Coastal Commission OK's Oceanside riverbed clearing Work expected to begin March 1 By Marga Kellogg North County Times February 7, 2008 OCEANSIDE -- A plan to clear overgrown brush from the San Luis Rey River channel won unanimous approval from the California Coastal Commission on Wednesday morning during a packed meeting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The approval means that some clearing work can begin March 1, before a small endangered bird that lives in the riverbed starts its six-month nesting season, officials said. Residents and city leaders had argued for years that plants growing unchecked in the riverbed were creating a flooding and fire hazard for hundreds of homes in north Oceanside. The vegetation was planted in 2000 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the agency completed a system of flood control levees in the channel. Since then, efforts to clear the brush have been bogged down in complicated negotiations between state and federal agencies concerned about how the work might affect wildlife along the San Luis Rey. The plan approved Wednesday was forged during months of talks among officials of the city, the Army Corps and the state Department of Fish and Game. Fish and Game issued permits for the work on Friday. The Coastal Commission also had to sign off on the plan. Ruth Villalobos, chief of the Army Corps planning division, said that while approval is still needed from San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and National Marine Fisheries Service, she doesn't expect any more delays in the clearing plan. Approval of the river clearing -- though long-awaited in Oceanside -- was nearly overshadowed Wednesday by another item on the Coastal Commission's agenda. More than 2,000 people showed up to hear the panel discuss the controversial extension of the Highway 241 toll road, which would cross San Onofre State Beach, about 15 miles north of Oceanside. The turnout was a record for the commission, according to staff analyst Mark Delaplaine. Before the panel addressed that issue, however, legislators and city leaders urged the commission to OK the San Luis Rey proposal. "This project is vital to the safety and well being of the surrounding community," said Assemblyman Martin Garrick, whose 74th District includes part of Oceanside. "It is critical that this process be completed." Environmentalists also spoke at the meeting, saying they supported the project but wanted to make sure that plants and animals are protected as the work is done. "These are very important wetlands," said Fred Roberts, with the San Diego chapter of the California Native Plants Society. "We want to make sure there's adequate mitigation. These habitats are almost impossible to replace." The Army Corps' plan for clearing and maintaining the river channel would be carried out over 25 years, according to the permit issued by the state. Lost habitat will be replaced in a number of ways, including buying more land or replanting existing land, the permit states. The Corps intends to start clearing vegetation -- including an invasive giant reed, Arundo donax -- between March 1 and March 15, when crews will stop to make way for the breeding season for the endangered least Bell's vireo, according a Coastal Commission report. The clearing work is set to resume Sept. 15. Sediment removed from the river channel must be placed on Oceanside area beaches, provided that it is physically and chemically suitable for that use. The Army Corps will follow the permit guidelines until it transfers management of the river channel to the city of Oceanside. The timeline for that transfer hasn't been determined, officials said. The Coastal Commission will continue it's three-day monthly meeting today at Oceanside City Hall. -- Contact staff writer Marga Kellogg at (760) 901-4067 or mkellogg@nctimes.com Copyright 1999-2008, California Coastal Coalition Phone: (760) 944-3564