Concerns are emerging about the impact of recent earthquakes on Coral Canyon and other Santa Monica Mountain routes. Malibu Times

Malibu resident Paul Mora submitted a photo heading down Coral Canyon Road about 600 feet below Newell Road and about 2.5 miles from PCH. Mora said the fault has resurfaced and could be exacerbated by potential earthquakes. Photography by Paul Mora. Public Works said this part of the valley has been “on the to-do list” for a few years now

With earthquake swarms occurring very frequently in Malibu and other parts of Southern California, some people in Coral Canyon and some hikers have expressed concerns about growing cracks in Coral Canyon Road which they believe may be exacerbated somewhat by recent seismic activity and possibly by earthquakes in January 2023.

On September 12, a 4.7 magnitude earthquake centered 3.5 miles northwest of Malibu struck an area inland from Point Dume in the Malibu Hills off Canan Dume Road around Ramirez Canyon. The quake, which was 6.8 miles deep, shook the Los Angeles area, according to the US Geological Survey. A 2.8-magnitude earthquake followed a 4.7-magnitude quake that occurred immediately northwest of the larger quake, along the Pacific Coast Highway and west of Zuma Beach, the agency said, adding that more than a dozen aftershocks followed over the next two hours, including a 3.4-magnitude quake. . The quake occurred just northeast of the larger quake just over an hour after the 4.7 magnitude quake.

The next day, a 3.4 magnitude aftershock struck near Malibu. Swarms of less severe earthquakes also periodically occur, according to the agency. Finally, when one considers any potential impact of earthquakes on Malibu's roads, it is worth noting that on January 25, 2023, there was a swarm of earthquakes centered in the ocean south of Malibu, including a magnitude 4.2 earthquake followed by a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. A strong earthquake occurred two minutes later, and that there was a 2.8-magnitude earthquake 19 minutes after the 3.5-magnitude earthquake.

Coral Canyon residents are not sure whether seismic activity last year or this year caused some of the cracks in the road or whether other ground movement caused or contributed to the cracks along the road. This is certainly understandable, because, as seismologist Lucy Jones said at a Caltech press conference after the magnitude 4.7 quake, “moderate or major damage only occurs when an earthquake reaches magnitude 5 or higher.” The epicenter of the 4.7-magnitude quake was closest to the Malibu Fault, but was also likely connected to the Anacapa Fault, Jones noted.

However, residents know it's time for the county to fix one of the largest cracks, and they've noticed the county is finally taking action.

“There's a crack near the first stoplight going up Coral Canyon,” resident Jay Todd Leavitt said. “There's a second one higher than the first.”

“About two miles up the Pacific Coast Valley on Coral Canyon Road is El Nido, a community of about 100 homes,” said resident Susie Duff, who lives in Malibu Bowl. “When one drives nearly a mile past El Nido, one comes to One goes to the intersection of Coral Canyon and Newell Road, which is a very narrow road only a quarter mile long.

Newell Road residents Paul Mora and Dove noticed that on Coral Canyon Road south of the turnoff for Newell Road about 600 yards away, a problem had arisen for the first time in more than a year and left the road in danger.

“The MWE placed cones in an area about 600 feet below Newell Road and about 2.5 miles off the Pacific Coast Highway last year. To me, it looked like it might be a pothole.” The county has repaved it. However, last year, the crack resurfaced, so the issue has not been resolved.

“The county placing gum in the problem area did not solve the problem,” Duff agreed.

In detail, Duff said, “There was a large crack in the road which led to the road being a one-way road only, and it is likely to include major construction. To complicate matters further, due to the necessity of adhering to the dark sky law, the road is not lit and the place is very dark.” .

However, both Mora and Dove said it appears the Department of Public Works is preparing to properly fix the problem as black tarps were recently placed across the cracked section of road, which was reduced to a single-lane road for about 200 feet.

Furthermore, Duff added, the guardrail on the right when turning onto Newell Road does not have effective reflectors on one side.

“We've had a lot of earthquakes recently and we're really feeling them here in Coral Canyon,” Duff noted. “We have had several rockslides on Coral Canyon Road since last January and I am doing my best to remove them.”

The Malibu Times caught up with Troy Norman, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works supervisor for Yard No. 336, responsible for the relevant portion of Malibu.

“We should be repairing this part of Coral Canyon that we cordoned off in the next few weeks.” Norman said.

“Look, we live in the mountains!” Maura said. “Although this part of the road cracks is not, I believe, attributable to seismic activity, that activity is always going on – when you choose to live in the mountains, ground movement and seismic shifts are to be expected.”

But what about the summit of Coral Canyon, which has been closed for years?

Many residents have noted that Coral Canyon being temporarily closed due to landslides is nothing new. Someone writing about such closures would be remiss if they did not briefly mention that in the past, many people who appear to have driven their cars up Coral Canyon Road for about five miles until they reached a dirt road. They then continue walking until they reach a small parking lot that served as an entrance for hikers in the area. If someone chooses to follow the Corral Canyon Backbone Trail sign and hikes more than 0.75 miles, arrows on the large boulders will guide them to a cave on the left, just before the rock spirals.

Once inside, hikers will see vibrant colors and psychedelic drawings in the cave along with some interesting rock carvings. Some have attributed the bright drawings and paintings to Jim Morrison of The Doors and claimed that they served as a cache of poetry and prose, an impression Mora dismisses as pure sophistry. “Jim Morrison's Cave is an ancient legend.” Maura said. “I know someone who was close to Jim and apparently he wasn't hanged in Coral Canyon, but everyone refers to him as that.”

Others believe that the drawings and paintings found in the cave were added to the cave in the 1980s, long after Morrison's death.

However, the ultimate truth remains a mystery in the canyon, and it seems no one will be able to get to the truth as this section of the Upper Coral Canyon Road has been closed for a few years as it is, as locals say with a resigned sigh, “on the to-do list of the Department of Public Works.” “

“Unfortunately, the Cave has become a major problem for Coral Canyon residents, especially in 2007,” Mora said. “That's when the Coral Fire broke out from a party in the cave. A blockage of the road up to the Coral near the cave prevented cars from getting to the top of Coral Canyon due to another landslide, and the county made no attempts to repair that section of road for years.”

Mora points out that this is very concerning: “People cannot enjoy the trails there and Arson Watch volunteers cannot adequately monitor the cave area due to fire concerns.”

Unfortunately, according to Norman, management has no plans to repair the upper portion of the Corral anytime soon.

“This project has been suspended,” he added.

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