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The prospect of creating artificial diving reefs by sinking Navy ships off San Luis Obispo County attracted dozens of questions from more than 50 people who attended an informational workshop Thursday.

Representatives of a nonprofit group, the California Ships to Reefs, said scuttling ships near Morro Bay and Port San Luis would be a long process that would take 18 months to four years to accomplish and would require numerous regulatory permits.

Divers, fishermen and elected officials who attended Thursday’s meeting at the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. community center south of San Luis Obispo were generally supportive of the idea but wanted to know details about how the reefs would be created.

They also had concerns about the effect the ships

would have on nearby natural reefs and whether the ships could leach toxic substances into the ocean.

“Our motto is to do no harm,” said Dean Rewerts, the group’s vice president of reef development.

There are more than 70 retired Navy vessels in the state available for sinking, and the group has identified 16 that make good candidates. Before sinking, each would be cleaned up and made safe for scuba divers.

A variety of vessels including cargo ships, warships and submarine tenders are available. Warships with guns are the most popular with divers, Rewerts said.

The cost of sinking a large warship can exceed $5 million. Ideally, that cost would be paid by the federal and state governments as well as private and local donations.

The group has tentatively identified sites a mile from Morro Bay and Port San Luis as locations for the reefs. Depths at the sink sites are about 120 feet, making the upper parts of the ships available to divers around 70 to 80 feet.

Turning derelict vessels into reefs has three benefits, Rewerts said. It finds a use for mothballed ships that are now costing the federal government millions of dollars to maintain. It also creates fish habitat and adds a diving component to the local economy.

Port San Luis Harbor Manager Kirk Sturm and Morro Bay Harbor Director Rick Algert hosted Thursday’s forum. They collected a list of questions and concerns that will be addressed as the process progresses.

For more information, visit the nonprofit group’s Web site at www.cs2r.org. Reach David Sneed at 781-7930.

(San Luis Obispo County Press)