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Shoreline Property Preparedness Checklist Slope Protection Preparedness Checklist Emergency Permit Forms (below) |
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As a principal steward of the California coast, the Coastal Commission must carefully balance conservation of public resources with the needs of coastal landowners to protect their property against natural hazards such as storm waves, erosion, flooding, and landslides. This is intended to advise coastal property owners and public agencies of coastal permitting requirements in connection with winter storm preparedness and response to damage. It also provides some technical information that may be helpful. The Commission staff stands ready to assist in any way possible. We provide on this site phone numbers, addresses, and internet addresses for the Coastal Commission offices and other useful contacts.
Q What is El Niņo?
The El Niņo is the popular term for an El Niņo-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event. The migration of warm water from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific, along the coasts of South America, Central America, and California is called the El Niņo. Atmospheric pressure increases in the eastern Pacific and atmospheric pressure decreases in the central Pacific is referred to as the Southern Oscillation.
Q How is El Niņo expected to affect weather and rainfall for this year?
The meteorological community agrees that this year could produce rainfall far above or below average; however, the exact amounts are in dispute, and may remain in dispute. Climate researchers are attempting to estimate rainfall and storm activity for the winter, based on past ENSO conditions. Scripps institution of Oceanography has modeled predicted rainfall, based on a number of possible atmospheric conditions, and has forecast situations ranging from drought up to 300% of the average rainfall for southern California1. Meteorologists in central California and the San Francisco Bay area predict that these areas, if they have higher than average rainfalls, would likely have 150% to 200% of average. The rainfalls for the 1982/83 El Niņo were twice (200%) the average2.
Q What have been the effects from past El Niņo events?
The 1982/83 El Niņo brought high rainfall and coastal wave surge in California. A low-pressure system settled off the coast, causing a series of cluster storms which repeatedly battered the coast. There was extensive flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and damage to coastal structures. These storms were viewed as being extraordinary and have often been used as the "design" event for new development. The 1977 El Niņo event, in contrast, had a lower than average rainfall since a high pressure system settled over southern California and diverted storms to the north.
Q What can people do in response to these predictions?
Due to El Niņo we may experience severe storms this winter, and some may be as severe as those of 1982/83. Local governments and coastal property owners should undertake common sense inspections of their property to identify prudent maintenance activities to minimize potential storm damage. Even if the winter turns out to be more like the 1977/78 El Niņo, it is almost certain that, in the next few years, some parts of the California coast will be battered by intense storms and that some areas will experience flooding or will have storm induced landslide movement. Property inspections and periodic maintenance are sensible winter preparation, regardless of the current El Niņo development.
Q How is the Coastal Commission responding to El Niņo?
Predictions associated with El Niņo vary greatly and there is no way to be certain about the severity of this winter’s storms. The Coastal Commission is very concerned about the threat to public safety and the potential for shoreline property loss. Prudence and experience dictate that preparedness is the best course of action. The Commission certainly supports efforts to maximize advance emergency response and readiness planning, and other reasonable actions to protect shoreline properties. At the same time and based on considerable experience, there are legitimate concerns that some projects proposed as protective measures are excessive in scope and impact, inadequately designed and may themselves create or contribute to a dangerous condition, and may result in significant harm to or loss of public resources (i.e., displacement of public beach with rock rip-rap to protect private property).
Commission staff will be as helpful as possible and will be creative and flexible in finding answers and "solutions" to questions about shoreline protective works and how to minimize coastal permitting burdens. It is important for coastal property owners to recognize however, not every project they think is necessary can be approved under the law or processed on an expedited basis. For example, many proposed projects may not qualify for emergency permits or permit waivers. If you have questions, call a Commission office as soon as possible and staff will do what it can to help you through the process.
Q What is meant by repair and maintenance; what coastal permits do I need?
Repair and maintenance for storm protection encompasses a broad range of activities. For flood protection, it could involve clearing out debris basins or dredging a flood control channel; for homes and businesses, it may include cleaning out gutters and down drains, inspecting roofs, or planting ground cover on bare areas; for shore protection, it could include patching shotcrete, refacing concrete, cleaning out back drains or placing displaced rock back on an existing revetment.
Many repair and maintenance activities can require a coastal permit, especially if there will be grading, landform alteration, or the use of mechanized equipment on the beach or near a coastal bluff. For projects in the coastal zone, property owners should contact both the Commission staff and local government3 to determine; 1) if a coastal permit is necessary, and 2) what information will be needed to file an application for a permit. Many repair and maintenance activities can be reviewed quickly and permits could be waived, but to avoid violations it is important to contact staff before proceeding.
Q Can I install a new protective structure to address ongoing safety concerns?
There are situations where property owners identify new projects they want to undertake to address pre-existing site conditions that relate to safety concerns — a recently activated or reactivated landslide, slope failure, or an existing structure which is in danger from erosion. These situations usually require permanent solutions — regrading of a landslide, a buttress fill, slope reconstruction, retaining walls, new revetments or seawalls, etc. These actions almost always require a coastal permit. Property owners should contact both the Commission staff and local government to determine; 1) if a coastal permit is necessary, and; 2) what information will be needed to file an application for a permit. Permits for permanent new structures often require detailed information on site characteristics, design constraints, engineering concerns, etc.
If there is an existing imminent threat or if there has been damage that requires action more quickly that the regular permit process will allow, there are provisions in the Coastal Act, and in most Local Coastal Programs, to authorize emergency permits. A perceived threat from potentially extraordinary storms is not generally considered an emergency under the Coastal Act. The Commission will evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis.
Q What about new protective work to address safety concerns from potential extraordinary threats, such as this year’s El Niņo?
Many properties will be safe during "normal" storms, but could be at risk during an extreme event. Because the current El Niņo event may cause extreme storm conditions, property owners and communities may wish to take steps to add temporary protection to prevent damage in the winter. These types of preventive actions are generally not considered emergencies, but may need expedited approvals to enable them to be installed prior to the winter storm season. It may be possible to expedite projects that; 1) have little or no environmental impact; 2) have little or no effect on public access and recreation; 3) are temporary; 4) are removable, and 5) pose no risk to public safety. Contact Commission staff for more information.
Temporary shore protection options include beach nourishment, sand berms, sand bags at the toe of a bluff, or articulated concrete matting keyed below scour depth. Temporary slope protection could include revegetation, sand bags or geotubes to redirect drainage; or slope coverings such as visqueen, jute or light weight concrete matting. There are few temporary options for landslides other than drainage controls and removal of toe debris. Most landslide problems require permanent protection measures.
Q How do I get permits for temporary protection options?
Temporary works for shore protection, slope protection and landslides may not be suitable in every situation. For example, it may be harmful to use slope covering over a slope that contains sensitive resources; or an articulated concrete mat may not be a good option for a shallow bedrock platform area where the matting cannot be keyed without excavation of the platform material. Prior to proceeding with temporary protection, property owners should contact both the commission staff and local government to determine; 1) if a coastal permit is necessary; and 2) what information will be needed to file an application for a permit. In many situations, early contact with staff can avoid problems and enable you to proceed with your plans in a timely manner and environmentally acceptable fashion.
Q When should I contact Commission staff?
Commission staff is prepared to consider each situation independently and review the conditions and facts of each problem on a case-by-case basis. We encourage local governments and property owners to assess their situations or properties now and contact your local Commission office for consultation and direction. A brief written description and a drawing and site plan of any proposed project, if time permits, would allow Commission staff to review requests more efficiently.
Here is the emergency permit application form should you need one:
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FOOTNOTES
1 Nicholas Graham Associate Research Meteorologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA
2 John Monteverdi, Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University and Jan Null, National Weather Service (San Francisco Chronicle, 9/26/97)
3 A list of commission offices, addresses and telephone numbers is provided. If there is a certified local coastal plan, property owners should contact the local government staff directly. If the work involves any shoreline protective work or bluffwork, property owners should contact both local government staff and Commission staff.