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SACRAMENTO – Two
Seismic Hazard Zone maps – one for a
portion of Orange County and another for
part of Ventura County – become official
Friday. The maps impact local planners,
developers, property sellers and real
estate agents.
If property is
located in a “zone of required
investigation,” where liquefaction or
landslides could occur during a large
earthquake, the local building
department must require geologic studies
before projects are issued permits.
Also, property sellers and real estate
agents must inform potential buyers if
property they're selling is in a Seismic
Hazard Zone, as is the case when
property is in a designated flood or
wildfire zone.
The Seismic Hazard
Zone map for the 62-square-mile Santa
Paula quadrangle, which includes
portions of the cities of Santa Paula
and Camarillo, are official after six
months of public review and comment. The
map – part of an ongoing California
Department of Conservation project -- is
on file with local government offices,
including the planning department,
building department and county
recorder's office.
The "zone of required
investigation" for liquefaction occurs
south of Santa Paula as a broad area,
spreading from the foot of the mountains
along the Santa Clara River north to
just beyond the Santa Paula Freeway
(Highway 126).
Landslide hazard
zones occur northwest of Santa Paula in
the steep hillsides above Foothill Road,
easterly to Ojai Road (Highway 150).
Heavy concentrations of landslide
hazards occur in the mountainous areas
south of the Santa Clara River to La
Loma Ave. and Berylwood Road. Hillsides
south of Los Angeles Avenue (Highway 18)
are also susceptible to landslide
hazards.
For more information,
contact your local building department.
The San Clemente
quadrangle map covers about 28 square
miles in Orange County, including the
city of San Clemente and a small part of
San Juan Capistrano.
Liquefaction zones
occur along the coastal beach areas from
La Paloma Street south to the county
line and in the low-lying areas
extending across Interstate 5 from
Bicentennial Park northwest to San
Clemente High School. Other liquefaction
zones include the bed of Sequnda
Deshecha Creek along Avenida Pico just
north of Highway 5, Cañada Creek in San
Clemente, Christianitos Canyon, and
Cabino Canyon.
Landslide hazard
zones are shown in southern coastal San
Clemente in the heavily developed cliff
areas between the freeway and the beach
west of Highway 5, most of the
mountainous areas from Highway 5 north
to the San Juan Capistrano city limits,
and from Marblehead Park east to the
peaks past the Shorecliffs golf course.
Other scattered landslide hazard zones
occur from Christianos Canyon east to
the San Diego County line.
Shaking causes most
of the damage during earthquakes, and in
many cases, it is cost effective to
retrofit houses and buildings to
minimize damage caused by severe
shaking. Local public libraries have a
number of publications by the Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services, American
Red Cross and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency that can be used as
guides to making homes more
earthquake-ready.
Seismic Hazard Zone
maps produced by DOC's California
Geological Survey show areas at risk
from the secondary earthquake hazards of
landslides and liquefaction, which also
can be dangerous. It is generally not as
cost effective to retrofit an existing
building for the impacts of liquefaction
or landslides as it is to build in
safety features at the design stage.
Therefore, design changes are required
before new developments are approved and
constructed in order to be effective.
Changes made during the planning phase
can lessen the impact and better protect
life and property during future
earthquakes. The new maps are important
tools that land developers will use to
ensure project feasibility.
Fifty-seven maps
affecting Southern California are now
official. Seven new preliminary maps are
in the review stage. The new maps
include the Santiago Peak quadrangle in
Orange County and the Pitas Point,
Saticoy, Ojai, Fillmore, Piru, and Val
Verde quadrangles in Ventura County.
Landslide and liquefaction mapping is
continuing in the Lancaster-Palmdale
area and is scheduled for release later
this year.
Color copies of
official maps can be purchased by
calling DOC's California Geological
Survey at (213) 239-0881 or (916)
445-5716. The maps also can be found on
the Web
here.
In addition to
studying and mapping earthquakes and
other geologic phenomena, the Department
of Conservation maps and classifies
areas containing mineral deposits;
ensures reclamation of land used for
mining; regulates oil, gas and
geothermal wells; administers
agricultural and open-space land
conservation programs; and promotes
beverage container recycling.
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