Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District

Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District

The Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District (ACLAD) is a “geologic hazard abatement district" created by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and residences of the Abalone Cove community under special legislation passed by the California Legislature in l980 for the “purposes of prevention, mitigation, abatement or control” of the Abalone Cove landslide. It was the first geohazard abatement district created in the state (GHAD). The District is governed by five elected Directors, which serve for a term of four years. Under the California Improvement Act of l911, the District may assess properties benefiting from the mitigation or abatement efforts for the cost of the improvements.

ACLAD is broadly responsible for abatement efforts to prevent movement of the Abalone Cove land movment. To do this, the district operates and maintains dewatering wells and associated discharge lines, easements to assure access to the dewatering facilities, monitors groundwater elevations throughout the District, reviews measurements of the Global Positioning System for evidence of slide movement and works with the City of RPV to maintain certain storm culverts and other improvements related to landslide abatement.

 

What Does ACLAD DO?

ACLAD is broadly responsible for abatement efforts to prevent movement of the Abalone Cove landslide. The most effective measurement is the dewatering wells and currently, the district operates and maintains the dewatering wells. These include wells drilled during the formation of ACLAD by the interim homeowners association, wells drilled under the authority of ACLAD, funded by issuance of a bond, and wells drilled by the City.  ACLAD also monitors the groundwater elevation, including periodic re-drilling. Annual, ACLAD monitors the Global Positioning System (GPS) stations measurements for evidence of possible slide movement and works with the City of RPV to maintain the storm drain culvert extending beneath Palos Verdes Drive South. Due to the dewatering wells, the groundwater table within and immediately upslope of the landslide has been lowered significantly. This can halt or slow the movement except during periods of exceptional rainfall and has increased the stability of the Abalone Cove Landslide. The District conducts or contracts investigations related to the geology, rainwater discharge and groundwater flow in the area to aid in evaluating and developing abatement efforts.