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Tiny Fish Set Back This Year's Malibu Triathalon
A tidewater goby.
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Courtesy of Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains
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Topline:
The Malibu Triathlon is scheduled to take place on Sept. 31 and Oct. 1 but with nine days left to go, the event might not happen. An endangered species of fish and a Malibu city law that requires residents be notified 32 days before an event stand in its way.
The lowdown: The unprecedented winter rain in Malibu means the Zuma Underpass — that is typically part of the bike course — is flooded. And an endangered species of fish, the tidewater goby, has set up home there. In the past, when the underpass floods, organizers have cleared the water or built a temporary bridge for participants. But, because of the fish, the organizers had to come up with an alternative plan in three weeks.
After coming up with an alternate route, organizers ran into another roadblock. Under Malibu city law, residents in the area have to be notified 32 days prior to an event. They’ve missed that deadline, as the event is scheduled to take place on Sept. 31 and Oct. 1.
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The Malibu Planning Commission rejected an appeal from organizers on Monday night.
What’s next: Participants will have to wait until Sept. 26, after Monday’s Malibu City Council meeting, for an update, according to an Instagram post by the organizers. “Unfortunately, our permit for this event has been denied on a technicality. We are appealing that decision and are confident we will be able to hold the safe, enjoyable and inspiring event we all want while helping some of the most vulnerable in our society by raising vital funds for pediatric cancer research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,” the post read.
Organizers directed people to the FAQs page for more information —however, the information on the page is limited to details about the triathlon itself.
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