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The former DeWitt property – the site of a hazardous waste cleanup undertaking in late 2014 – is about to become the site of a six-acre parcel restoration project thanks to the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA). The CNRA has noticed the city of Laguna Beach that they will receive a $500,000 grant in order to develop a site for students, hikers and others along with interpretive trail signs to provide education about the riparian habitat alongside the (now) trickling creek.
The grant is the maximum amount available under the California River Parkways Act of 2004 and will be supplemented by $125,000 from the city of Laguna Beach and a gift of $5,000 from the Ron and Frances Chilcote’s Family Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation. The project will include the removal of invasive plants surrounding Laguna Canyon Creek, planting vegetation including sycamore and oak trees and developing a looping footpath with nature interpretive stations.
The concept for Laguna Canyon Creek rehabilitation was championed by three advocates. Bob Borthwick, an environmentalist and landscape architect; Hallie Jones, executive director of Laguna Canyon Foundation; and, David Shissler, Laguna Creek’s director of water quality. Their combined efforts become the grant presentation to the CNRA. Shissler summed up the process leading to the success as rushed but a blitz.
“It was compelling and competitive,” said Shissler. “It was a real blitz at the end of the year when it was announced. We had to rush quickly to get all the information together and get all the team players put together.” Starting the project will take time, he said, due to environmental analyses and design plans. “It’s a big team effort,” he said.
The city had purchased the creek land, originally part of the 194-acre DeWitt family ranch for $2 million with a grant funds from the state Habitat Conservation Fund in 1991. Though the property was originally populated with chickens, pigs, ducks and horses it was found to be a “burn site” from 1958 to the early 1970s.
The so-called “burn site” was where household trash was incinerated according to an environmental impact report according to consultant Bob Burnham. The site was littered with fused metal, ceramics and porcelain along with broken and melted glass. Since those years the hidden creek was overcome with invasive plants and mounds of dirt and concrete resulting from the construction of the 73 toll road by Caltrans.
Looking forward, the new plan – designed by Borthwick and Lance Vallery, a fellow Laguna Greenbelt board member, calls for economical ways to rehabilitate the creek although the DeWitt parcel is the largest part of the plan.
Shissler sang Borthwick’s praise saying, “The thing Bob Borthwick created is a lot of little projects that are all complementary to one another…, said Shissler. “It’s nice to have a guide to take us one piece at a time.”
Jones, too, saluted Borthwick’s efforts. “Bob did a yeoman’s job on Laguna Canyon Creek as a whole, really highlighting the most critical improvements that could take place, shared Jones.
Next up, according to Jones is the removal of the debris and invasive vegetation as early as this fall or winter. Initially a determination will be made regarding what types of plants would be appropriate alongside the creek and the nearby meadow. Also on tap in the near future is the biological study and securing the necessary permits from various regulatory agencies in order to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.
