PRATTE’S REEF REALIZED!

The precedent-setting CCC ruling represents the first

After more than twelve years of negotiations, research
and planning, the nation's first Artificial Surf Reef at El
Segundo Beach, California -- better known as Pratte's
Reef -- is finally a reality. The first phase of construction
of the reef was completed in October, 2000.
Pratte's Reef is the result of a landmark ruling by the
California Coastal Commission (CCC) in 1994. The rul-
ing determined that a rock groin, built by Chevron,
U.S.A. between 1984 and 1986 to protect pipes leading to
its El Segundo refinery from storm waves, was responsi-
ble for diminishing a surf break.
The Reef ’s namesake, Tom Pratte was Su rf ri der
Foundation's first executive director and the driving
force behind making Chevron accountable for altering
the shoreline. He also wanted to protect existing breaks
from being destroyed. The reef is dedicated to Tom Pratte
to memorialize his dedication to this project and the
preservation of surfable waves.
"Thomas Pratte, surfing's first environmental advocate,
began a passionate fight to protect coastal resources for
all people," said Chris Evans, Executive Director of the
Surfrider Foundation. "Pratte's actions paved the way for
the establishment of the Surfrider Foundation. An effort
that unified the voice of surfers and ocean-lovers world-
wide to protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches."
time a governmental agency has acknowledged that
breaking waves are a natural and public resource that
needed to be protected. Further, this acknowledgment
determined that the act of surfing waves is of significant
recreational value to the American public.
Evans added, "The recognition of 'surfable' waves as a
natural resource will further serve to limit unsound
coastal development; particularly those forms of devel-
opment, such as fabrication of groin structures, which
have consistently proven to be detrimental to our coast."
A big question on a lot of people’s minds is, when will
the reef break? Unfortunately, we don't know exactly
when the reef will break because nothing like this has
ever been done before around here. Surfers have been
studying the wave behavior that makes a particular spot
"work" for years; it will take some time to gain local
knowledge on what wave conditions are best for the reef.
The shoreline around the reef is still responding to the
reef 's installation. Once the reef settles and sand accu-
mulates and we get the right swell we are hopeful that
there will be some surfable waves at the site. Further, the
additional bags scheduled to be placed Spring 2001,
thanks to funding received from the California Coastal
Conservancy, will increase the size of the reef which will
additionally effect its performance. Check the website
for updates: http://www.surfrider.org/artificialreef