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By Ray Hughey Scripps-McClatchy Western Service
VENTURA,
Calif. - The California Department of Conservation released
four new Seismic Hazard Zone maps Tuesday, including parts
of the Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley areas.
The
maps will help communities prepare for earthquakes and minimize
damage, said Darryl Young, director of the department.
Their
release also affects the real estate market because sellers
are required to tell buyers if a property is in a state-mapped
seismic hazard zone.
The
maps pinpoint areas likely to experience secondary earthquake
damage such as landslides and liquefaction.
Liquefaction
occurs when water-saturated sandy soil close to the ground
surface is shaken and temporarily acts like quicksand. That
phenomenon caused major damage in the King Harbor area of
Redondo Beach during the Northridge earthquake in 1994.
The
Moorpark map shows extensive liquefaction areas along the
Arroyo Simi and the Santa Clara River Valley. Landslide
zones also are apparent in the hilly areas.
The
Thousand Oaks map shows a liquefaction zone running along
Conejo Creek. Parts of highways 23 and 101 intersect that
zone.
The
new maps also show liquefaction areas west and south of
Simi Valley.
Moorpark
City Engineer Walter Brown said the new maps add to existing
information on susceptible areas. Professionals use the
maps to determine slope stability, non-building areas and
measures that would allow safe placement of buildings, he
said.
Because
of the nature of the area's soil, liquefaction has been
a consideration for years in Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and
Camarillo, said Westlake Village engineering geologist Ron
Shmerling.
Most
of the time, no extra measures are required, he said. Some
areas end up no-build zones; others might require a special
design.
Mapping
of seismic hazards continues in other Southern California
areas, including Oxnard, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Point
Mugu and Malibu Beach.
Black-and-white
copies of the maps cost $12 each through the Department
of Conservation's Division of Mines and Geology in Los Angeles
at (213) 239-0878.
On
the Net: www.consrv.ca.gov/
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