Expert: Gull Poop Is Part of Poche Beach's Problem

Though it has long been assumed the deep, stagnant pond is a major source of the filth that makes , a water testing consultant told the San Clemente City Council that sea gulls were also to blame.

The gulls have a "mini migratory pattern" when they're in season, flying to feast at the Prima Deshecha Landfill in the mornining and coming back to the stagnant scour pond at Poche Beach in the afternoon, attracted by the fresh water, said Steve Gruber of Weston Solutions.

Gruber said Weston tested water in the surf 300 yards north and south of the pond. In January 2011, a time of year when gulls had migrated elsewhere, there was little bacteria in the surf. 

During two other tests later in the year when large flocks of gulls frequented the beach and scour pond, however, bacteria concentrations skyrocketed.

Gruber said Weston also tested storm drains in different locations throughout the watershed, finding that a big sources of bacteria comes from colonies in the storm drains fed by irrigation runoff.

Mary Anne Skorpanich, OC Watersheds Director said, however, that the multi-million-dollar stormwater purification system at Poche virtually sterilizes runoff, removing 97 percent of bacteria even at partial capacity.

But the has yet to allow technicians to empty the purified runoff into the surf. Now, the clean water flows into the deep scour pond, a 15-foot-deep petri dish for re-growing bacteria.

"Even though we moved it farther downstream, we still think there's an opportunity for recontamination," Skorpanich said.

Assistant City Engineer Tom Bonigut said, however, that some regulatory approvals from the Army Corps of Engineers were in sight that would allow workers to come in with bull dozers and get rid of the scour pond entirely.

Gruber's recommendations to clean up the beach were to get rid of the pond, cut the amount of irrigation runoff in the watershed, and somehow deal with the birds.

Councilman Jim Dahl suggested hiring a falconer, a measure which has met with some success at landfills and other gull hangouts.