The Present Day Civil Works Role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Developing, Managing and Protecting California's Coastal Resources

摘要

Since the 19th century, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played an important role in the development of California's coastal waterways primarily for commercial and military uses. Over the years, the Corps of Engineers coastal charter, under the Civil Works program, evolved into providing beach erosion control for the purpose of reducing storm related wave attack and inundation damages to local coastal communities. More recently, this charter has further evolved into protecting the nation's valuable coastal resources through implementation of ecosystem restoration and enhancement projects and through regionally managing coastal sediments. Today, armed with an array of Congressionally mandated authorities and the availability of funds at the local, State and Federal levels, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is positioned well to continue an active role in providing leadership and technical support in implementing partnered coastal resources related projects along the California shoreline that are mutually beneficial to national, regional and local interests. Presently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involvement in coastal related Civil Works matters within the State of California can be partitioned into nine major initiatives: 1) data collection and scientific analyses to understand regional coastal processes and to establish regional sediment management plans; 2) navigation improvements to channels - and features of major port and harbor facilities; 3) maintenance of existing Federal coastal navigation channels and structures; 4) development of dredged material management plans for the beneficial reuse of regional contaminated and non-contaminated dredged sediments; 5) coastal watershed management in the context of reducing adverse sediment and pollutant loading within coastal estuarine systems, including coastal lagoons and wetlands; 7) shoreline protection to prevent or reduce residential, commercial and public infrastructure damages associated with coastal storms; 8) the promotion and implementation of national programs at the local level that involve innovatively managing regional beach quality sediments and applying technologically advanced measures to abate shoreline erosion; and, 9) in cooperation and partnership with the State of California Resources Agency, optimally execute Federal and State participation in the management of California's coastal sediments through the development of an adaptive and comprehensive Coastal Sediments Management Master Plan that will ensure the future environmental, recreational and economic health and vitality of California's beaches and shorelines.