SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND(SCI) IS NOT ORANGE COUNTY ISLAND LIKE THE CITY…

An unidentified woman during the United States Navy visit, 1925 (Photo credit: Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons)

San Clemente Island (SCI) is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy,  and is a part of Los Angeles County.

The US Navy acquired the island in 1934. It is the Navy’s only remaining ship-to-shore live firing range, and is the center of the integrated air/land/sea San Clemente Island Range Complex covering 2,620 nm² (8,990 km²).

During World War II, the island was used as a training ground for amphibious landing craft. These small to mid-sized ships were crucial to the island hopping that would be required to attack the islands occupied by the Japanese.

It is an active sonar base and has a $21 million simulated embassy for commandotraining.

There is a US Navy rocket-test facility on San Clemente. Some Polaris-program test rockets were launched from San Clemente between 1957 and 1960. The SEALAB IIIproject took place off San Clemente in February 1969.

The US Navy uses the island as an auxiliary naval airfield, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island. The main runway 23/05 is used for carrier training by the Navy. Other branches also use this airfield, including the United States Coast Guard. Pilots that use this airfield find it to be one of the most demanding airbases in the US, known for its high winds and dangerous terrain surrounding the runway.

The airfield is home to the United States Navy SEALs training facilities located north of the runways.

Satellite image of San Clemente Island (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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SPECIAL PLACE FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE IN THE HIDEOUT OF TRUE CALIFORNIA.

CRYSTAL COVE FROM THE TOP (Photo credit: Ross D)

Crystal Cove Alliance (CCA), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, is the official concessionaire for Crystal Cove Beach Cottages and non-profit partner with California State Parks. CCA has played an integral part in the preservation and restoration of the cottages. As a non-profit public benefit organization, CCA remains dedicated to raising the funds necessary to restore the remaining 17 cottages in Phases III. We look forward to their restoration, preservation and public use, but it cannot be done without your assistance!

For more information about Crystal Cove Alliance and how you can help us restore the remaining Crystal Cove Beach Cottages, click on the ABOUT US section of this site.

Crystal Cove was one of my favorite spot on PCH. There was a horse trail in this Historic  Park where i took few of my special friends and road along to the tip of the sandy beaches. One can overlook the ocean from above and the memory last forever. Here how it was described as i just mentioned. “We invite you to experience the magic of Crystal Cove as it existed in the 1930s to ‘50s with a stay in one of thirteen(13) Individual or three(3) Dorm-Style Cottages. Located directly on the beach or overlooking the seaside from a bluff top, each cottage has been painstakingly restored and furnished to recreate Crystal Cove’s unique vintage beach culture and rustic ambience. Reservations are available year-round.”.

Source: Crystal Cove Alliance (CCA).

 

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  Crystal Cove State Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anaheim and a Southern California City Street Story,,,

 

 

 

 

Anaheim orange growers pitch in to help the war effort during the early 1940s.
(Courtesy of Anaheim History Room.)

Anaheim and a Southern California City Street Story,,,,”Katella “Katella Avenue is a combination of the names of Kate and Ella Rae. Kate founded the Anaheim Red Cross Chapter, and Ella was the first chairperson of the library board.”

Anaheim, now the tenth largest city in California, began in 1857 as a colony of German farmers and vintners. Founding member George Hansen surveyed the original 200 acres which now comprises the city’s downtown area, bounded by North, South, East and West streets. The city’s name is a composition of “Ana” from the nearby Santa Ana river and “heim,” German for home. Those early pioneers considered this location their “home by the river.”

Farming was their occupation and lifestyle. Among the crops for the first few decades were grapes grown for wine. But a plague in the 1870’s wiped out the vineyards and in their place, groves of citrus trees were planted. The first commercially oranges in Orange County were grown in Anaheim, where the growers attributed their success to the local hills which protected the fruit against the cold winds coming down from the mountains. Other crops included walnuts and chili peppers.

These first settlers were farmers, but they were also writers, artists and musicians. The first public buildings were not administrative facilities, but a school and an opera house.

 Between 1880 and 1960, Anaheim was host to several orange growers and processors who used their orange crate labels to identify their brand and advertise a golden California lifestyle. Some of the more notable growers and processors were:

Anaheim Orchid, Anaheim Supreme, Autumn Leaf, Balboa, Barony, Blue Vase, Caramia, Colonial Mother, Doria, El Pajo Real, Favorita, Hi-Class, Lincoln, Man O’ War, Meritoria, Mother Colony, Nightcap, Pride of Anaheim, Red Breast, Siren, Sonia.

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PROTECTED HABITATS. Habitat Conservation

Habitat conservation for wild species is one of the most important issues facing the environment today — both in the ocean and on land. As human populations increase, land use increases, and wild species have smaller spaces to call home. More than half of Earth’s terrestrial surface has been altered due to human activity, resulting in drastic deforestation, erosion and loss of topsoil, biodiversity loss, and extinction. Species cannot survive outside of their natural habitat without human intervention, such as the habitats found in a zoo or aquarium, for example. Preserving habitats is essential to preserving biodiversity. Migratory species are particularly vulnerable to habitat destruction because they tend to inhabit more than one natural habitat. This creates the need to not only preserve the two habitats for migratory species, but also their migratory route. Altering a natural habitat even slightly can result in a domino effect that harms the entire ecosystem.

The following is an example illustrating this point by Dr. Peter Moyle:

 Habitats don’t exist in isolation; most of them have inputs and outputs connected to other habitats and ecosystems. Take Mono Lake, for instance, a spectacular lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada in California. Its water source is streams fed by winter rains and melting snow in the mountains. In its natural state, water leaves the lake only by evaporation. The balance between the inflowing streams and evaporation created a saline lake with many unique features, including a species of brine shrimp found only in Mono Lake. As a large, food-rich body of water in a desert area, the lake is a major fueling stop for migratory waterbirds and a major nesting area for other species, such as California gulls. When water from the lake’s inflowing streams was diverted to quench the ever-growing thirst of Southern California, the lake level dropped drastically. Islands in the lake became connected to the mainland, giving coyotes and other predators access to an easy source of food: nesting California gulls. With adequate inflowing water, the islands were good nesting habitat; without the water they were unsuitable as nesting habitat. Without adequate inflowing water, the lake also would become too saline for the Mono brine shrimp to survive and for migratory waterbirds to feed in. Recognition of this fundamental relationship between inflow and habitat for many species was the partial basis of a successful court action that reduced the diversion of water from the inflowing streams.

The Problems

Habitat destruction is a huge problem in the marine environment. Habitats are destroyed by:

• Destructive fishing activity: bottom trawling and dynamiting coral reefs destroy entire ecosystems.
• Coastal development: habitats are destroyed when marshes are dredged for real estate development. Soil runoff and erosion result in excess nutrients from fertilizers and domestic sewage, which then leads to harmful algae blooms that block sunlight and deplete the water of oxygen. It also causes silt to build-up on coral reefs, which blocks sunlight necessary for coral to grow.
• Pollution: development near coastal waters contaminates the Ocean with toxic substances, such as industrial chemicals, pesticides, and motor oil.
• Dredging ship channels: Removes accumulated sediment and pollutants, re-suspending them into the water. Dredging can also destroy sea grass beds and other habitats that provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds. The dredged material must be disposed of, and is often dumped into salt marshes, damaging very productive marine habitats in the process.

Solutions

•  Protected Areas (MPAs): marine sites such as sanctuaries, fisheries management areas, state conservation areas, and wildlife refuges established to protect habitats, endangered species, and to restore the health of marine ecosystems in areas jeopardized by habitat and species loss. Examples: NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: USA
• Marine Reserves: marine sites that provide a higher degree of ecosystem protection by prohibiting fishing, mineral extraction, and other habitat-altering activities. Marine Reserves are far more effective than MPAs, but unfortunately, they are not as common. Example: Marine Reserves in New Zealand
• Land use and development regulation: An integrated approach to land use and management based on scientific knowledge is needed to protect coastal areas. Policy makers need to be informed on the impact coastal development is having on marine habitats through accessible and evidence-based information.
• Monitoring and reporting: some conservation efforts are empowering the citizens with the responsibility for monitoring water quality in their coastal communities through sampling and testing, photographing fouled areas, and providing information to local policy makers for action.
• Zoning: related to integrated land use and development management, zoning coastal areas into MPAs, Marine Reserves, approved fishing areas, with varying levels of use has the potential to slow some of the habitat degradation caused by development. The Great Barrier Reef is managed in this way. Through cooperation among local, state, and national governments, this approach may provide a viable solution to all stakeholders from tourists, to the fishing industry, to conservation efforts, etc.

Although habitat destruction has been increasing for many years, the protection of marine habitats has only recently become an issue of critical importance to conservation efforts, local and national governments, and international marine conservation groups. The Ocean’s invulnerability to human activity is now being realized as a myth. Coastal regions are still experiencing intense pressure by exploding coastal populations; however, there are solutions at hand to prevent further damage from occurring.

Everyone knows that the northern spotted owl is threatened because of destruction to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, but what will happen to the Pacific seahorse if its habitat continues to decline? Due to the lack of a strong public sea ethic, marine life doesn’t appear on the conservation radar screen as much as its terrestrial counterparts, but ocean habitats are in decline as well, and therefore, the creatures they support are too, which in turn support us. Most marine habitat destruction is caused by pollution, commercial fishing equipment, coastal development, and other human activity. Much of it can be avoided with simple measures.

» Chapter 7: Niche and habitat – Essays on Wildlife Conservation, by Dr. Moyle, University of California, Davis

» Song for the Blue Ocean: Encounters Along the World’s Coasts and Beneath the Seas

See Wikipedia | Ocean Conservancy | IUCN for more information.

Take Action Against Habitat Destruction

Actions we should all take right now against habitat destruction around the world (links open in new windows and are in no order of importance):

Tell Secretary Clinton to Protect the Bottom of the World
Tell President Obama to Call Off Shell’s Ships | I’m Against Arctic Drilling… So Sue Me! | Keep Shell Out of the Arctic! | Keep the Arctic Refuge Wild! | Tell Shell: Don’t Destroy the Arctic | Save America’s Greatest Arctic Wetland | Say No to Destructive Drilling in the Arctic
Defend the National Ocean Policy
Protect our Oceans and Marine Resources
Marine Reserves now!
Urge the United Nations to Protect the World’s Corals
Tell U.S. Grocery Chains to Stop Carrying Paseo
Support America’s Wilderness Campaign
Take Action: Protect America’s last wild national forests
Government Inaction Kills Coral Reefs
Save Florida’s Manatees from Development
Tell Your Leaders That Gulf Coast Restoration Matters to You!
Go Green to Save the Chesapeake Bay
Bottom trawling: Stop Bulldozing the Oceans
Choose Good Wood and Save Our Forests
Fire California’s Fish and Game Commissioner
Canada
Declaration of Interdependence
Tell the Prime Minister to protect the Pacific Ocean
Indonesia
Komodo National Park under heavy threat by illegal bomb fishing
Japan

Help Save Okinawa Dugong and Coral Reef Ecosystem
New Zealand
Send John Key (Prime Minister) an e-card asking him to keep his government’s promise
Norway
Tell WWF to stop supporting krill harvesting in the Antarctic

Please read Paying the Price of Armchair Activism. Know of an action not listed? Email us

Marine Conservation Home / NEXT: Alien Species »

Best Surfing Spot On Southern California Beaches

Southern California is famous for the great surf.  Internationally known for the surf and the Surf Contest which bring tourist from all over the world to watch their surfers competing on the Southern beaches of California.

Most of the world know the commercial beaches used for events such as surfing competition, beach volleyball, and other conventions held at Southern California beaches resorts. For example to the tourists Huntington Beach is more famous than Newport Beach, in reality Newport Beach have better surfing spots than Huntington beach, and more locals prefer Newport on Huntington. The best surfing spot is located in Newport Beach.

The Wedge is a surfing, bodyboarding, and bodysurfing spot located at the extreme east end of the Balboa Peninsula  in Newport Beach california. During a south swell of the right size and direction, the Wedge can produce huge waves up to 30 feet (9.1 m) high.

The waves are a by-product of improvements to the groin (rock jetty) on the west side of the Newport Harbor entrance undertaken during the 1930s. When conditions are right, and a wave approaches the shore at the proper angle (most generally a south swell), an approaching wave will reflect off the jetty creating a second wave. The reflected wave meets up with the following wave of the set and forms a peak, and this pattern can repeat for several following waves as well. The combined effect of the reflected wave and the incoming wave creates a combined wave much larger than either of the two separate waves and occurs very rapidly and forms waves in a very unpredictable and “unstable” pattern, so that no two waves are alike and the exact breaking point is difficult to predict even for an experienced surfer.

Although this condition primarily occurs with large, south swells, it can also occur, with considerably lesser frequency, during “normal” conditions.

In addition, the beach at The Wedge is very steeply shaped sand, resulting in what is known as shore break (see below) and a very strong backwash which often drags people back into the surf. The backwash itself frequently creates another, outgoing wave, which can hit an incoming wave or surfer with enormous force. With the combined effect of the unpredictability of where the incoming waves will break, and the strength of the backwash, the resulting wave action can be highly unpredictable and therefore both exciting as well as very dangerous. Of course, it is this combination of danger, along with the chance to get pitted, which draws so many to surf The Wedge. Inexperienced swimmers or surfers should always use caution when considering swimming in the surf near The Wedge.

The Wedge really breaks largest when intense Southern Hemisphere storms or large tropical depressions, and hurricanes send their energy from the proper SSW direction, primarily during the summer & fall months.

 

Hearing addresses power lost with closure of San Onofre nuclear plant

California’s power grid is expected to make it through the summer with some energy reserves left over, but a long-term plan is needed to backfill power lost by the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, state and utility officials said Wednesday.

In a hearing held in Sacramento, the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard testimony from officials with Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, the California Energy Commission, the California Independent System Operator and the state Public Utilities Commission.

“The announcement of the plant’s retirement presents a tremendous challenge for all of us,” said Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima, the committee’s chairman. “We need to keep the lights on, and as with any challenge we must address the situation and gather all relevant information. It requires a careful consideration of our portfolio of energy options.”

David Mead, senior vice president of transmission and distribution planning for Edison, said his utility’s energy mix has changed with the closure of San Onofre and that natural gas and other unspecified power sources will be used to make up the difference. The closure of the plant has left a deficit of more than 2,000 megawatts of energy.

The nuclear facility has been offline since January of 2012. Mead said Edison’s San Onofre staffing will be reduced from 1,500 to 400.

“Last year when we were preparing for the summer, knowing we wouldn’t have SONGS, we were able to bring gas-fired generators in Huntington Beach back online,” he said. “That allowed us to have a generation resource available for the area. It made a big difference, but this year we converted those to synchronous condensers to keep the system stable without the generation of greenhouse gases. We turned it into something that can benefit the system.”

Other modifications to the power grid also have been made to accommodate the loss of San Onofre. Substations in Santiago, Johann and Viejo have had capacitors added, which also support voltage. Transmission lines have likewise been reconfigured from two circuits to four circuits to provide greater flexibility, and new gas-fired generation plants are up and running in El Segundo (564 megawatts), Sentinel (800 MW) and Walnut Creek (500 MW).

Robert Weisenmiller, chairman of the California Energy Commission, said the state will likely have enough power to address most scenarios that occur this year.

“The basic message is we, the ISO and the utilities all agree that the statewide supply is adequate to cover a broad range of conditions,” he said. “But with the loss of San Onofre the key issues range on San Diego County and on reactive power. It’s time that all of us move forward to figure out where we’re going in terms of replacement.”

Cal ISO estimates that Southern California will have an energy reserve of about 23 percent this summer, assuming normal conditions. But under extreme conditions of reduced capacity and high demand that margin could be shaved to 6 percent, officials said.

The San Onofre plant has remained offline since January 2012 when one of the facility’s steam generators sprang a leak and released traces of radiation. The leak occurred because of excessive vibration and friction among tubes that carried radioactive water through the plant’s steam generators.

Edison made repairs and submitted a restart plan to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in October. The plan was under consideration by the NRC, but Edison announced last month that it decided to permanently shutter the plant as it not cost-effective to wait any longer.

Future hearings on San Onfre will discuss safety concerns, the facility’s decommissioning process and possible rebates to ratepayers, among other issues.