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Kids Ocean Day Wrap Up
MPA Watch Update
Cadiz Project
Garden Update
July Events
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Happy Independence Day!

A Patriotic Starfish

 Coastkeeper in the News:

- Coastkeeper Kicks Off Eelgrass     Restoration Project - NB Indy

- Off-limits strip of Orange County beach now open to public - LA Times & HB Independent

 

 

Garden Volunteer Days:

Join us on July 7 or July 21  from 8 AM - 12 PM

learn more on our website 

and please RSVP to pamela@coastkeeper.org



July 14 from 9 - 11 AM,
at Huntington State Beach, lifeguard tower 11. You can find all the details on our website, invite your friends, and be sure send an RSVP to jackie@coastkeeper.org
 Greetings! ,
It's officially summer!!! We hope that you have been enjoying the sun, surf and sand. Have you downloaded the Swim Guide app yet? With nearly 50,000 downloads, it's the must have free reference app available online, from the app store, or Google play for Android. 
 
Check out our Kids Ocean Day aerial art photo, which also made the front page of the locals section in the OC Register. 
 
The Marine Protected Area (MPA) watch program's first quarterly report is now available. We have an update on how this program is going. 
 
Learn about the controversial Cadiz project, an unsustainable plan to pump water from the desert and import it to South Orange County.
 
Get the latest update on the Coastkeeper garden and all of our upcoming July events. 
 
Have Happy Independence Day!

Kids Ocean Day Wrap Up

Our 2012 Kids Ocean Day was another huge success! Nearly 800 students, and 150 teachers and volunteers took part in this annual event on June 5 at Bolsa Chica State Beach. This year's message was "Defend the Sea" and that is exactly what these eager, young environmental students accomplished. 


Ocean Day 2012 

This event would not be possible without the wonderful support of our sponsors: CA Coastal CommissionHurley and Morning Sun Shirt Co. for donating 1,000 awesome t-shirts! Chipotle and Lomeli's for the volunteers' lunches; Trader Joe's- 17th St, Costa Mesa; Mother's Market- 19th St, Costa Mesa; Starbucks- Bolsa Chica & Heil, Huntington Beach; Rubios- Goldenwest & Garfield, Huntington Beach.

 

And volunteers: Sam's Club: Corona, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, La Habra, Stanton; ADPCoastkeeper interns, past and present; volunteer veterans and newcomers; the aerial art team, lead by Michael Mori and Vivian Dao. Check out the news coverage and photos 

THANK YOU ALL! We hope to see many of you again next year. 

 

The first quarterly report for our MPA Watch program is now available online. The Orange County MPA Watch program, headed by Coastkeeper, is a survey-based program that observes and documents what sort of activities are taking place in and around MPAs. To assure the maximum effectiveness of the new MPAs, we must be aware of the types of human activities that occur in or near them so that we can minimize any negative effects these activities may have to the marine ecosystem. 

A volunteer surveying a cove in Laguna Beach

 

Since Jan. 1, volunteers have been diligently surveying the MPAs. The resulting data will be used to assist the cities, and the Department of Fish and Game, in protecting the MPAs by identifying the sites where additional resources, such as signs or docent educators, may be needed.

 

Enforcement actions have also taken place. Read these articles which shows just how serious these penalties can be.

The Controversial Cadiz Project

 

Cadiz Inc., a publicly traded corporation based in Los Angeles, is seeking to pump  groundwater from the Eastern Mojave Desert railroad town of Cadiz to benefit South Orange County. Cadiz Inc. plans to mine 50,000 to 75,000 acre-feet of groundwater a year and sell it to local water districts, which includes: Santa Margarita Water, Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Suburban Water System, Golden State Water Company, Jurupa Community Services and California Water Service Company. The estimate for natural groundwater replenishment in the basin is around 5,000 and 32,000 acre-feet per year, with most independent estimates at the lower end. Groundwater levels will drop substantially making this an unsustainable water source.

Photo courtesy of panaramio.com
Photo courtesy of panaramio.com

 

Coastkeeper supports responsible water management; however, the Cadiz project does not fall under this category. When Cadiz proposed a plan similar to this one nearly a decade ago, it was rejected by the Metropolitan Water District. Both proposals have similar components: mining the groundwater, using the groundwater basin as storage for "surplus" water from the Colorado River, then claiming this project is sustainable. This proposal is currently being challenged by groups from all over the region, but it will also need  opposition from the local community.. Learn more about this project from these resources:

Summer at the Garden

June 2012_2
A view of the bungalow vignette

 

Under the heat of the summer sun, the Coastkeeper Garden staff is working to complete this tremendous project. Check out the most recent progress on our updated photo journal! We can always use volunteers, so if you're bored on summer break and have some free time during the week you can join Austin and Matt at the garden Mon - Fri from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Weekend volunteer days this month are July 7 & 21 from 8 a.m. - noon. 

 

RSVP to pamela@coastkeeper.org if you would like to  join. 

July Events

 

OC Fair, July 13-28: Come say hello to Coastkeeper as we 

participate in the first half of the OC Fair.

 

We will be one of a dozen or so local organizations representing this great county in the OC Connection area. The OC Connection will be by the memorial gardens and Kids Fun Zone.
  • The fair is open Wednesday -  Friday, noon - midnight and Saturday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - midnight
  • Learn more at ocfair.com

Campfire Program: There is an entertaining and informative campfire program every Saturday night at Chino Hills State Park. Last month, Inland Empire Waterkeeper Program Manager, Rachael Hamilton and Coastkeeper's Director of Communications, Pamela Crouch, gave a presentation about the Santa Ana River Watershed. If you are looking for something educational and fun for the family this summer, book a camping spot, or go for a hike at this hidden gem, right in our backyards, and be sure to stick around for the Saturday evening campfire programs beginning at 8 PM.

 

You can always stay connected with Coastkeeper's events and read the wrap ups of our events on our website at http://www.coastkeeper.org/who-we-are/events/

 

Thank you for your continued interest in Orange County Coastkeeper and Inland Empire Waterkeeper. 

Sincerely,
Blue Belt

Garry Brown
Orange County Coastkeeper