Los Cerritos Wetlands

GENERAL			Source
Site	Los Cerritos Wetlands Complex / San Gabriel River
Map	Los Alamitos and Seal Beach, USGS 7.5' quadrangle
Location	The largest portion of the wetlands is located in the City of Long Beach; the remaining area is in unincorporated Los Angeles County. The wetlands are divided into five parcels within an area bounded by the Pacific Coast Highway to
	the southwest, the Los Cerritos Channel to the northwest, the San Gabriel River and Haynes Channel to the east. Westminster Avenue bisects the area in an east-west direction.
Contacts	City of Long Beach; 310-570-6357
	Coastal Commission - Southern Coast Area Office; 310-590-5071
Approximate Wetland Habitat Acreage	129.5 acres in five parcels		3
Approximate Historic Acreage	2400 acres - the greater Los Cerritos wetlands complex at the mouth of the San Gabriel River which included the historic Alamitos Bay and extended northward to California State University at Long Beach and eastward to the US Naval Weapons Station.		1
Ownership	Owner	Acres	Source
	Private	269	10, 7
LAND USE			Source
Land Use Designation	This area is designated in the City of Long Beach's Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (1977) as a planned unit development. Although an LCP was certified for Los Cerritos in February of 1984, this certification lapsed in October 1984.		3, 8
Onsite Use	A portion of the area on the easterly side of the Los Cerritos Channel is described as a fully functioning salt marsh, other areas are degraded - containing oil production sites, extraction wells for ground water barrier facilities, flood control		2, 9
	structures, and landfills.
Historic Use	The area was undisturbed until exploration and production of oil and gas began in the 1920's. Later construction of the port facilities in Alamitos Bay and Naples Island destroyed much of the wetlands. Several landfill sites were operated		2, 6, 5
	within the wetlands until the 1960's. Rapid urbanization in the 1940's and 50's further encroached on the perimeter wetland areas.
Adjacent Use	The remnant marsh is bounded by oil production facilities to the south, residential and commerical marinas to the southwest, urban residential to the west, and light industrial to the northeast. Electric generation plants on the east bank		5
	and the west banks of the San Gabriel were constructed on filled wetlands.
Adjacent Historic Use	Agriculture and cattle ranching were the primary activities around the perimeter of the marsh in the late 1800's, followed by oil production in the 1920's and the development of marine facilities in the1960's.		5, 2
HYDROLOGY			Source
Tidal Influence	The salt marsh area north of Westminster Avenue is open to Los Cerritos Channel. This channel is connected to the ocean by way of Marine Stadium (waterway and dock facilites) and Alamitos Bay. The tidal prism extends up Los Cerritos Channel		2
	past the salt marsh approximatelyone half mile. The marsh areas south of Westminster Avenue and on either side of the San Gabriel River are non-tidal due to flood control levees. Culverts through the levees are designed to allow rain water
	and run-off out of the marshes, but both brackish and saltwater seep into the marsh through the culverts.
Watershed Area	Los Cerritos Channel - 27.8 sq.mi., and the San Gabriel River - 641.2 sq.mi.		18
Tributaries and Flow	Tributary	Flow	Source
	San Gabriel River (historical freshwater source to the wetland but now provides only a limited amount due to flood control levees).	Maximum discharge 60,000 cfs during storm events. Adjacent to the marsh the river has a soft bottom and levees are armored with concrete and rip-rap.	13, 3
	Los Cerritos Channel	Maximum design discharge for a 25 year flood is 10,000 cfs.	13
Dams	Cogswell Dam built in 1934, San Gabriel Dam built in 1939, Morris Dam built in 1934, and Santa Fe and Whittier Narrows Dams. Six additional dams are located on tributaries to the San Gabriel River.		13
Other Sources	Run-off from adjacent urban development.		9
WATER QUALITY			Source
General	1995 - LA Regional Water Quality Control Board's 303(d) List identifies the Los Cerritos Channel as not meeting standards for AMM, Cu, Pb, 2n, and coliform and the San Gabriel River (Reach 1) as not meeting the standards for AMM, Pb, TOX,		12, 13
	HIST, coliform and algae. Beneficial Uses for the Los Cerritos Wetlands are: IND, NAV, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, WILD, RARE, MIGR, SPWN, and SHELL; for the San Gabriel River uses are: IND, NAV, REC1, REC2, COMM, EST, MAR, WILD, and RARE.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO)	Data not available.
Water Salinity	Data not available.
Sedimentation	Los Cerritos Channel - minimal to insignificant due to urbanization of the watershed, and the San Gabriel River - minimal due to flood control leeves.		2
Soil			Source
Soil	Soils consist primarily of sand loam with areas of landfill; south of Westminster Avenue surface soils are wind drifted sands and dredged materials.		2, 14
Habitat	Acres	Vegetation
Open water (subtidal habitat)	95.2 (principally the Los Cerritos Channel adjacent to the wetlands)	Non-vegetated	5
Intertidal mud flats	7.6+	1981- algae	5
Salt flats	Not specified.	Non-vegetated	9
Salt marsh	19.2+	1991 - dominated by pickleweed, also present are saltgrass, glasswort, sea lavender, saltwort and salt cedar. 1996 - cordgrass also present in the wetlands adjacent to the Los Cerritos Channel.	Ac 5, 17 Plants 5, 15
Diked salt marsh	17.7+	1991 - alkali bulrush, cattail, saltgrass, bulrush, and brass buttons*.	Ac 5, 17 Plants 5
Uplands/fill area	Not specified	1981- ruderal	5
ANIMAL USE			Source
Birds	1981 - 16 censuses from Oct. 1979 to Mar. 1980 - 53 species were identified, of which 48 are water-associated, including five special status species; Belding's Savannah sparrow# and the California least tern# were observed nesting. (See Comments Section)		9
Fish	1991 - sampling within the salt marsh channels and Los Cerritos Channel identified 10 species: the dominant species was topsmelt; northern anchovy, slough anchovy, shiner surfperch, and California killifish were also present, as well as		5
	sailfin molly*. Method of sampling not specified.
Benthic Invertebrates	Data not available.
Insect	The salt marsh skipper+ was identified during visual reconnaissance in September 1995.		14
Other Wildlife	Data not available.
Special Status Species	1979/80 - Osprey, long-billed curlew, California gull, California least tern#, and Belding's Savannah sparrow#. 1995 - salt marsh skipper.		9, 14
OUTLOOK			Source
Enhancement Status	In the early 1980's several restoration plans were developed for Los Cerritos by the State Coastal Conservancy. These plans have not been implemented. Currently (1996) both major property owners are in the process of preparing		9
	plans for the area which include wetland habitat restoration as a part of the overall development effort.
Watershed Management	Not specified.
Pressure	Lack of tidal connection for the majority of the wetland areas contributes to the marshes' continued degradation, as does poor water quality from urban runoff. Wildlife is disturbed by activities associated with urban development.		9, 3
Comments	Physical and biological studies were in progress as of Spring 1997 for both the Bryant and Bixby properties at Los Cerritos. Preliminary data were client confidential and not made available.		16, 14
SOURCES
1	State Coastal Conservancy. 1982. Regional wetland restoration study: Los Angeles & Orange Counties. 40 pp., plus appendicies.
	To facilitate more coherent planning for restoration and enhancement of coastal wetlands in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the California Coastal Conservancy commissioned an analysis of management needs and opportunities in the
	region. The study provides a regional assessment of wetland values, identifies regional restoration goals, forwards site-specific criteria that would result in a high likelihood of project success, and describes 10 sites in the region that met the site-
	specific criteria: Zuma Beach, Malibu Lagoon, the confluence of the San Gabriel River and Coyote Creek, Anaheim Bay, Wintersburg Channel, Huntington Channel Extension, Fairview Park, Talbert Park, Beeco Oil Field, and San Joaquin
	Freshwater Marsh. In addition, the appendices include fish and bird use summaries and habitat acreage for each site (based on existing information) as well as proposed improvements to the USFWS wetlands classification system.
2	Camp Dresser & Mckee, Inc. 1982. Prepared for the State Coastal Conservancy. Preliminary design of Los Cerritos wetlands restoration alternatives. ~ 50 pp.
	This report addresses the engineering considerations and costs of restoring wetlands lying between the San Gabriel River and Los Cerritos Channel immediately east of the Pacific Coast Highway. A brief description of the existing
	site conditions is provided. A hydrologic evaluation for the site is included. Data on water quality and quantity from adjacent extraction wells, and on the discharge water from electrical generation facilities to the east of the wetlands,
	are evaluated as to their potential as water sources for wetlands restoration. Four alternative plans are considered with cost estimates provided for each alternative.
3	City of Long Beach, California and County of Los Angeles, California. 1982 (Rev. 83). Los Cerritos wetlands local coastal program. 117 pp.
	This Local Coastal Program (plan) designates land uses by location, type and density, addresses public access issues, and sets forth design and development standards. The plan presents a program for protection of viable wetlands and
	restoration of degraded wetlands in the southeast corner of the City of Long Beach and adjacent unincorporated area. This plan is currently not certified.
4	Rivertech, Inc. 1989. Prepared for the State Coastal Conservancy. Feasibility of the 1983 plan for restoring Los Cerritos wetlands. 3pp., plus appendices.
	A brief review of the feasibility of the Camp Dresser & McKee restoration plan (Source #2) with comments on the current site conditions. The appendix contains recent (1989) water quality data on the discharge from the electrical generation station.
5	MEC Analytical Systems, Inc. 1991. Ecological Descriptions and Evaluation of proposed enhancement/restoration for eight southern California wetlands. Final Report. Prepared for Southern California Edison. 300 pp. and appendices.
	This document describes the characteristics of eight wetland sites in Southern California and provides an assessment of their relative value as candidates for biological enhancement and restoration required as compensatory mitigation.
	The sites are: Ormond Beach Wetlands, Ballona Creek, Los Cerritos, Anaheim Bay, Huntington Beach Wetlands, Santa Ana River Mouth, San Dieguito River Valley and the Tijuana River
	Estuary. The assessment is organized into four parts: historical acreage and present ecological condition; proposed enhancements and restorations; evaluations of proposed enhancements and restorations based on biology; and
	evaluations of proposed restorations and enhancements based on Coastal Commission objectives and standards. Appendix A describes each wetland site in detail. Data from a variety of existing documents are incorporated into the report.
6	California State Coastal Conservancy. 1982. Los Cerritos wetlands: alternative wetland restoration plans report. 46 pp., plus appendices.
	In response to the Coastal Commission's conditional approval of the 1981 Los Cerritos Enhancement Plan, the Conservancy developed four alternate restoration plans for the wetlands. A detailed engineering analysis of
	the technical feasibility of each alternative is included. Limited information on the fauna and flora of the wetlands is provided.
7	Landauer Associates, Inc. 1981. Prepared for the California State Coastal Conservancy. Ernest Bryant Property appraisal. 24 pp., with addendum.
	Appraisal of the real property of Ernest Bryant at Los Cerritos wetlands having a total area of 85.05 acres.
8	City of Long Beach Planning Department. 1977. A specific plan for implementation -- southeast area redevelopment and improvement plan (general plan amendment, specific plan adoption). 64 pp., plus appendices.
	The purpose of this document is to present an integrated specific plan for the continuing development of 1,500 acres in the southeast area of the City of Long Beach. This area is the largest remaining undeveloped acreage in the City.
	The plan includes recommendations for housing, commerical, industrial, and conservation uses (this project did not go forward, beyond the draft plan).
9	California Department of Fish and Game. 1981. Determination of the Status of the Los Cerritos wetlands. 25 pp.
	At the request of the Coastal Commission, a determination of the status of the wetlands at Los Cerritos was performed by the Department of Fish and Game. For purposes of this study the area was divided into six subareas.
	A description of the flora and fauna of each habitat area is provided. Original survey data are provided for birds and fish. Recommendations for maintenance of the existing viable wetlands and restoration of the degraded wetlands are included.
10	California Coastal Commission, South Coast District; staff report. 1984. Los Cerritos wetlands local coastal program. 41 pp.
	Staff report and recommendation with suggested modifications required for certifying the Los Cerritos Wetlands Local Coastal Program. Describes the land use plan and establishes clear wetlands restoration standards for the area.
11	California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. 1994. Water quality control plan Los Angeles Region (4). 187 pp., plus appendices.
	The Los Angeles Regional Board's Basin Plan is designed to preserve and enhance the water quality and protect the beneficial uses of all regional waters. The plan designates beneficial uses and associated water quality objectives for inland
	surface waters, ground waters, coastal waters, and wetlands for the Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It includes a discussion of applicable policies and statutory requirements and identifies measures for achieving water quality objectives.
	It also describes ongoing monitoring and assessment programs.
12	Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. 1996. Water Quality Assessment and Documentation. 106 pp.
	A list of waterbodies in the Los Angeles and Ventura County coastal watersheds that do not or are not expected to attain water quality standards after application of required technology-based controls. It includes a description of the methods
	and criteria used in the assessment. 303(d) lists are prepared as part of the Water Quality Assessment of the State's major waterbodies, and meet a requirement of Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act.
13	Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Undated. The San Gabriel River and Montebello Forebay Water Conservation System. 7pp.
	Public information pamphlet briefly describing the San Gabriel River water conservation system and watershed. It identifies methods for water distribution and ground water recharge, and includes a description of dams and reservoirs in the watershed.
14	Huffman, T., Huffman & Associates, Inc., Larkspur, Ca. November 1996. Personal communication of unpublished original surveys; for the pacific pocket mouse by S.J. Montgomery, and salt marsh skipper
	and special status beetles by R.A. Arnold, for the Bryant3 project site, Los Cerritos, CA.
15	Kelly, T., California Department of Fish and Game, Region 5. October 1996. Personal communication.
16	Honerhauser, A., Larry Seaman & Associates, Long Beach, CA. March 1997. Personal communication.
17	Auyong, J.T., California Coastal Commission - South Coast Region. June 1996. Personal communication: portions of the US Army Corps of Engineers Notice 95-00239-AQA for a nationwide permit for the placement of 2000 cu. yds of fill
	in jurisdictional waters and wetlands, and requiring 1.08 acres of mitigation.
18	Perrett, M., Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. April 1997. Personal communication.