California wildlife agency plans changes to Santa Ana River work agreement

California wildlife officials plan to revise an agreement with the Orange County Water District to clarify permission for removing non-native vegetation and moving sediment during Santa Ana River levee work, according to Voice of OC. Environmentalists oppose the proposed changes.

The dispute centers on how much vegetation and sediment work the district can undertake as part of maintaining the river’s sand levees in Orange County. Environmentalists have raised concerns about bird habitat and the effects of heavy equipment on soil filtration and water absorption.

According to Voice of OC’s account of the current streambed alteration agreement, Table 2 lists upkeep of access ramps, existing structures and sand levees as permitted activities. Boxes for vegetation removal and sediment disturbance and removal are not checked.

Gina Ayala, the water district’s director of public affairs, said an unchecked box does not bar work incidental to an authorized activity. Cort Klopping, an information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said separate categories for vegetation and sediment work have created confusion over the district’s levee operations, Voice of OC reported.

The wildlife agency says building, maintaining and repairing sand levees sometimes requires removing non-native plants and disturbing sediment. The district maintains that vegetation destruction is incidental to necessary levee work.

Environmentalists criticized the bulldozing at the district’s Oct. 7 board meeting. Kathryn Dressendorfer, the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens program manager, told Voice of OC that heavy equipment compresses waterlogged soil, damaging the structure that helps it filter and absorb water. She also said bulldozers cannot selectively clear invasive vegetation while leaving other plants intact.

The wildlife agency issued the district a violation in July after it illegally bulldozed a migratory bird nest, according to Voice of OC. The district is contesting that violation.

Officials said discussions on revising the agreement have only begun. No date has been announced for the changes to take effect, according to Voice of OC.