt is a wonderful program to protect Laguna Beach and

the immediate surrounding area from overdevelopment, but as it is, it

does nothing to help solve the many serious physical problems in

Laguna Beach. Properly constructing and planting the dams will add to

the beauty of the canyon and will provide fire protection to the

Greenbelt itself.

The dams will provide water for birds, animals and plants in the

canyon, provide protection to the city from fire and floods and will

biologically purify the floodwater, so that pollution free water can

be controllably released into Laguna Canyon Creek and the Pacific

Ocean at Main Beach. The dams will indirectly provide hundreds of

needed Downtown parking spaces and provide many other opportunities

for positive and necessary changes in Laguna Canyon and in the city

of Laguna Beach.

I have lived in Laguna for more than 54 years and have been a

local general building contractor for almost 50 years, I have owned

many residential properties in Laguna and in 1959 I bought my first

property in Laguna Canyon. I have been through both floods and fire

here in Laguna Canyon, so I feel qualified to express some pertinent

opinions that should raise some good conversation. Let’s get on it.

This same concept of even larger dams above Aliso Creek should be

examined. The polluted water would be contained in the dams until

biologically purified and then controllably released into the stream

bed to flow into the ocean -- rather than allowing polluted water to

constantly flow onto our precious and famous “skimboarding” beach.

* JOHN H. RUDOLPH is a Laguna Beach resident.