Breakwater study done. (http://www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/ga/breakwater/default.asp) Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Good news. Well the study shows that removing a portion of the breakwater could help clean up the water and improve waves slightly.
Bad news. To do anything beyond the study will cost the City of Long Beach millions and millions of dollars. Oh, then there is the issue of whether or not the Army Corps of Engineers even approves doing anything -- and since they control the breakwater they call the shots.
So let's say they say "yes" -- well, the City of Long Beach has to commit to paying 1/2 the costs of the further study which amounts to @ $3.8 million. Then there's the cost of the actual work which could hit tens of millions.
What is missing in the entire study is the fact that people have seen photographs of the shoreline in the late 1940's and 1950's and we had waves. Oh and we also had the breakwater. What we didn't have was the Port of Long Beach sticking way out in the ocean blocking tidal flow.
Nope. We're not taking the Port down. But seriously folks we don't have the money to do further studies or to pay to take a portion of the breakwater down and it isn't likely the feds are interested in taking the breakwater down (things everyone knew when this initial study was ordered) -- so do we all feel better now?
