"The beach fills clearly helped the condition of the beaches, and the success of the beach fills was enhanced by the mild wave conditions," said

Transcription

1 Sand project 'a clear win,' study finds Replenishment helped maintain wider beaches; [BULLDOG Edition] Terry Rodgers. The San Diego Union - Tribune. San Diego, Calif.: Oct 6, pg. B.6 Abstract (Document Summary) The wider beaches resulted from the placement of 2.1 million cubic yards of sand at a dozen beaches and a favorable weather pattern that produced fewer of the big-wave events that promote erosion. The greatest amount of sand stayed on shore the longest at beaches in southern Oceanside, Carlsbad and Leucadia. Sites in Del Mar, Mission Beach and Encinitas' Moonlight Beach experienced moderate success, according to the study, while the least successful were nourishment sites in Imperial Beach, Torrey Pines, Cardiff and Solana Beach's Fletcher Cove. "Our beaches were very crowded this summer," Kulchin said. "It proved to me that if we have sand on the beaches, people are going to come and stay in our hotels and go to our shops and restaurants." Full Text (644 words) Copyright SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY Oct 6, 2002 Scientists have concluded that a $17.5 million sand nourishment project has kept several erosion-plagued beaches in San Diego County wider over the past year. A newly completed study shows that most beaches along the county's 76 miles of coastline are the widest they have been since they were gnawed away during the El Nino winter storms. The wider beaches resulted from the placement of 2.1 million cubic yards of sand at a dozen beaches and a favorable weather pattern that produced fewer of the big-wave events that promote erosion. "The beach fills clearly helped the condition of the beaches, and the success of the beach fills was enhanced by the mild wave conditions," said

2 Craig Leidersdorf, a coastal scientist who led the study by Coastal Frontiers Corp. of Chatsworth. The sand was dredged from offshore sand bars from April 6 to Sept. 23, 2001, and pumped ashore at 12 erosion-plagued beaches from Oceanside to Imperial Beach. The study confirmed what scientists had predicted: Even though last winter's storms pulled much of the sand offshore into shallow water, most of it returned in spring and summer. The seasonal ebb and flow of sand is a natural cycle caused primarily by changes in the swell direction. "It's been a clear win so far," Leidersdorf said. When it comes to beach restoration, the study found that bigger is better. The beaches where sand retention was the best were sites that received the greatest volume of material and sand that had the largest-diameter grain size. The greatest amount of sand stayed on shore the longest at beaches in southern Oceanside, Carlsbad and Leucadia. Sites in Del Mar, Mission Beach and Encinitas' Moonlight Beach experienced moderate success, according to the study, while the least successful were nourishment sites in Imperial Beach, Torrey Pines, Cardiff and Solana Beach's Fletcher Cove. The least successful beaches, where the sand was quickly swept offshore, were supplied with small-diameter or silty sand and had the smallest amounts of replenishment. "This is really no surprise," said Kim Sterrett, a state engineering geologist with the Department of Boating and Waterways. "This is what the engineers and coastal researchers suggested would happen all along." Along sections of shoreline experiencing severe cliff erosion, the wider beaches are much safer for the public, Sterrett said. Steve Aceti, executive director of the California Coastal Coalition, said he has been able to jog along sections of beach in North County that previously were too narrow. Aceti said he also has noticed that sea walls, which to some are unappealing, now are hidden or made less obvious at some of the restored beaches.

3 "It's important that they've been able to quantify the success of beach replenishment," Aceti said. "This will encourage lawmakers to fund more projects like this one in the future." The only negative aspect of the sand replenishment project noted in the study was that some of the material contributed to the clogging of inlets at San Dieguito Lagoon, Los Penasquitos Lagoon and San Elijo Lagoon. The study also noted that record-low rainfall in the past year meant there was little to no sand flushed out to the shoreline from rivers and streams. Results of the study were to be presented to the Shoreline Preservation Committee of the San Diego Association of Governments, which spearheaded the project. The group's chair, Carlsbad Councilwoman Ann Kulchin, said she saw her city reap immediate benefits of more expansive beaches. "Our beaches were very crowded this summer," Kulchin said. "It proved to me that if we have sand on the beaches, people are going to come and stay in our hotels and go to our shops and restaurants." Terry Rodgers: (619) ; [Illustration] 1 PIC; Caption: Laura Boatright of Escondido walked with her 5-year-old son, Carson, Wednesday at the nearly deserted Buccaneer Beach in Oceanside.; Credit: Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune Panel asks how to pay for beach re-sanding Unanimous belief: The whole region should contribute; [1,6,7 Edition] Terry Rodgers. The San Diego Union - Tribune. San Diego, Calif.: Jan 4, pg. B.3 Abstract (Document Summary) Acting under the auspices of the San Diego Association of Governments, this committee of coastal cities last fall used $17.5 million from state and federal sources to place 2 million cubic yards of sand onto a dozen beaches along the county's 76-mile coastline.

4 Continuing sand replenishment is needed to curb erosion and prevent winter storm waves from damaging highways and undermining expensive homes, SANDAG officials said. A 1997 opinion survey, conducted by San Francisco State University, defined the depth of public support for enhancing beaches. The study found that the average California household was willing to pay $15 to keep the state's beaches in good shape, including resupplying sand to those narrowed by erosion. Full Text (454 words) Copyright SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY Jan 4, 2002 Editions vary Coastal officials agree that getting public funds to replenish the county's beaches may be as hard as finding sand on its eroding shoreline. The difficulty of the task didn't deter a panel from holding a brainstorming session yesterday that identified taxes on hotel rooms and property transfers as the most likely sources to tap. Although the Shoreline Preservation Committee didn't decide on the beaches for its next sand restoration project, it was unanimous in believing the whole region should contribute. Acting under the auspices of the San Diego Association of Governments, this committee of coastal cities last fall used $17.5 million from state and federal sources to place 2 million cubic yards of sand onto a dozen beaches along the county's 76-mile coastline. However, continuing sand replenishment is needed to curb erosion and prevent winter storm waves from damaging highways and undermining expensive homes, SANDAG officials said. The shoreline committee members agreed that the soonest a sand replenishment project would be possible is probably 2006, and that would require voter approval in 2004 of a tax to finance it. Steve Aceti, director of the California Coastal Coalition, a nonprofit group formed to increase state funding for beaches, said he favors a combination of two funding sources.

5 "I like the idea of a hybrid because then no one group (being taxed) feels singled out," Aceti said. Florida and New Jersey -- two states with extensive continuing sand replenishment programs -- finance their efforts through a combination of federal funds, contributions from cities and state fees assessed on the transfer of property titles, he said. In 1997, Aceti's said his organization proposed using California's revolving harbor and watercraft fund to pay for beach sand maintenance projects, but was opposed by the recreational boating lobby. "Right now, beach nourishment funding depends on how healthy the state economy is because it's tied to the state general fund," he said. A project large enough to curb erosion will require a funding source that will generate $10 million to $15 million within a few years, SANDAG officials said. One choice is to include sand replenishment among the public infrastructure improvements being considered for funding under a proposed extension of a 20-year sales tax measure, known as TransNet, which expires in "Whatever we do, we have to educate the region that they all benefit from the beaches," said Oceanside Councilwoman Carol McCauley. A 1997 opinion survey, conducted by San Francisco State University, defined the depth of public support for enhancing beaches. The study found that the average California household was willing to pay $15 to keep the state's beaches in good shape, including resupplying sand to those narrowed by erosion. Terry Rodgers: (619) ; terry.rodgers@uniontrib.com Credit: STAFF WRITER Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission

6 Beaches low on sand despite recent restock Experts say supply not lost, but underwater, will return; [2,6,7,1 Edition] Terry Rodgers. The San Diego Union - Tribune. San Diego, Calif.: Nov 29, pg. B.1 Abstract (Document Summary) More than five miles of sand were restored on a dozen erosion- plagued beaches between Oceanside and Imperial Beach using 2 million cubic yards of sand dredged from the ocean floor and pumped ashore. At several of the rebuilt beaches, more than half the sand is gone. During the winter, large swells from the northwest generated by massive storms near the Gulf of Alaska scour sand from local beaches, depositing it in berms or sand bars in shallow water. The submerged sand bars help protect the shoreline by making swells break farther from shore, dissipating the wave energy before it can chip away at fragile sandstone bluffs and highways. 3 PICS 1 DIAGRAM; 1. [Bob Guza] (above), director of the Center for Coastal Studies at UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, surveyed Torrey Pines State Beach yesterday for sand erosion. 2. Technician Kent Smith (below) used a GPS system to study erosion levels. (Eds. 1,6,7) 3. A bicyclist rode down Torrey Pines State Beach yesterday. The largest waves of the year, recorded last week, caused significant sand erosion at local beaches, including Torrey Pines. (B-4:7) 4. Seasonal beach profiles in Del Mar -- In this illustration, which is based on data from SANDAG's shoreline monitoring, the beach during the summer is about 150 feet larger than during the winter. The winter sand bar or berm causes waves to break farther from the shore, thus reducing storm damage. Example below is at 25th Street. (B-4:7; B-3:1,6; B-8:2); Credit: 1,2,3. Nancee E. Lewis / Union- Tribune photos 4. SOURCE: SANDAG UNION-TRIBUNE Full Text (931 words) Copyright SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY Nov 29, 2001 Editions vary FOR THE RECORD A graphic with Thursday's story on beach sand restoration incorrectly said winter waves drag sand onshore from berm to bar. In fact, they drag it offshore. The Union-Tribune regrets the error. (12/01/2001, B-2)

7 After the largest waves of the year pounded the San Diego coast last week, people began to notice something was missing: a lot of the sand. Even worse, the sand was replenished on the beaches a few months ago as part of a massive dredging project that cost the San Diego Association of Governments nearly $17.5 million. More than five miles of sand were restored on a dozen erosion- plagued beaches between Oceanside and Imperial Beach using 2 million cubic yards of sand dredged from the ocean floor and pumped ashore. At several of the rebuilt beaches, more than half the sand is gone. Left in the waves' wake was a public relations problem for those who promoted the beach restoration project. But they say the sand hasn't gone far and will be returned as part of a natural process. "The sand isn't gone. It's just in shallow water where you can't see it," said Steven Aceti, executive director of the California Coastal Coalition, which lobbied for state and federal money for the project that was finished in September. "Everyone knew (erosion) was going to happen," Aceti said. Well, at least those savvy in the natural seasonal forces that affect beach sand width in Southern California. "This erosion doesn't surprise me in any way," said Bob Guza, director of the Center for Coastal Studies at University of California San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The swells that battered the San Diego region Nov exceeded 7 feet during the 72-hour period, making it one of the longest big- wave events in recent history, Guza said. He agreed that the vast majority of the sand recently stripped from the beaches remains just offshore and that much of it is likely to return naturally. "It's not lost at all," Guza said. "It's just hiding." During the winter, large swells from the northwest generated by massive storms near the Gulf of Alaska scour sand from local beaches, depositing it

8 in berms or sand bars in shallow water. The submerged sand bars help protect the shoreline by making swells break farther from shore, dissipating the wave energy before it can chip away at fragile sandstone bluffs and highways. Not all of the sand washed offshore will return. Some was pushed into deep water and drained into offshore canyons. "The real key question is what happens to those beaches (that were resupplied with sand) next summer," Guza said. In the summer, the prevailing swell direction switches from the northwest to the southwest. The smaller, more gentle waves of summer act like the bristles of a broom to push the sand ashore. "I don't think anything is happening on the beach that SANDAG didn't expect," said Dave Skelly, a coastal engineer. The beach is not merely a narrow strip of sand along the shoreline, but a wide band of land and water that extends a quarter to half-mile from shore. "The beach actually goes out to 30 to 40 feet of water," Skelly said. Sand is constantly moving both ashore and offshore, as well as laterally north and south along the coast. Because of this, some scientists refer to the beach as "a river of sand." The public shouldn't view the beach replenishment project as a wasted effort because the dredged sand has done its job, he said. "If that material wasn't there, those waves would have eroded something else," Skelly said. "Waves could have been breaking on Coast Highway 101. That (sand) nourishment has provided protection." Steve Sachs, a beach erosion expert with SANDAG, said the sand placed on the beaches this summer and fall is a fraction of what's needed to stabilize the region's eroding shoreline. "This is just the start," Sachs said. "We need to do this a number of times." By his reckoning, the project is a success because it advanced scientific knowledge of the local marine environment and cleared a path through the bureaucracy of regulatory agencies for future beach rebuilding projects. It

9 also proved that pumping sand from deep water was technically feasible and a profitable venture for dredging companies, he said. UCSD scientists and consultants for SANDAG are tracking the movement of the sand and hope to learn more about the seasonal fluctuations in beach width and how beach nourishment affects near- shore marine life. "The jury is still out on the long-term benefit of sand nourishment at these sites," Guza said. Terry Rodgers: (619) ; terry.rodgers@uniontrib.com [Illustration] 3 PICS 1 DIAGRAM; Caption: 1. Bob Guza (above), director of the Center for Coastal Studies at UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, surveyed Torrey Pines State Beach yesterday for sand erosion. 2. Technician Kent Smith (below) used a GPS system to study erosion levels. (Eds. 1,6,7) 3. A bicyclist rode down Torrey Pines State Beach yesterday. The largest waves of the year, recorded last week, caused significant sand erosion at local beaches, including Torrey Pines. (B-4:7) 4. Seasonal beach profiles in Del Mar -- In this illustration, which is based on data from SANDAG's shoreline monitoring, the beach during the summer is about 150 feet larger than during the winter. The winter sand bar or berm causes waves to break farther from the shore, thus reducing storm damage. Example below is at 25th Street. (B-4:7; B-3:1,6; B-8:2); Credit: 1,2,3. Nancee E. Lewis / Union-Tribune photos 4. SOURCE: SANDAG UNION- TRIBUNE Credit: STAFF WRITER Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. People: Guza, Bob, Skelly, Dave Document types: CORRECTED; Section: LOCAL Text Word Count 931 Document URL: SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE ARTICLE (August 2004 Issue) ( Grains of Controversy

10 Edited by Thomas K. Arnold Photograph by Brevin Blach SAN DIEGO S COASTAL TOWNS are on a beach-replenishment binge. For years, local beaches have been steadily denuded of sand. The problem was particularly acute in North County, where the oceanfront shoreline between Solana Beach and Oceanside was often nothing more than thin strands of cobblestone. There s been lots of finger-pointing at such targets as Oceanside Harbor, seawalls and dams and even more handwringing that the county s signature beaches were literally wasting away to nothing. And so it was that authorities turned to getting sand dug up by developers or dredged from lagoons, rivers and bays and dumping it back on the beach. In 2001, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) coordinated a $17.5 million sand-replenishment project, funded by one-time state and federal sources, in which a dozen erosion-plagued beaches from Imperial Beach to Oceanside got 2.1 million cubic yards of sand that had been dredged from offshore sandbars. Last year, Imperial Beach said it wanted to use federal redevelopment money to put more sand on its beaches, and just three months ago the Carlsbad City Council approved a $52,750 contract for a Long Beach engineering firm to secure permits to take sand from underground or offshore sites as it becomes available. Since then, the press has been full of glowing reports about the success of these projects. Sand project a clear win, study finds, read a headline in The San Diego Union-Tribune in October 2002, citing a SAN\DAG study that found most of the sand was still in place a year after it had been dumped. But not everyone believes beach replenishment is a win. Beach replenishment is not a one-time solution, says Rob Young, an associate professor of geology at Western Carolina University. Once the first load of sand is dumped, he says, You re asking citizens to buy into beach replenishment forever. It will never end in fact, nourishment needs will only continue. Moreover, Young warns, unless the grains of imported sand match the original grains of sand, a replenished beach tends to have a higher erosion rate than the natural beach did. Particularly vulnerable are beaches covered with cobblestones, like those in North County. Young is not surprised local officials consider the massive 2001 beach replenishment project a success. You ve had a pretty quiet period over the last three years as far as storms go, he says. All you need is one El Niño year and then every beach replenishment project is gone.

11 A far better option, Young says, is to limit development even to the point of moving existing structures back to give the beach some breathing room. All the beach is trying to do is retreat naturally inward, he says. If the sidewalks and streets were not there, the beach would be as wide as it s always been; it would have simply moved inward. Rob Rundle, a senior planner with SANDAG, concedes beach replenishment will have to be an ongoing project. It s a short-term fix, he says. But curtailing development isn t an option, he says. And while SANDAG looked at other options, such as sand retention strategies that involve putting up offshore barriers to change wave dynamics, those haven t really been tested, and when we got the funds, the consensus among elected officials was we wanted to get sand on the beaches. So that s what we did. SAN DIEGO S COASTAL TOWNS are on a beach-replenishment binge. For years, local beaches have been steadily denuded of sand. The problem was particularly acute in North County, where the oceanfront shoreline between Solana Beach and Oceanside was often nothing more than thin strands of cobblestone. There s been lots of finger-pointing at such targets as Oceanside Harbor, seawalls and dams and even more handwringing that the county s signature beaches were literally wasting away to nothing. And so it was that authorities turned to getting sand dug up by developers or dredged from lagoons, rivers and bays and dumping it back on the beach. In 2001, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) coordinated a $17.5 million sand-replenishment project, funded by one-time state and federal sources, in which a dozen erosion-plagued beaches from Imperial Beach to Oceanside got 2.1 million cubic yards of sand that had been dredged from offshore sandbars. Last year, Imperial Beach said it wanted to use federal redevelopment money to put more sand on its beaches, and just three months ago the Carlsbad City Council approved a $52,750 contract for a Long Beach engineering firm to secure permits to take sand from underground or offshore sites as it becomes available. Since then, the press has been full of glowing reports about the success of these projects. Sand project a clear win, study finds, read a headline in The San Diego Union-Tribune in October 2002, citing a SAN\DAG study that found most of the sand was still in place a year after it had been dumped. But not everyone believes beach replenishment is a win. Beach replenishment is not a one-time solution, says Rob Young, an associate professor of geology at

12 Western Carolina University. Once the first load of sand is dumped, he says, You re asking citizens to buy into beach replenishment forever. It will never end in fact, nourishment needs will only continue. Moreover, Young warns, unless the grains of imported sand match the original grains of sand, a replenished beach tends to have a higher erosion rate than the natural beach did. Particularly vulnerable are beaches covered with cobblestones, like those in North County. Young is not surprised local officials consider the massive 2001 beach replenishment project a success. You ve had a pretty quiet period over the last three years as far as storms go, he says. All you need is one El Niño year and then every beach replenishment project is gone. A far better option, Young says, is to limit development even to the point of moving existing structures back to give the beach some breathing room. All the beach is trying to do is retreat naturally inward, he says. If the sidewalks and streets were not there, the beach would be as wide as it s always been; it would have simply moved inward. Rob Rundle, a senior planner with SANDAG, concedes beach replenishment will have to be an ongoing project. It s a short-term fix, he says. But curtailing development isn t an option, he says. And while SANDAG looked at other options, such as sand retention strategies that involve putting up offshore barriers to change wave dynamics, those haven t really been tested, and when we got the funds, the consensus among elected officials was we wanted to get sand on the beaches. So that s what we did San Diego Magazine