The curretn spill comes from leaking pipes in Watts. These pipes dumped 20,000 gallons of raw sewage into Compton Creek, which is a major tributary of the Los Angeles River. The LA River, of course, is the largest source of water and sediment on our beaches, and poor water quality there has a huge impact on the Long Beach coast.
Would tearing down the breakwater help in this situation? Perhaps, though indirectly. Increased water circulation at the beach might help flush out the sewage once it lands in our front door.
However, we might get a bigger bang-for-the-buck by improving upstream sewage infrastructure so spills like these happen less often.
Read the story in today's LA Times.
In the meantime, here's a photo of our beach in happier, more festive times:
