Oxnard to install more sensors to collect marine data at Channel Islands Harbor
Wendy Leung
The single sensor installed at the Channel Islands Harbor offers Oxnard officials oxygen, algae and other marine data 24 hours a day. It gives out much more information than the occasional water sampling that officials have been taking since summer.
The city has ordered more sensors to be placed throughout the harbor so it can better understand the poor water quality at the marina. There will soon be four remote sensors installed.
Collecting data for a full report will help the city find a solution to the murky and brown water that has become common at the harbor since June. About 40 residents attended a Channel Islands Harbor task force meeting last week and received an update from city officials and consultants.
There have been times the water quality has gotten so bad, marine life has been found dead or struggling. Experts say the water is safe for humans, however.
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David Caron, an expert in biological sciences hired by the city, said between August and October, there were two significant drops in which oxygen levels were near zero. With levels this low, any organisms in the water are susceptible to asphyxiation, Caron said.
“You probably were lucky you didn’t have a massive kill of animals,” Caron said.
Water-quality problems began surfacing several months after a nearby power plant ceased operations. The NRG Energy facility had pulled water through the harbor to cool down its facility. By state law, such power plants that use ocean water must cease operations by the end of 2020. NRG opted to close its plant ahead of time.
Harbor resident Mike De Martino said this problem is an “unintended consequence” of state law regarding power plants.
“This is a federal, state, county problem. We can not pay for this,” De Martino said. “It’s imperative that the legislators and representatives realize you can not just leave this up to us.”
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The city will continue collecting data to determine the cause of the recent algae bloom and consider solutions. There are a number of factors that can contribute to an algae bloom including urbanization, agriculture, residential development and sewage treatment.
“Until you do the study, you’re undiagnosed,” Caron said.
A preliminary report is not expected until April and some of that will depend on the outcome of the rainy season. Sampling after rainfall is important, Caron said.
“Everything that washes off of land is going to bring nutrients with it and depending on where it comes, it could bring a lot of nutrients,” Caron said. “So we need to know when the rains hit and the water flows into the harbor, what’s the concentration and the sources of that material.”
Caron said if residents see signs of another algae bloom such as murky water, surface scum and odd color, they should report it to the city by emailing photos to ciharbor@oxnard.org.
For updated information about the harbor, visit www.oxnard.org/ciharbor.