In a surprising turn of events, officials reopened the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park on Jan. 14 after county engineers deemed the park’s main access road “passable.”
Santa Barbara County transportation crews concluded the road, closed due to flooding and erosion, could be reopened safely as long as the river wasn’t flowing. Traffic was narrowed to one lane on the road’s south side, allowing access to Guadalupe Beach.
In an interview with the Sun, Interim Parks Director Tom Fayram stressed the temporary nature of the reopening and cautioned that the next storm could close the park again.
“Nothing’s fixed out here, but we recognize the value of reopening the beach—and if we can do it safely, we’re going to do it,” Fayram said.
According to Fayram, repairing the road could cost the county millions of dollars. Long-term options include relocating the road or installing erosion protection—a wall or rock barrier—in the river. The latter solution is more promising, Fayram said, because relocation would affect the habitats of endangered species, ensuring a longer timeframe and more logistic difficulties.
Fayram presented the options to the Guadalupe City Council on Jan. 11. During the meeting, the council also approved an extension of an emergency declaration for the area for two weeks.
December’s torrential rains caused the Santa Maria River to swell, and the runoff eroded the dune sand to within 15 feet of the road. County officials had braced for the possibility of a long-term closure of the road and the park.
Mayors Larry Lavagnino of Santa Maria and Lupe Alvarez of Guadalupe have urged the federal government to supply funding to repair the road, stressing the importance of the dunes and Guadalupe Beach to local fishermen, surfers, and tourism.
The Guadalupe City Council declared a state of emergency for the area on Dec. 21. In turn, former Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County on Dec. 23, and issued a letter to President Barack Obama, asking for federal funds. As of press time, Obama hadn’t responded to the request.
This article appears in Jan 20-27, 2011.