4 inches in a week 

By Heather McRea

This week in Coast Lines: That’s how much some of the land in the Rancho Palos Verdes landslide area was moving per week: 4 inches.

Plus, a plan is struck for contaminated material from the Newport Harbor and the Coastal Commission rejected a proposal to reconfigure mooring fields in the harbor.

Here’s what’s happening along the Southern California coast.

Land on the move

A NASA study of the landslide area in Rancho Palos Verdes showed at times the land was moving up to 4 inches in a week and the active area of movement has increased since a 2007 study. 

Doing the study – from the air in a jet – was the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis Team, which “investigates the processes and impacts of earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, fires, subsurface fluid movement and other natural hazards.”

“In effect, we’re seeing that the footprint of land experiencing significant impacts has expanded,” Alexander Handwerger, the JPL landslide scientist who performed the analysis, said in the press release, “and the speed is more than enough to put human life and infrastructure at risk.” 

See more.

Disposal plan

The Port of Long Beach is turning an old slip for giant cargo ships into a pier, but that is a lot of space to fill in. 

The Newport Harbor needs to be dredged and residents and boaters did not like the plan to create a pit in the harbor for the stuff that was too contaminated with mercury to go out into the ocean.

The two have agreed to help each other out.

Read the story.

Space plan

The California Coastal Commission said no to a city of Newport Beach idea to reconfigure mooring fields in the local harbor to give more space for navigating the open areas.

Boaters turned out en masse against the idea, which they said would make pulling into and out of the moorings trickier.

“I believe the project would have significantly improved navigability in and around the mooring field,” Paul Blank, the city’s harbor master, said. “We have evidence for this from third-party independent sources.”

Read the story.

What else?

More than 100 Billabong, Quiksilver and Volcom retail shops are closing in the U.S. 
Read the story.

Transportation agency gives update for plans to protect the rail line through San Clemente.

Read the story.

Plans to close the Vincent Thomas Bridge for 16 months continue to be refined.

Read the story.

In the water

A crew of rescuers, from bodyboarders and surfers in the water to professionals on land, helped Olivier Eustache when his heart stopped beating as he waited for some waves off San Clemente. He was able to thank them all for their roles in his Christmas Day miracle and help the city encourage people to be part of its Neighborhood Beach Watch program. 

Read the story.

You are receiving this email because you are signed up for this newsletter from the Orange County Register | Unsubscribe | © 2025 The Orange County Register, 2190 S. Towne Center Place Anaheim, CA 92806