Erosion control plans completed for Laolao, Obyan

An important milestone was reached on Thursday, Jan. 5, with the approval and signing of engineering plans for erosion controls at access roads to Laolao Bay and Obyan Beach on Saipan.

Jack Salas, then-CRM director; Dick Cody, then-DPW acting secretary; and Efrain Camacho, president of EFC Engineers & Architects, each signed off on the plans, which were prepared by EFC. The signing completes the initial design phase of these projects, and will be followed by project permitting and easement negotiations. Funding for construction of these projects has yet to be found. However, CRM and other participating agencies continue the search.

Regarding the significance of the signing, Salas said, “The Laolao and Obyan projects demonstrate the kind of comprehensive actions that CRM is taking to protect and restore our coral reefs. Completing these plans is a very important accomplishment, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed. However, we must keep momentum on these projects, and find money for construction. It would be a tragedy to lose these reefs”.

Added CRM Project Manager Tim Lang, “The ongoing deterioration of the reef at Laolao should be considered an emergency situation. Next to the Grotto, this is the most popular dive site on Saipan, with over 100 divers per day, seven days a week. Most of these divers are tourists, and Laolao is one reason why they chose to come to Saipan, as opposed to another destination. The demise of this reef, which is now a very real possibility, represents a potentially significant economic loss. Laolao is also a very popular location for local fishermen, and every fisherman knows the reef is the ocean’s nursery. When the reef dies off, so do the fish.”

The nearshore waters of Laolao Bay continue to experience severe sedimentation problems. This can be readily observed at the Laolao divesite, where murky waters and sediment-laden coral reefs force divers ever further into the bay before encountering live corals, or indeed, water clear enough to see through. The primary sources of this sedimentation are 1) chronic erosion of the dirt and gravel access roads, namely Laolao Bay Drive and Gapgap Road, and 2) sedimentation from upland erosion, carried to the bay by streams. The plans completed by EFC include erosion controls and sediment barriers at 9 stream crossings along Laolao Bay Drive, as well as road paving and drainage structures for a _ mile section of the road, beginning at the Cross Island Rd. intersection.

In addition to improving water quality and restoring the reef, the project will also make Laolao a better recreational area by adding parking spaces, stairs, a handicap ramp, trash receptacles, and sidewalk at the public beach area. Total estimated construction costs for the project, including paving and drainage structures at Gapgap Road, are approximately $1 million. To date, CRM has secured $75,000 from a federal Coral Reef Initiative grant, and is actively seeking additional funds to complete the project.

The waters off Obyan Beach are also threatened by sedimentation. Like Laolao, the unpaved access road to Obyan suffers from chronic erosion, as evidenced by the ever-widening channels at the base of the road, which dump sediment onto the reef and may eventually threaten the stability of the WWII Japanese bunker site. A proactive approach by CRM and its partner agencies aims to prevent further damage, and restore the reef to a healthy state. Engineering designs for Obyan include paving and drainage for the entire access road (from the airport perimeter road intersection), and a unique, 3-tier series of ponding basins at the base of the road. Beach access improvements have also been designed. These include 3 stair locations from the existing parking lot to the beach, trash receptacles, and a handicap ramp. Estimated construction costs for the Obyan project total approximately $400,000.

In addition to CRM and DPW, agencies contributing to the Laolao and Obyan projects include: Division of Environmental Quality; Division of Lands and Natural Resources Forestry, Parks, and Fish & Wildlife; Marianas Public Lands Authority; Historic Preservation Office; Northern Marianas College; National Resource Conservation Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Project designs were also shaped by public comments from 3 public hearings.

Questions or comments about these projects can be directed to Tim Lang, CRM nonpoint source pollution manager, at (670) 664-8322 or tim.lang@crm.gov.mp. (CRM Staff)