Dredge solution is right

Residents of West Newport can rest and breathe easy.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not be dumping sediment from

the Santa Ana River onto the beach between 32nd and 56th streets, as

originally planned. City leaders in Newport Beach can also rest easy

knowing they’ve done right by their constituents.

The announcement this week that sediment dredged from the river --

a much-needed project to protect low-lying lands against floods --

will not end up on the front doorsteps of beachfront residents and

will instead be pumped offshore is the proper end to a problem that,

in the best of all possible worlds, would never have been a problem.

The Santa Ana River needs to get cleaned out, after all. West Newport

beaches need to be replenished, though not quite in the bulk manner

the corps of engineers would have done it. Given those needs, it’s

understandable that the initial beach-dumping plan seemed to make

sense.

Given the problems, though -- Would the sediment contain trash or

bacteria that would foul up the beach? Would the additional sand ruin

the waves and create dangerous shore breaks? -- it is equally

understandable why residents reacted as negatively, and loudly, as

they did. The council, as we have said before, is to be commended for

reacting rightly to those concerns.

What makes this denouement even better is that it seems it will be

far better for the beaches than the original plan. Instead of 400,000

cubic yards of river sediment landing on the beach, the gunk removed

during the $4.5-million project will be pumped offshore past the west

end of 56th Street. From there, it can flow back onto the beach far

more naturally, which will be far better for the beach even as it is

safer for beachgoers and those enjoying the water.

The two unresolved pieces to the story are the cost and the length

of time it will take. The Corps has not yet figured how much the

change will add to the final price tag. And it will take some three

months, if the city allows the Corps to work 24 hours a day. We can

see how around-the-clock work might not be greeted with resident

applause.

Still, given all the problems that already have been handled, if

that does come up, we are confident a remedy can be found.