Santa Ana River

When the Spanish colonizers of Southern California arrived here in 1769, they found a land that already had about a quarter of a million occupants. The indigenous tribes, the Shoshonean Indians, were spread out across the San Gabriel and Santa Ana valleys and the Los Angeles plains. Father Juan Crespi, who wrote the first history of the tribe, called the Indians "Gabrielinos." Local Gabrielino settlements included Moyo, which was north of the Newport Bay estuary, and Lukup, which was near the Santa Ana River.

In the above editorial, we lament -- echoing a number of Newport Beach residents and even its City Council -- that a dredging project in the Santa Ana River is causing a run of problems. Residents are concerned about plans to spread the dredged sediment across the beach of West Newport, but their first choice for a solution is a costly one: as much as $2 million to cart all the gunk offshore. With that in mind, we want to express our dismay that $250,000 is going to study the prospects of building a bridge across the Santa Ana River (yes, the same one)

"To me, you would need to put an asterisk in that report. People should not be swimming in the Santa Ana River." -- Dave Kiff, Newport Beach assistant city manager, on high grades that Heal the Bay gave an area near the Santa Ana River mouth "I can't be Dave," he said. "I have my own style. I'm not saying it's better or worse. It's just different. It'll take some getting used to." -- John D. Hensley, Costa Mesa's new police chief, on how he'll be different from retiring chief David Snowden "[My son]

"We have a really warped sense of humor. We make it fun for adults and kids and try to get some messages out when we can." -- Colleen Hanson, on her Halloween-decorated Costa Mesa house "I'm always surprised with the amount of diversity in our schools. And seeing the statistics for the rest of the county and how well the students are achieving and learning, to me, it's an affirmation that we're on the right track." -- Dave Brooks, Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Trustees member, at a meeting the state of education in the county "I don't understand why they have to have such a huge concrete capacity in the Santa Ana River as it goes through Orange County and why they can't do things like create a soft river bottom so that water has a chance to seep into the river."

Lolita Harper City leaders were reeling Monday after learning through the grapevine that Fountain Valley wants to study a contentious plan for a bridge at Gisler Avenue, despite a previous agreement between the cities to work together on an entirely different solution to traffic problems. "What?" was the first word uttered by most city leaders and various resident advocates Monday afternoon when they heard news of the plan by Fountain Valley to obtain $500,000 for the study of a bridge at Gisler Avenue and Garfield Street that would cross the Santa Ana River and connect Costa Mesa to Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.

. CORRECTION: Banning Ranch was incorrectly identified as the source of a proposed access point for multipurpose trails along the Santa Ana River. The proposed site is actually in the Banning Flood Channel near Sandpiper Drive. The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission faced a tough crowd Wednesday night, when elements of the Santa Ana River Trail Vision Study were met with vociferous opposition from neighboring residents. The study, part of a multicity initiative providing recommendations for habitat restoration and passive recreation activities along the river, identified a number of access points and other feasible recreational facilities that could enhance the river bank trail.

Paul Clinton Environmentalists are cheering the State Water Board's recommendation that three local drainage channels get federal Clean Water Act protection. State water board members included Buck Gully Creek, Los Trancos Creek and a 24-mile section of the Santa Ana River, which has been identified as a transport for bovine urine from inland dairies to coastal Orange County, on a list of impaired areas. The Environmental Protection Agency now is considering whether to add them to its Impaired Water Bodies, or 303d, list.

Alex Coolman COSTA MESA -- The Santa Ana River will take on a new look in June as a makeshift berm is installed in the riverbed -- part of a new county program to divert urban runoff into the sewer. At a spot on the river below Talbert Avenue, county officials plan to construct a berm of concrete barriers and sandbags. The structure could be in place as soon as June 7, said Mary Anne Skorpanich, special projects manager of the Orange County Public Facilities and Resources Department.

Lolita Harper Council members thwarted a recommended study on the feasibility of a bridge at 19th Street Monday, saying it would be improper to embark on any independent research until a regional consensus is agreed upon. The council voted 4 to 1 to disregard a recommendation from the Community Redevelopment Action Committee to study the economic feasibility of a bridge at 19th Street to cross the Santa Ana River into Huntington Beach. Councilman Allan Mansoor dissented.

It’s not the end of this race that matters — it’s where it begins. Saturday, members of the Surfriders Newport Beach chapter and various supporters are running nearly 30 miles along the Santa Ana River to highlight the fact that when it comes to trash in the water, the beginning is essentially everywhere. It’s the second annual RockWater Race. At 9 a.m. Saturday, runners from four relay teams will start in the scenic forest-area off Green River Road in Riverside County and head out along the Santa Ana River trail, along the way handing off a small rock to the next leg in the race.