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PROJECT ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION PLAN
FOR THE HEISLER PARK ASBS PROTECTION AND
PRESERVATION PROJECT – PHASE I
Agreement No. XXXXXX
State Water Resources Control Board
COMPLETED PLAN PREPARED BY
Will Holoman, City of Laguna Beach
Refer correspondence to:
Will Holoman, Senior Water Quality Analyst
City of Laguna Beach
505 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Telephone: (949)497-0781
Email: [email protected]
Approvals:
Title
Laguna Beach City
Manager
Laguna Beach
Director of Water
Quality
RWQCB Contract
Grant Manager
SWRCB Quality
Control Reviewer
Name
Kenneth Frank
David Shissler, P.E.
Ruben Mora
____
Signature
Date
Project Assessment and Evaluation Plan
Agreement No. 10-XXX-XXX-XX
6/8/10– DRAFT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
PROJECT SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 3
A. FUNDING PROGRAM .......................................................................................... 3
B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................... 3
C. PROBLEM STATEMENT ..................................................................................... 3
D. MONITORING TASKS AND ACTIVITIES ........................................................ 5
E. PROJECT GOALS AND DESIRED OUTCOMES ............................................... 6
II. PROJECT PERFORMANCE MEASURES TABLES ............................................... 7
Table 1 Project Performance Measures ........................................................................ 8
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I. PROJECT SUMMARY
FUNDING PROGRAM
The Proposition 84 ASBS Grant Program provides funding for projects that restore and
protect the water quality and the environment of coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and
near shore waters which affect a particular ASBS.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The objective of the Heisler Park ASBS Protection and Preservation Phase III project is
to reduce the amount of bacteria reaching the adjacent ASBS by routing nuisance flows
and flows from small storm events through treatment control BMPs then diverting any
remaining water to the sanitary sewer system. Nuisance flows will be reduced by
incorporating Smarttimers and irrigation improvements throughout the project area.
The predicted outcome of this project is the reduction of bacteria levels in the ocean by
eliminating flow from storm drain lines to the beach during non-storm and small storm
conditions.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Elevated indicator bacteria levels in the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the Heisler Park
ASBS may represent a threat to human health and sensitive aquatic ecosystems. In
response, the State Water Quality Control Board has put special protections in place in
this ASBS. These special protections include a prohibition of anthropogenic surface
water discharge unless specifically exempted through the ASBS permitting process. To
meet the objectives of the special protections, the volume of, pollutant loads and bacteria
levels in surface water and storm drain runoff reaching the Pacific Ocean at the Heisler
Park ASBS must be reduced to the maximum extent practicable.
Heisler Park is currently designed to drain directly to the ocean through its subterranean
storm drains and sheet flows on the surface.
i. Baseline: Baseline data in the HP5 project area include water meter data, bacteria
levels in the adjacent ocean water and beach closure data.
Water meter data is maintained by the Laguna Beach Water District. Multiple
water meters serve the irrigation system within the project area. Pre- and postconstruction water meter data will be used to assess the reduction in irrigation
water applied to the project area.
Bacteria levels in the ocean adjacent to the project are monitored by the County of
Orange. Historical data will be combined with one year of post-construction data
in the assessment analysis.
Beach closure data is maintained by the County of Orange and the City of Laguna
Beach. Pre- and post- construction beach closure data will be included in the final
analysis.
Diversion cleanout data is maintained by the city. Historical data will be
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combined with post-construction data to determine BMP bacteria and solids
removal effectiveness..
ii. Pollution Source Categories: The pollution source categories targeted by this
project include nuisance urban runoff from inefficient irrigation practices and
high water use landscaping, high nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient loads, and high
indicator bacteria loads in dry weather storm system flow. Nutrients and bacteria
may be derived from the decomposition of organic matter, organic fertilizers, and
fecal material from pets, livestock or wildlife that gets washed off the landscape
by irrigation activity. Some forms of nitrogen may be derived from surfactants
used for cleaning activities and from fertilizer carried in nuisance flows to the
ocean. High bacteria levels in the ocean are linked to flows from storm drains
which carry bacteria and nutrients to the coastal waters. Sedimentation from
excessive erosion of the blufftops may be impacting the ASBS. Erosion is
sources to heavy human traffic on unmaintained trails on the bluffs. Human
impacts from touching and removing organisms from the tidepools may be
causing disproportionally low numbers of some species in the ASBS.
iii. Current BMP Activities: Currently, the project site incorporates fertilizer and
pesticide use reduction BMPs. No BMPs are in place to attenuate or mitigate
nuisance flows. Stormwater diversions are utilized upstream of the project area
but the storm drains within the project boundaries drain untreated to the ocean.
Some railings and fences exist to prevent climbing on the bluffs. A Marine
Protection Officer patrols the tidepools to educate .
iv. Proposed BMP Implementation: The BMPs implemented in the HP5 project
include site design, treatment and diversion. The site design BMPs include
regrading and recontouring of the land within the project boundaries to direct
storm flows away from the beach. The innovative site design includes tilted
pathways, curbs, contoured swales and terraces built with retaining walls to
contain sediments and push surface flows into the treatment control BMPs.
Smarttimers, water efficient sprinkler heads and drought tolerant vegetation will
reduce bacteria-carrying nuisance flows by reducing on-site water waste. The
treatment control BMPs are vegetated areas where flows will infiltrate for plant
use and be filtered through vegetation to remove nutrients and bacteria.
Handrails, walkways and fencing will channel visitors to the beach using
designated pathways. Interactive signs will educate visitors on tidepool etiquette
and ASBS regulations.
v. Effectiveness Evaluation: Once the BMPs are in place within the study areas, a
round of bacteria and flow monitoring will take place. The post-construction
phase of the project will include flow monitoring, water sampling and analysis for
fecal indicator bacteria (Total coliform, Fecal coliform and Enterococcus) levels
for a period of one year at the location of the diversion pump. This will allow the
quantification of the actual amount of bacteria diverted from the coastal waters to
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the sewer line. Diversion performance will also be measured by the amount of
debris and sediment removed from the units. Flow will be measured by counting
pump cycles in the project diversions. The effectiveness of the Smarttimer
installation and irrigation improvements will be evaluated through a comparison
of pre- and post-construction water usage utilizing water meter data for a period
of one year after construction ceases.
vi. Flow Pattern Changes: The changes in flow pattern expected as a result of this
project are an elimination of dry-weather nuisance flow volume in the diverted
storm drains and outfall pipe, a reduction in wet weather runoff to the ocean in
low flow rain events and increased percolation of rainwater into landscaped areas.
Flow reductions are predicted to be up to 100% for irrigation surface runoff and
nuisance flows.
vii. Economic Benefits: The direct economic benefits of the project will be a
reduction in water costs for the City. The City will also benefit because reducing
the bacteria load to the beach will help meet future TMDL obligations. The
region will benefit from a reduction in the amount of water imported from outside
the County. Reduced dry-weather flows and associated bacterial pollution will
enhance water quality along the beaches, encouraging increased tourism and
visitation to coastal communities.
MONITORING TASKS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Provide for monitoring project and contracts administration.
2. Develop the Quality Assurance Project Plan, Monitoring Plan, and Project
Assessment and Evaluation Plan
3. Collect pre-construction baseline data. Collect and assemble historical ocean
water bacteria data for the project impacted area from the County of Orange.
Obtain historical water usage data for the pre-construction baseline monitoring
period from the Laguna Beach Water District for the water meter feeding the
irrigation system within the project area. Over five years of historical data have
been collected as part of the Phase I and II monitoring processes.
4. Construct BMPs, irrigation system improvements and restrooms as designed in the
project plans.
5. Collect Post-Construction Data. Install, operate and maintain pump cycle counting
devices in the diversion sump pumps. Measure the amount of water pumped flow
per pump cycle to calibrate the method. Collect periodic samples of water from
the diversion sump to be analyzed by the laboratory for fecal indicator bacteria.
Obtain water meter data for the post-construction monitoring period for the
irrigation system within the project area. Track field crew diversion cleaning data.
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Data from Phase III monitoring will be integrated into the larger data set to get a
macro view of the positive impacts of the project.
6. Analyze the data and prepare the final report.
7. Project tasks fall into the Load Reduction and the Planning, Research, Monitoring
and Assessment categories.
PROJECT GOALS AND DESIRED OUTCOMES
The main goals of the project are to:
1. Reduce the amount of water consumed for landscape irrigation;
2. Reduce irrigation runoff to the ASBS;
3. Contribute to achieving load reductions for bacteria and nutrients in the ASBS;
4. Reduce trash and debris loads reaching the ASBS;
5. Reduce blufftop erosion and sedimentation of the ASBS;
6. Reduce human impacts on the ASBS.
The desired outcomes of the project are:
1. Installation of Smarttimers and irrigation distribution system improvements
throughout the project area;
2. Documentation of the relative effectiveness of the BMP installation by conducting
field flow measurements and evaluating pre- and post-project water usage in the
project area.
3. Evaluation of BMP effectiveness assessment through laboratory analyses of
bacteria loads in the diversion sumps;
4. Diversion of nuisance flows and associated bacteria from the project area drainage
system’s ASBS discharge point into the sanitary sewer system;
5. Assessment of the amount of debris, volume of flow and concentration of bacteria
diverted from the ASBS;
6. Prevention of additional blufftop erosion;
7. Reduction of trampling and collecting activities in the ASBS;
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8. Assessment of the relative effectiveness of the project in reducing bacteria levels
in the adjacent ocean water; and
9. Evaluation of the impacts of the project on Beach closures in the project vicinity.
II. PROJECT PERFORMANCE MEASURES TABLES
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Table 1 Project Performance Measures for the Heisler Park ASBS Protection and Preservation Project – Phase II
Project Goals
Desired Outcomes
1. Reduce bacterial
load from Heisler Park
to the ASBS with
water conservation
measures
Reduce water
consumption at the
project sites by
installing a SmarTimer
and irrigation
improvements.
2. Reduce
bacterial/pollutant load
from Heisler Park to
the ASBS by
eliminating dryweather landscape
irrigation and nuisance
runoff to the ocean
from the project area.
3. Reduce
bacterial/pollutant load
from Heisler Park to
the ASBS using
structural BMPs.
Eliminate nuisance dry
weather runoff by
installing a SmarTimer,
new irrigation system,
structural BMPs and a
diversion pump.
Reduce fecal indicator
bacteria loadings from
the project area by
installing structural and
treatment control BMPs
and diverting bacterialaden nuisance flows to
the sewer system.
Precise grading will
direct flows through
structural BMPs prior
to entering drains.
Output Indicators
Outcome Indicators
Measurement Tools
and Methods
a. Water meter readings.
b. Comparison of four
years historical water use
data to one year of postconstruction water use
data.
Targets
a. Installation of the
SmarTimer.
b. Number of low
water use sprinkler
heads installed.
c. Length of new
irrigation piping
installed.
a. Installation of the
timer and irrigation
improvements.
b. Installation of
structural BMPs.
c. Installation of
diversion sump and
pump.
Pre- and post-project
water consumption
decrease measured at site
water meter (total,
average).
a. Install all irrigation
equipment.
c. Reduce monthly water
consumption by an average
of 10 – 20% for the project
area.
a. Pre- and post-project
water consumption
decrease measured at site
water meter (total,
average).
b. Nuisance flow diverted
to sanitary sewer.
a. Water meter readings.
b. Measurement of water
volume diverted using
pump volume data and
cycling counts.
a. 100% diversion of
nuisance flow from the
project stormwater ocean
discharge pipe.
Analysis of samples for
indicator bacteria
combined with diverted
flow data and beach
water quality bacteria
data.
a. Bacteria concentrations
in and volume of diverted
nuisance flows.
b. Decrease in bacteria
levels in the adjacent
ocean water
c. Decrease in the
number of beach closures
adjacent to the project
area.
Standard Methods for
Wastewater Analysis SM
9222-B, SM 9222-D and
SM 9230-C. Postconstruction water
samples will be taken
from the diversion sump.
a. Successful analysis of
100% of scheduled samples.
b. Measurable bacteria
concentration reduction in
nearby ocean waters during
dry weather conditions.
c. 100% diversion of
nuisance flow from the
project stormwater ocean
discharge pipe.
Project Goals
Desired Outcomes
Output Indicators
Outcome Indicators
4. Prevent further
blufftop erosion.
Channel Park visitors to
designated pathways,
prevent sheet flows
over blufftops
Blufftop erosion ceases at
the point of project final
grading.
5. Reduce bacterial
load from Heisler Park
to the ocean by
reducing wet weather
runoff.
Reduce wet weather
runoff from Heisler
Park as a result of
implementing structural
BMPs.
6. Reduce human
impacts on the
tidepools in the ASBS.
Stop collection and
disturbance of tidepool
organisms.
New handrails, fencing
and pathways push
visitors to designated
beach access points,
new walkways with
curbing force sheet
flows into BMPs
Precise grading will
direct flows through
structural BMPs prior
to entering drains. As
the project progresses,
additional BMPs will
come online.
Five new tidepool
etiquette/regulations
signs with interactive
elements.
Measurement Tools
and Methods
Photographs taken before
and after.
Targets
a. Erosion is halted at
targeted points
b. No new pathways are
created to the beach.
Pre- and post-construction
runoff rate and volume
decreases as a function of
rainfall intensity and total
amounts.
Analysis of wet weather
bacteria data in the
adjacent ocean waters.
Measurable bacteria
concentration reduction in
nearby ocean waters during
wet weather flows.
Visitors read and interact
with signs, observe posted
rules.
Public survey
Measurable increase in
awareness of ASBS
rules/etiquette.