Water District Hosts EPA Malibu Creek Workshop in Agoura Hills

The Las Virgenes – Triunfo Joint Powers Authority (JPA), is hosting a public workshop being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency at Agoura Hills City Hall on Wednesday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m.

A 13-year report, "Malibu Creek Watershed: Ecosystem on the Brink," released by by Heal the Bay last month found that several invasive species are thriving, including New Zealand mudsnails, red swamp crayfish, bullfrogs, giant reed, periwinkle and fennel.

The JPA has expressed concern that the water quality standards for Malibu Creek and the lagoon would become "very stringent" if regulations were implemented as proposed.

“From Oak Park and Thousand Oaks to Malibu, compliance with the proposed standards will become the responsibility of the cities, counties and the Joint Powers Authority that provide important public services,"Michael McReynolds, Chair of the JPA, said in a press release. "The cost impacts are substantial and likely to be permanent.”

JPA officials question the science and methodology chosen to assess conditions in the watershed.

“We are concerned that U.S. EPA seems dismissive of Malibu Creek’s unique traits, when other independent sources identify its salinity and natural chemistry as factors that must be considered,” said David W. Pedersen, Administering Agent and General Manager for the JPA.

In an email to Patch, Heal the Bay responded to the JPA's concerns.

“Over the past 13 years, our Stream Team has found degraded and impaired biological communities in many locations in the Malibu Creek Watershed,” said Katherine Pease, a watershed scientist for local environmental group Heal the Bay. “So we are very supportive of EPA’s efforts to improve biological health through the TMDL process and believe that staff members have taken a thorough and comprehensive approach in their proposal.”

Implementation of the new standards would be in addition to measures already underway by city and county governments to comply with requirements adopted in December 2012 for storm water systems, according to JPA.

Click here to read the full study.