Edison's San Onofre Artificial Reef

After two decades of planning and construction, Edison’s Reef is showing successful results and attracting lots of attention this month. Two years after its construction, the artificial reef has developed a vibrant kelp forest and according to a recent study is meeting a significant portion of the intended goals or results.

Originally constructed as a means to mitigate the fish killed when sucked into the massive cooling system intake for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, the California Coastal Commission ordered Edison to build the reef in 1991. A small test reef was built in ‘99 and after showing encouraging results, Edison moved forward with a grander scheme. Consider that in August of 2010, the reef is only now showing results – that can only be described as painstakingly slow.

For $46 million Edison Southern California, San Onofre Nuclear facility management partners, dumped 120,000 tons of rock in a pattern designed to generate a 176-acre kelp forest. The most exciting indication of the reef’s success is a thick canopy of kelp easily visible from the surface and the estimations as to fish biomass.

We’re honestly excited that kelp restoration type artificial reefs are seeing lots of interest – it’s an important move towards environmental restoration and perhaps sustainable coastal protection. We also happen to believe kelp restoration would make an excellent addition to a Multi-Purpose Reef like submerged structure, just as an idea.

This is the type of forward thinking needed to continue pushing agendas that make sense for the environment and humanity. Artificial reefs, dune restoration, kelp restoration, environmentally responsible coastal protection – if only we saw this type of response to the Gulf disasters rather than miles of useless sand berms.