U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District LOS ANGELES REGIONAL DREDGED MATERIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FEASIBILITY STUDY BASELINE CONDITIONS (F3) REPORT TECHNICAL APPENDIX U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District 915 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90017 August 2004 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 1 2 DREDGING AND DISPOSAL HISTORY .............................................................. 4 2.1 Overview..................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Santa Monica Bay....................................................................................... 4 2.2.1 Marina del Rey............................................................................... 4 2.2.2 King Harbor.................................................................................... 5 2.3 San Pedro Bay............................................................................................ 7 2.3.1 Port of Los Angeles ....................................................................... 7 2.3.2 Port of Long Beach...................................................................... 13 2.3.3 Los Angeles River Estuary .......................................................... 13 2.4 Alamitos Bay............................................................................................. 17 2.5 Summary................................................................................................... 21 3 FUTURE DREDGING AND DISPOSAL NEEDS ................................................ 23 3.1 Overview................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Santa Monica Bay..................................................................................... 23 3.2.1 Marina del Rey............................................................................. 23 3.2.2 King Harbor.................................................................................. 24 3.3 San Pedro Bay.......................................................................................... 24 3.3.1 Port of Los Angeles ..................................................................... 24 3.3.2 Port of Long Beach...................................................................... 26 3.3.3 Los Angeles River Estuary .......................................................... 28 3.4 Alamitos Bay............................................................................................. 28 3.5 Summary................................................................................................... 28 4 REGIONAL SEDIMENT CHARACTERIZATION................................................. 30 4.1 Sediment Data Sources............................................................................ 30 4.2 Santa Monica Bay/Marina del Rey............................................................ 30 4.2.1 Physical Characterization and Distribution .................................. 31 4.2.1.1 Grain Size and Organic Carbon ........................................ 31 4.2.1.2 Engineering Properties...................................................... 33 4.2.2 Chemical Characteristics and Distribution................................... 33 4.2.2.1 Inorganics.......................................................................... 33 4.2.2.2 Semi-Volatile Organics...................................................... 34 4.2.2.3 Pesticides/PCBs................................................................ 36 4.3 San Pedro Bay.......................................................................................... 38 4.3.1 Physical Characteristics and Distribution..................................... 38 4.3.1.1 Grain Size and Organic Carbon ........................................ 38 4.3.1.1.1 Port of Los Angeles .................................................. 41 4.3.1.1.2 Port of Long Beach................................................... 41 4.3.1.2 Engineering Properties...................................................... 42 4.3.2 Chemical Characteristics and Distribution................................... 42 4.3.2.1 Inorganics.......................................................................... 42 4.3.2.1.1 Port of Los Angeles .................................................. 42 4.3.2.1.2 Port of Long Beach................................................... 44 4.3.2.2 Semi-Volatile Organics...................................................... 46 4.3.2.2.1 Port of Los Angeles .................................................. 46 4.3.2.2.2 Port of Long Beach................................................... 49 4.3.2.3 Pesticides/PCBs................................................................ 53 Los Angeles Regional DMMP FS August 2004 Baseline Conditions (F3) Technical Appendix i U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, LA District Table of Contents 4.3.2.3.1 Port of Los Angeles .................................................. 53 4.3.2.3.2 Port of Long Beach................................................... 54 4.4 Los Angeles River Estuary........................................................................ 55 4.4.1 Physical Characterization and Distribution .................................. 55 4.4.1.1 Grain Size and Organic Carbon ........................................ 55 4.4.1.2 Engineering Properties...................................................... 55 4.4.2 Chemical Characteristics and Distribution................................... 57 4.4.2.1 Inorganics.......................................................................... 57 4.4.2.2 Semi-Volatile Organics...................................................... 58 4.4.2.3 Pesticides/PCBs................................................................ 60 4.5 Alamitos Bay............................................................................................. 61 4.5.1 Physical Characterization and Distribution .................................. 61 4.5.1.1 Grain Size and Organic Carbon ........................................ 61 4.5.1.2 Engineering Properties...................................................... 62 4.5.2 Chemical Characteristics and Distribution................................... 62 4.5.2.1 Inorganics.......................................................................... 62 4.5.2.2 Organics ............................................................................ 64 5 COASTAL ENGINEERING ................................................................................. 66 5.1 Climate ..................................................................................................... 66 5.1.1 General Climate........................................................................... 66 5.1.2 Winds........................................................................................... 66 5.1.3 Precipitation................................................................................. 69 5.1.4 Storms ......................................................................................... 69 5.2 Oceanographic Conditions........................................................................ 71 5.2.1 Water Levels................................................................................ 71 5.2.1.1 Tides.................................................................................. 71 5.2.1.2 Sea Level Rise .................................................................. 72 5.2.1.3 Storm Surge ...................................................................... 72 5.2.2 El Nino Southern Oscillation........................................................ 73 5.2.3 Waves.......................................................................................... 73 5.2.3.1 Wave Exposure ................................................................. 73 5.2.3.2 Wave Conditions ............................................................... 75 5.3 Currents .................................................................................................... 78 5.4 Sedimentation........................................................................................... 80 5.4.1 Littoral Drift .................................................................................. 80 5.4.1.1 Littoral Cell ........................................................................ 80 5.4.1.2 Longshore Transport ......................................................... 80 5.4.1.3 Cross-shore Transport ...................................................... 82 5.4.2 Shelf Sedimentation..................................................................... 82 6 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES............................................................................... 84 6.1 Santa Monica Bay/Marina del Rey............................................................ 84 6.1.1 Aquatic Species........................................................................... 84 6.1.1.1 Adult and Juvenile Fishes ................................................. 84 6.1.1.2 Special Interest Fish Species ............................................ 87 6.1.1.3 Plankton ............................................................................ 88 6.1.1.4 Benthic and Epibenthic Invertebrates................................ 90 6.1.1.5 Kelp and Macroalgae ........................................................ 92 6.1.1.6 Eelgrass ...........................................................................