The Harbor Report: How RGP 54 is helping the harbor

We have been talking about an improved Regional General Permit 54 (RGP 54) for well over five years.

This improved permit, which has been in place for close to a year, streamlines permitting for residents and marinas to dredge under their docks by combining the permits required by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coastal Commission and the state Water Resources Control Board. Without it, this type of dredging is extremely complex and expensive for individuals and marina operators.

I thought it would be interesting to meet with some of the first people to use the improved RGP 54 permit and see how the process of dredging a small marina in Newport Harbor is going.

I sat down with Allyson and Ron Presta, owners of the Newport Marina and Bayshore Apartments (that’s the old Swales Apartments and Marina next to the Bayshore’s entrance), along with their contractor, Paul Gillen of Associated Pacific Constructors.

Because of a close outfall that deposits 1,000 cubic yards of sedimentary materials a year next to their marina, the Prestas have to dredge every two or three years. Allyson described the dredging process as it was three years ago, before the new RGP 54 was in place.

It took her 18 months to obtain the five different government agencies’ permits and remove close to 8,700 cubic yards of materials. At that same time, the county, which maintains the piece of harbor just in front of the marina, took out 26,000 cubic yards.

“It was a huge bonus to us that the city cleaned up the Upper Bay catch basin a few years ago,” Allyson said.

So is the process any easier for them? The Prestas say it’s a little bit easier.

Now if I understood the Prestas clearly, it should get a little easier every year as the city and contractors gain credibility with the different government agencies.

“There are a lot of documents that are involved to comply with all the conditions,” Gillen said, “such as a highly detailed hydrographic surveys before and after dredging. Water samples are also taken before and after.

“We document the depth of the scow, its route and speed to the offshore disposal area. We have to follow the same standards as if were dredging contaminated materials out of the Port of Los Angeles.”

There are two types of dredging: one that allows the sand to be relocated to the beach, and the other to transport the materials to an offshore disposal site. The offshore option costs more money.

“The process is more than filling out an application,” Gillian said. “Dredging is specialized business.Not only do you have to consider if the material is needed to be taken offshore or can replenish the beach, we have to take into consideration the docks configuration, their relationship with the seawall, and if it can structurally handle dredging, if the pilings are deep enough to support their dock.

“That’s why there’s a need for a knowledgeable contractor. It’s not like just going online and filling out an application and hoping for the best. These are the type of considerations that the homeowner needs to understand.”

In my 40-minute meeting with the Prestas and Gillen, I pretend to understand the different terms and conditions that are required to complete the dredging process in our harbor. I also heard the idea of finding an area in the harbor to stockpile good sand rather than having to take it offshore and dispose of it.

It sounds like that the city did an outstanding job by obtaining an RFP with an eelgrass mitigation plan attached to it.

If you have more interest on this topic, be sure to save the date, Nov. 10, at Marina Park. The city, along with Coast Keepers, will be sponsoring a workshop on how to dredge with eel grass. IYou could save cubic yards of money by attending.

Boat name of the week: Watts Next.

Sea ya.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist for the Daily Pilot.