A line in the sand on Aliso

One thing all agree on is that Aliso Beach must be cleaned up. But this is a lot easier to demand than to accomplish.

Aliso Beach is one of the most beautiful spots along the Laguna coastline, and one of the most accessible for beachgoers and surfers. It’s the site of an annual skimboarding competition and skimboarders are attracted to its unusual sand and surf formation: Waves run up on the beach and meet the creek flow, making it the perfect spot for skimming.

But the creek that creates these perfect skimboarding conditions is notorious as one of the most-polluted streams in South Orange County. Those skimboarders ? mostly young boys ? who cluster at the mouth of the creek to skim the water are also exposing themselves to toxins in street runoff that washes down from cities in the hills.

Something must be done, it is clear. But what?

The City Council took a somewhat muddled stab at the pollution issue with a recent 3-2 decision to oppose the county’s routine “breaking” of the natural sand berm that forms from the action of the creek water flowing onto the beach.

The berm keeps the untreated runoff from flowing directly into the surf line, and, it is argued, therefore keeps the swimming beach cleaner than without the berm. Sounds like an easy call.

But the berm is an obstacle on the beach ? and, indeed, the skimboarders themselves routinely break this berm so the creek water flows out. The county breaks the berm in the summer so it won’t be a hazard to beachgoers. Others support the berm-breaking on the basis that pooling the toxins in one place only increases the contamination and may result in a highly toxic soup in the summer sun.

Still others point out that the berm naturally gets broken at times, so it is not the iron-clad protector of the beach that we would like.

These arguments and other concerns persuaded two of the three council members to vote against opposing the berm-breaking, so there is hardly a united front on the berm issue.

The council also voted to seek an ordinance to try to stop polluting waters from reaching the city, but again, it’s not so easy as just putting up a “stop” sign and issuing citations. Where does the water come from? Who is responsible for the pollution? The upstream cities? The county? The parks agencies that own much of the streambed and land surrounding it?

The council also voted to seek a program that would result in diverting the creek runoff to a sewage treatment plant, as is done now with the water that flows down Laguna Creek, to keep it from polluting Main Beach during the summer season. This is probably the most realistic and pragmatic step to making Aliso a clean beach.

Whatever side you’re on in terms of the berm-breaking, the council ? and especially Councilwoman Toni Iseman, who spearheaded the issue ? should be commended for bringing this complicated matter to the council chambers.

A line has been drawn in the sand and wheels are turning. That’s forward momentum.