President Obama has signed a bill that includes $90,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to review an independently-produced study that outlines options for altering or removing the Long Beach Breakwater. The Energy and Water Appropriations bill was signed by the President on Wednesday. A press release from the City of Long Beach today thanked Congresswoman Laura Richardson and Senator Dianne Feinstein for including the funding in the bill.

The breakwater’s fate ultimately rests in the hands of the Corps, since the breakwater is federally-owned. They will study whether it is feasible and cost-effective to alter the structure, and what benefits would be derived from such an undertaking.

The study that the Corps will review is the independently-produced report commissioned by the City of Long Beach and carried out by local engineering firm Moffat & Nicholl. Click here to read a brief report on the study’s contents, and here for a more detailed analysis. A press release from Tom Modica, Long Beach Manager of Government Affairs, indicates that the Corps’ study will take several months, and that the City will work closely with them to determine a course of action.

Advocates for alteration or removal of the breakwater have pointed to promises of improved water quality, new tourism revenue, and possibly even the return of waves. The structure was built in the 1940’s to protect Navy ships and boats that docked along the coast.