Last weekend’s storm unmoored a dock from Anchor Marina, a privately owned property on Bethel Island in East Contra Costa County. 

The 300-foot dock floated into Taylor Slough, and then split into two segments — each more than 100 feet long. One section of dock ran aground at Jersey Island. A second section collided with at least one neighboring dock. 

Now the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development are working to remove the sections of dock from the waterways.  

The county has already found a local contractor to dismantle the dock and dispose of the material. As of Tuesday, the contractor was arranging for equipment to be brought to the site. 

“It’s frustrating that a delinquent property owner with a history of mismanagement has caused further damage through unsafe conditions,” Supervisor Diane Burgis, who represents East Contra Costa’s District 3, said in a statement. “At the same time, this could have been worse without the county’s cleanup of the site last year, when fuels, chemicals and other pollutants were removed. Without the county’s work, those pollutants could have made their way into the Delta.” 

Burgis said the property has a 15-year history of being a nuisance. 

“It’s frustrating that a delinquent property owner with a history of mismanagement has caused further damage through unsafe conditions. … At the same time, this could have been worse without the county’s cleanup of the site last year, when fuels, chemicals and other pollutants were removed. Without the county’s work, those pollutants could have made their way into the Delta.” Supervisor Diane Burgis

In July 2023, the county abated the property at 1970 Taylor Road, saying the owner was operating an RV park, boat and boat trailer storage facility, RV and trailer parking with hook-ups, campgrounds, mini storage, convenience store, U-Haul rental business, and a boat repair facility without a land use permit.

The county said the property was also home to illegally occupied boats and RV’s lacking proper sanitation and utilizing unpermitted electrical systems consisting of generators and extension cords, cumulating in fire damage and insanitary/hazardous conditions unsafe for human habitation. 

It also said a residential property at the site was a nuisance, including trash and debris, car parts, tires, and construction equipment. 

Burgis’ office said in a statement that during the July 2023 abatement, 24 truckloads of trash and debris were extracted, totaling 44 tons. Property owner BI Properties was billed $100,858 for the abatement and administrative costs in November it still hasn’t paid. 

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to place a lien on the property for $100,858. Burgis said the county plans to bill the property owner for any new costs for abating the newest hazard created by the dock.