Although the Army Corps has not yet formally announced the results of their 2009-2015 analyses of methods to mitigate increased coastal erosion caused by Pillar Point Harbor east breakwater, it is clear they won’t be recommending a federally funded project due to inadequate cost/benefit ratio. This table summarizes the design measures analyzed and conclusions of their 2015 Coastal Engineering Appendix. Their preferred alternative was to move 150,000 cubic yards of harbor dredged material to Surfers' Beach and southward to the Miramar revetment (figure).
In 2015 the Harbor District initiated a Pilot Surfers’ Beach Sand Replenishment Project as a reduced (half) scale of the Army Corps preferred alternative. The pilot project involves a one-time placement of 75,000 cubic yards of upland sand from inside the breakwater onto Surfers’ Beach above the mean high water line (80-140 ft width available) and thus not in the Marine Sanctuary. (slide presentation)
The District is seeking grant funding from CA Div of Boating & Waterways with the goal of construction in spring/summer 2017, over 4-6 weeks, then monitoring for two years. If the monitoring program finds that the project is effective and does not cause unacceptable environmental impacts, then a larger beach nourishment project would be pursued in the future.
Current federal regulations do not allow placement of dredged material in the Marine Sanctuary, but their Management Plan is under review and updates are expected in 3-5 years that could allow for permitting larger-scale beach nourishment using a harbor dredge source (Marine Sanctuary letter of support and minutes of Beach Replenishment Committee meeting May 2015).
More info and documents about Surfers’ Beach Erosion here.
