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INDEPENDENT PEER REVIEW AFFIRMS: 241 TOLL ROAD WILL NOT ALTER SURF
A review of documentation related to the project concludes completion of the 241 will not threaten beach or surf
IRVINE, Calif. (July 29, 2008) – An independent peer review of reports concerning the 241 Toll Road and surfing conditions in the vicinity of San Mateo Creek has concluded that the project will have no impact on surfing or wave formation. Richard J. Seymour, Ph.D., research engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and noted consultant in coastal oceanography, conducted the review. “No substantial change, either positive or negative, to surfing quality would result from the project,” Seymour stated in his report.
Seymour’s fields of research include wave mechanics, wave generation, near shore processes, sediment transport mechanisms and cross-shore transport. With summer 2008 surf events in the spotlight, it is important to note that contrary to claims from groups opposed to the project, the completion of the 241 will have no impact on the surf at Trestles. After review of 11 reports, Seymour’s key findings include:
- Sediment transport is a non-issue; changes to the beach will be dominated by the local wave climate and sediment supplies driven by alongshore currents.
- The creek inputs of sand will be negligible when compared to the volatility of the beach.
- Delivery of cobbles to the shoreline will not be altered to a degree that could be detected, especially given the highly episodic randomness of this phenomenon.
- The surfing reefs in the Trestles area are fossil deposits of predominantly boulder-size rocks and they are stable over time.
- Fine sediment transport does not impact cobble transport. Claims to the contrary by Philip Williams and Associates (PWA) are based on “erroneous assumptions,” were irrelevant and came to a conclusion that contradicts their theory.
- “Based upon a careful review of all the pertinent documents presented, I found that the Corridor would result in no detrimental effects to the surfing in the Trestles area,” Dr. Seymour concluded.
The 241 Toll Road will be constructed to ensure that the world-class surf conditions at Trestles Beach will be fully protected. The road, which has long been included in regional transportation plans, will join existing Interstate 5 more than a half mile from the shoreline. Among false and misleading statements made by project opponents are claims that the surf at Trestles will be “ruined.”
Even Surfer Magazine noted that the change in sediment discharge from the toll road would only be enough to fill up a public restroom at San Onofre. “Spread along the entire beach that is considered immeasurable,” according to the magazine. More details
Expert analysis has found that the classic breaks at Trestles and other nearby surf spots are formed by the large cobble deposits in the delta of the San Mateo Creek. “These cobbles episodically delivered to the shoreline, every 20 years or so, are what form the surf break” said Dave Skelly a coastal engineer who has made careful studies of that stretch of beach.
Skelly, a surfer himself, has analyzed the shoreline at Trestles and concluded that the project will not measurably impact the natural delivery of sand and cobbles to the shoreline from the creek and will have no impact on the surf break. Seymour’s peer review confirmed Skelly’s findings.
Extending the 241 will relieve traffic on Interstate 5 in South Orange County by providing an alternative route. With construction of the toll road, two miles of Interstate 5 will be retrofitted to collect and treat runoff, improving water quality in the Trestles area. Without the toll road, travel from the San Diego/Orange County border to Mission Viejo will take one hour in 2025. With the toll road constructed, the same drive on Interstate 5 will take 25 minutes and it will take 16 minutes on the toll road. The new road will provide an alternative to Interstate 5 for the hundreds of thousands of motorists a day who travel between San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
Click here to see the full Seymour Peer Review
Click here to view the Map of 241 Toll Road Alignment
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