2002-2003 Ponding at Shea Parkside

Last updated April 18, 2005

Home | Where | Proposed | History | Issues | Multimedia | Documents | Search

Summary

The rainy season got off to a late start in December 2002.  January and February 2003 were mostly dry, followed by a return of decent rains in March.  The season wrapped up in early May with a final good-sized storm.  Total rainfall for the season came in at about 110% of normal.

The two vernal pools in the county parcel were the grand champions of ponding.  These pools contained water almost continuously from late December 2002 until late May 2003, with perhaps only one or two brief periods when the pools were dry.  These vernal pools are not mentioned in the 2002 Parkside Estates Final EIR despite the presence of a Shea/LSA monitoring well located adjacent to the larger pool.

The city parcel had been extensively regraded in December 2002 in blatant violation of the Coastal Act in order to reduce ponding in the western portion.  However careful monitoring during the 2002-2003 rainy season was able to document city parcel ponding meeting the 7-day and 18-day thresholds.

The following map shows the most frequent ponding areas for this season:


OC PFRD Rainfall Data - Station 216, Costa Mesa

Ponding sequences for the entire property have been highlighted in light blue.

Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day
1











1
2











2
3









0.48
3
4







0.28
0.33
4
5











5
6











6
7











7
8



0.36






8
9



0.58






9
10



0.14






10
11






0.43



11
12






0.82



12
13






1.30



13
14








0.15

14
15








1.40

15
16







3.70


16
17




1.20

0.08


17
18











18
19











19
20




0.98





20
21




0.04





21
22











22
23











23
24











24
25






0.76



25
26






0.26



26
27






0.21



27
28






0.47



28
29




0.11





29
30



0.60






30
31











31
Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day

0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 1.68
 2.33
 0.00
 4.25
 4.06
 1.55
 0.81
 0.00

City Parcel Adjacent to the Wintersburg Channel

Multiple ponding areas exist along the middle third of the city parcel adjacent to the Wintersburg Channel.  These ponding areas quickly form a snail habitat used by wading birds as a food supply.


Ponding sequences for this area:

Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day
1











1
2











2
3









0.48
3
4







0.28
0.33
4
5











5
6











6
7











7
8



0.36






8
9



0.58






9
10



0.14






10
11






0.43



11
12






0.82



12
13






1.30



13
14








0.15

14
15








1.40

15
16







3.70


16
17




1.20

0.08


17
18











18
19











19
20




0.98





20
21




0.04





21
22











22
23











23
24











24
25






0.76



25
26






0.26



26
27






0.21



27
28






0.47



28
29




0.11





29
30



0.60






30
31











31
Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day

0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 1.68
 2.33
 0.00
 4.25
 4.06
 1.55
 0.81
 0.00

Initial Rainfall = December 17, 2002 / Consecutive Days of Ponding = 19
December 17, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #1
 December 19, 2002 - consec. ponding day #3
December 20, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #4 December 21, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #5

December 22, 2002 - consec. ponding day #6
 December 23, 2002 - consec. ponding day #7


December 24, 2002 - consec. ponding day #8
 December 27, 2002 - consec. ponding day #11
December 28, 2002 - consec. ponding day #12 December 29, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #13


January 1, 2003 - consec. ponding day #16
 January 4, 2003 - consec. ponding day #19

Initial Rainfall = March 16, 2003 / Consecutive Days of Ponding = 7
March 16, 2003 (rain) - consec. ponding day #1
 March 18, 2003 - consec. ponding day #3
March 19, 2003 - consec. ponding day #4 March 20, 2003 - consec. ponding day #5

March 22, 2003 - consec. ponding day #7

City Parcel Arena Site

Before Shea illegally regraded the area in 1998, a large raised area of fill dirt used to exist adjacent to the Slater Pump Station bridge.  This area was used as part of the stables operation and at one point included an oval arena area.

Regular ponding can be observed in historical aerial photographs immediately adjacent to the northeastern corner of the fill area.  Despite the 1998 regrading, ponding still occurs here, and this location was home to the largest concentration of brass buttons (Cotula coronopifolia, FACW+) found on the entire property during 2002-2003.


Ponding sequences for this area:

Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day
1











1
2











2
3









0.48
3
4







0.28
0.33
4
5











5
6











6
7











7
8



0.36






8
9



0.58






9
10



0.14






10
11






0.43



11
12






0.82



12
13






1.30



13
14








0.15

14
15








1.40

15
16







3.70


16
17




1.20

0.08


17
18











18
19











19
20




0.98





20
21




0.04





21
22











22
23











23
24











24
25






0.76



25
26






0.26



26
27






0.21



27
28






0.47



28
29




0.11





29
30



0.60






30
31











31
Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day

0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 1.68
 2.33
 0.00
 4.25
 4.06
 1.55
 0.81
 0.00

Initial Rainfall = December 17, 2002 / Consecutive Days of Ponding = 19
December 17, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #1
 December 19, 2002 - consec. ponding day #3
December 20, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #4 December 21, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #5


December 22, 2002 - consec. ponding day #6
 December 23, 2002 - consec. ponding day #7


December 24, 2002 - consec. ponding day #8
 December 27, 2002 - consec. ponding day #11
December 28, 2002 - consec. ponding day #12 December 29, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #13

January 4, 2003 - consec. ponding day #19

City Parcel Western Agricultural Boundary

This area was illegally regraded in December 2002 in order to prevent the regular ponding that had been observed in past rainy seasons.  The regrading was unsuccessful and ponding still occurs.


Ponding sequences for this area:

Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day
1











1
2











2
3









0.48
3
4







0.28
0.33
4
5











5
6











6
7











7
8



0.36






8
9



0.58






9
10



0.14






10
11






0.43



11
12






0.82



12
13






1.30



13
14








0.15

14
15








1.40

15
16







3.70


16
17




1.20

0.08


17
18











18
19











19
20




0.98





20
21




0.04





21
22











22
23











23
24











24
25






0.76



25
26






0.26



26
27






0.21



27
28






0.47



28
29




0.11





29
30



0.60






30
31











31
Day
 Jul
 Aug
 Sep
 Oct
 Nov
 Dec
 Jan
 Feb
 Mar
 Apr
 May
 Jun
 Day

0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 0.00
 1.68
 2.33
 0.00
 4.25
 4.06
 1.55
 0.81
 0.00

Initial Rainfall - December 17, 2002 / Consecutive Days of Ponding = 19
December 17, 2002 (rain) - consec. ponding day #1
 December 19, 2002 - consec. ponding day #3