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Port of San Diego’s South Bay Marine Debris Removal Project Nearly Complete

Friday, 30 April 2010
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216, John Gilmore (619) 686-7206

A three-year environmental cleanup project in the southern portion of San Diego Bay is coming to an end.

The Port of San Diego's Environmental Services Department – with the help of its various partners – worked together to clean up nearly 130 acres of the bay in an area known as the  A8 Anchorage (1.01 MB).

"This is an anchorage that was in South San Diego Bay and was a free anchorage," said David Merk, director of the Port's Environmental Services Department. "At one point in time, there were over 100 vessels with 'liveaboards' in this area. In October 2008, the anchorage closed, and since then, all of the vessels have left or been removed. What we've been left with is a variety of debris at the bottom of the bay that we've been focused on, and that's the A8 project."

Through grant funding, the Port waged a formidable battle against the debris field. The funds included $200,000 from the State Water Resources Control Board "Clean-Up and Abatement Account," $100,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries and $50,000 from the Port's Environmental Fund.

The easy part was removing the boats that had not yet gone below the surface or had broken loose and were washed ashore. The hard part was going after the items that were underwater. The Port worked with Merkel and Associates, who were contracted to use side-scan sonar to identify the objects on the bottom of the bay.

That allowed the Port to create a road map of the debris for the dive teams. At some places, boats were stacked on top of one another, four deep.

"We went down and focused specifically on environmental debris – tanks, batteries, engines, electronic components – things of that nature," said Merk.

The area being cleaned is along the Port tidelands, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego.

"Marine debris removal is very important to the Port of San Diego. This material at the bottom of the bay potentially poses a navigation hazard because of the size of the debris, but also it poses a threat to wildlife in the area," said Merk.

The area is home to a diverse and delicate habitat, including sponges which are eaten by endangered Eastern Pacific Green Sea Turtles, as well as anchovies and top smelt that the California Least Tern feed on.

"What we're doing is we're restoring the area so it's supportive of fish and invertebrates and birds in the area," Merk said.

One of the larger items of debris removed was a 50-ton barge that may have been submerged for 15 to 20 years.

Facts about the project:

• 130 acres cleaned up over three (3) years
• Total cost $350,000
• Project funded by grants
• More than 700 pieces of debris, including 75 boats removed (Debris includes vessels, batteries, tires, bathtubs, etc)
• 175 tons of debris removed; 65 tons of debris was recycled
• Port partners included Pacific Tugboat, Vessel Assist San Diego, Merkel and Associates, Knight & Carver Yacht Center

The project is set to be completed by May 21.

The Port of San Diego has several programs to help improve the health of San Diego Bay and the tidelands.

In 2006, an environmental fund was created to pay for projects that go beyond state and federal regulations. Since then, $6.8 million has been allocated for about 55 projects, most of which have been completed. These include enhancing fish habitats in San Diego Bay, restoring the J Street salt marsh in Chula Vista and constructing osprey nesting platforms throughout the Port tidelands. Last year, the Port kicked off its Green Port Program - spelling out how the Port can minimize its impact on the environment while still continuing its day-to-day operations.

Twenty-three Green Port projects are in place, including the clean truck program, which offers grant funding from the state and matching funds from the Port to replace or retrofit older model trucks to reduce harmful emissions. In addition, the Port started the voluntary vessel speed reduction program, in which cargo and cruise vessel operators are asked to reduce speeds while traveling in and near San Diego's harbor. Green Port projects focus on six areas – water, energy, air, waste management, sustainable development and sustainable business practices.