Welcome to EcoMalibu

“The water smells.” Said Jo Ruggles who was the Chair of the “Malibu Wastewater Study Group (1991-‘93) and EcoMalibu board member.  “Just stinks!” said Bill Moore, retired President of American Hardwood and member of the Malibu Surfing Association.

The west channels of the Malibu Lagoon were once called “Polio Pond” by local surfers surfing the magnificent waves at neighboring world famous Malibu Surfrider Beach. 

The lagoon is at the terminus of Malibu Creek, which drains the 109 square mile watershed above Malibu.  There were many pollutants contributing to creek and lagoon’s degradation.  The situation of the lagoon’s west channels amassed a witch’s brew that emanated a toxic smell that permeated the air all around it.

In 2012, 20 years after residents, government agencies, environmental groups and scientists formed the Malibu Creek Watershed Discussion Group to tackle the complex pollution problem, a seven-million-dollar lagoon restoration project concentrating on the west channels was planned and construction commenced. 

It is now considered a highly successful project by experts in the field.  The water is circulating properly and now the west channels of the lagoon is clean and wildlife is thriving.

In the late 1950’s and early 60’s Malibu Surfrider Beach was at the center of the surfing world.  Baby boomers were maturing as surfing became a cultural phenomenon.  From 1959 to 1963, the population of surfers grew from a few thousand to well over two million, worldwide.  Malibu Surfrider Beach had over a million visitors a year and surfing was on par with major league sports and movie stars as a main attraction in Malibu.

Growth in the area was on the rise and commercial development extended into the upper watershed where about 3,000 residents lived.  Los Angeles County had an insatiable thirst for more tax revenue, and in the early ‘60s, the demanding growth required a wastewater treatment plant be built.  It was positioned in the bottleneck of Malibu canyon to accommodate development along the “101-corridor” in the upper watershed.  In 1969, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District’s Tapia Treatment Plant began servicing the upper watershed’s five cities (Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills and Calabasas), and began discharging its tertiary treated affluent into the Malibu creek. Soon after, concern escalated because the smell in the air around the lagoon became noxious, and the media took note.

The lagoon was a long standing problem and many surfers along with the “Movie Colony” residents continuously complained about the smell.  Despite the constant complaints from the ‘70s through the ‘80s, a variety of government agencies gave the treatment plant gold-level awards. 

The cover up made it difficult for the community to understand where the smell came from exactly, but everyone knew it was emanating generally from the west channels of the lagoon.  The Malibu Township Council, who were the city’s governing body, received many complaints but was unable to take on the massive power of the County and the State.  They simply filed complaints as a follow up.

In 1987, a study discovered that a small fish called the Tidewater Gobi that resided in the lagoon was endangered.  Eventually, Fish and Wildlife listed it on its endangered species list, which mandated protection by the Endangered Species Act and therefore prompted greater attention to the environment and its ecosystem by the State and County. 

In 1992, Malibu formed into a city and commissioned an investigation of wastewater in the lagoon. The investigator, Peter Warshall, discovered waste discharge pipes were connecting colony houses to the lagoon, and were buried four feet underground.  They were discharging waste directly into the lagoon.  However, this was not reported in the study.  Other water contaminates were identified in the west channels of the lagoon, along with other areas of concern nearby, and were blamed as sources of pollution. Finger pointing went in many different directions, complicating the matter.

So a “Discussion Group” was formed of all the stakeholders and gathered for monthly meetings.  After many meetings over many years and the group, taking on many iterations, and commissioning many studies, determined that the west channels of the lagoon had to be fixed by way of reconfiguring it to enhance circulation.  They had found that decades of waste deposits left by many who didn’t understand the ecological value of the lagoon’s wetland and ecosystem, found it convenient to deposit waste.  The waste along with the shape of the west channels was killing the wildlife and polluting the water.

The project, designed by expert wetland scientists and engineers, and managed by environmental groups cleaned out all the muck, waste discharge pipes and debris, as well as reconfigured the west channels to increase circulation, and planted native vegetation.  Life, not seen in decades returned and is thriving in clean water.  And, the smell is gone.

Seeing the need to publicize this immense accomplishment as a tribute to humanity and its ability to restore the environment, EcoMalibu formed to further educate the general public about the project, the environment, conservation, and other restoration projects in other areas of degradation in the area. 

“When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time.” Creighton Abrams