SITE SPECIFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

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7_BEACON Tech Report (FINAL)

could also interfere with the foraging activities of wintering snowy plovers. Because

project activities would affect, at most, a few thousand feet of beach (between 2,200

and 5,600 ft., depending on the site), and the duration of beach nourishment activities

would be no more than 15 to 20 weeks, impacts on wintering snowy plovers would be

adverse but insignificant. Snowy plovers could use adjacent beaches for foraging.

When beach nourishment activities cease, plovers would again use the beach. The

creation of more sandy beach habitat by the BEACON Beach Enhancement Program

would ultimately benefit snowy plovers by increasing their foraging and nesting habitat.

3.3 SITE SPECIFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

3.3.1 Goleta Beach

Moffatt & Nichol predicted the sand cover at Goleta Beach based on the proposed

beach fill design and the maximum proposed volume of 100,000 cubic yards (Moffatt &

Nichol 2000). The greatest depth of cover at Goleta Beach would be from the back

beach to approximately 300 ft. seaward (+15 to -5 ft. MLLW). In this area, the depth of

sand cover would range from 2 to 3 ft. The habitat at Goleta Beach at these depths

consists almost entirely of sand with a small amount of cobble at the downcoast end.

The impacts of burial in these areas would be adverse but insignificant. From 300 to

550 ft. offshore (-5 to -12 ft. MLLW), the depth of cover is approximately 1 foot. The

habitat in this area is mostly sand but a few scattered rocks of between 1 and 3 ft.

height occur. Therefore, some of the smaller rocks may be buried. Because the

number of rocks that would be affected is few and because they would be uncovered by

natural littoral processes within several months, the impacts of burial at these depths is

also considered adverse but insignificant. Recovery of the community on the rocks

would be expected to take 1 to 2 years. Sand may bury some organisms living along

the base of the riprap that covers the Goleta Sanitary District outfall line. Because the

armor rock is about 3 ft. high, organisms living on the upper portions of the rocks would

not be affected. The lower portions of the riprap would be subjected to periodic scour

and burial by natural sand movement. Therefore , the impacts of about a foot of sand

cover at the base of the outfall line is considered adverse but insignificant. From 550 to

1,500 ft. offshore (-12 to -28 ft. MLLW), the depth of cover would be less than 6 inches

and would average about 1.5 inches. Any eelgrass that may occur off Goleta Beach is

at depths greater than 18 ft. water depth and would not be buried by the predicted

amount of sedimentation. Therefore, significant adverse impacts to eelgrass from burial

would not occur. However, the eelgrass bed would be monitored to insure that the

proposed beach enhancement program was not negatively affecting it.

Significant rocky intertidal and kelp beds occur off Goleta Point approximately 1,500 ft.

southwest of Goleta Beach. Because sand placement at Goleta Beach would be limited

to fall and winter placement when sand transport is almost entirely downcoast, the

project would have minimal impact on the Goleta Point ESH.

3208 Bio Report

06/12/02