Rare dune’s destruction under investigation

Andrew Edwards

A protected sand dune in West Newport has been destroyed, possibly by

people illegally operating equipment being used to dredge the Santa

Ana River.

Newport Beach officials learned of the sand dune’s destruction

this week.

“They thought we would be good at enforcement, and it looks like

we’ll have to restore the dune,” Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff

said.

The dune, which was between Sonora and Olive streets, was

protected by the Coastal Act, said Andrew Willis of the Coastal

Commission. Sand dunes, rare in Southern California, are protected as

a scenic resource. So far, officials do not know who to blame for the

dune’s removal.

“We don’t really know who should be the responsible party,” Willis

said.

Officials do not believe the dune’s destruction was a direct

result of the Santa Ana River dredging project. However, there is

suspicion that someone illegally used construction vehicles belonging

to CJW Construction Inc., the Santa Ana company contracted by the

Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the river.

“It appeared as if someone had used the equipment to level the

dune,” Corps of Engineers environmental coordinator Hayley Lovan

said. “The owners of the company were very upset.”

Lovan said the dune was likely leveled April 17 or 18, and she

reported the dune’s destruction to the Coastal Commission, the state

Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

CJW Construction stored a loader and an excavator near the dune,

project manager Alan Perkovich said. He noted that construction

vehicles have standardized ignition keys, which makes it possible for

someone not employed by the company to use the equipment.

“I’d bet my life it was nobody who worked for my company,”

Perkovich said.

Perkovich said he considers any unauthorized use of his company’s

equipment to be theft, and CJW Construction has contacted the Newport

Beach Police Department.

Police are waiting for a company representative to sign a report

before an investigation can begin, police spokesman Sgt. Bill

Hartford said.

The dune was removed shortly before the dredging boat, Eland, left

Newport, Lovan said. The boat can’t be used during the summer because

dredging near the river mouth could disturb endangered birds that

nest in the area.

The $5-million dredging project was initially scheduled to finish

in March. Eland ran aground twice during dredging operations. The

Corps of Engineers said winter storms were the primary cause of

delays.

The dredging boat could return by late September, Corps of

Engineers spokesman Greg Fuderer said. On Monday, crews are scheduled

to begin work on an access way to the river near MacArthur Boulevard

to allow workers to dig river sediments using land-based equipment.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be

reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards

@latimes.com.