Resource Management Issues: Landslide Disposal

Overview of the issue
Deposition of material from landslides along the Sanctuary’s steep coastline can bury intertidal and subtidal habitat, and increase sand scour that inhibits larval settlement in certain habitats. Some of these slides occur naturally, while other slides are created or exacerbated by highway design, repair and maintenance practices.

How is the Sanctuary involved?
Sanctuary regulations currently prohibit these discharges. However, MBNMS is working with Caltrans and others to address this issue, including development of a regional plan to improve highway practices to reduce the need for disposal, and assessments of the relative contribution of natural versus anthropogenic material. A proposal has also been developed to evaluate the sensitivity of various marine habitats and locations along the coast to deposition, with the goal of identifying appropriate and inappropriate circumstances for disposal adjacent to the ocean.