San Clemente Sand Replenishment

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San Clemente Shoreline Project

Project Overview

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Project will create a new, 50-foot wide beach sand berm
• Project footprint is approximately 3,214 feet long + tapers
• Volume of sand added to the beach = 251,000 cubic yards
• Sand will be placed between Linda Lane & T – Street
• Sand renourishment cycle is every approximately every 6 years
• Final renourishment event would occur in 2073/74 (e.g., in 50 years)
• 2 Million cubic yards will be placed over the 50-year period

Project Updates

11/15/24 More than 20,000 cubic yards of sand have been delivered south of the pier! Sand deliveries are expected to move to the north side of the pier beginning next week. The public is reminded for safety to please avoid construction areas.
10/24/24 Beach Sand Replenishment Project Near Pier Resumes

5/31/24 Update: The first phase of the San Clemente Shoreline Sand Replenishment Project is now complete! A total of 251,000 cubic yards of sand is scheduled to be dredged and placed between Linda Lane and T-Street beaches in this placement cycle. Approximately half of that quantity has been successfully dredged and placed, with the remaining quantity planned to be delivered this fall.
First Phase Before and After:

What can I expect during construction?

During construction, the community may experience the following:

Construction seven days a week
Increased heavy equipment and vehicles on the beach
Temporary closures of small sections of the beach where there are active sand placement activities underway will be fenced off to the public to protect public safety
Water turbidity (suspended sediments), noise from back up beepers and extra bird activity (shorebirds love to forage in the dredged sandy material)

Pipeline Footprint

Construction Phase Example Photos

Example Construction Phase

Example Construction Phase2

Staging Area

Staging Area 1

Staging Area 2

Example Equipment Storage

Project Description

The City of San Clemente (City) in collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and California State Parks (State Parks) are restoring the main public beach in the City. The Project is intended to accomplish the following objectives:

Reduce coastal storm damages to property and infrastructure along the study area shoreline and the bluff top, prior to the need for emergency action
Improve public safety in the study area by reducing the threat of life-threatening bluff failures caused by wave action against the beach and bluff base
Reduce coastal erosion and shoreline narrowing to improve recreational opportunities for beach users

Beginning in Late November 2023, the City will begin the process of adding 251,000 cubic yards of sand to the beach beginning approximately 1,800 feet south of the City’s Municipal Pier to 1,800 linear feet to the north of the Pier. The sand for the beach is being recovered from an offshore sand deposit south of the City and will be brought via a dredge that will connect to a pipeline onshore. Sand will be pumped as a slurry mix of seawater and sand and will be spread out on the shore to create a 50 wide new beach area. The project will be repeated approximately every 5-6 years over the next 50 years for a total sand volume of 2 million cubic yards.

Project Design

Typical Beach Section:

Shoreline Project - Typical Beach Section

Shoreline Project - Project Area

Project Funding

Congress authorized appropriation of $9.3M in FY22 workplan.
Total construction phase funding is $14,317,000 at 65/35 cost sharing
- Federal share = $9,306,000
- Non-federal share (City) = $5,011,000
  - City has been awarded $3.4M grant from California Department of Boating and Waterways towards the construction project and has applied for another $1M grant in additional funding.

Files, Downloads & Presentations

San Clemente Shoreline Protection Project
San Clemente Shoreline Feasibility Study
Resolution
Record of Decision
JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT_Vol 1
JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT_Vol II
Notice of Dredging - California Lobster and Trap Fisherman’s Association

More information can also be found at the following link: https://www.spl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-and-Studies/San-Clemente-Shoreline/

Presentations:

11-07-23 Project Update Presentation
12-05-23 Project Update Presentation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this Project?

This beach nourishment project is designed to widen the beach to reduce beach erosion and restore the natural protective buffer between critical infrastructure and the ocean, while simultaneously increasing recreational area along the shoreline for beachgoers. The Project is authorized for a period of 50 years, with planned renourishments every 6 years following initial construction in late 2023.

What are the technical details of the project?

This Project will construct a 50-foot-wide beach along 3,412 feet of beach between approximately Linda Lane and T-Street using 251,000 cubic yards of sand obtained from an offshore borrow site. The material will be pumped via submerged hydraulic pipeline and dewatered on the beach before being shaped into a new beach by heavy equipment on the beach.

Why is this Project needed?

Over many decades, upland land development for purposes of water supply storage, flood control and other infrastructure benefits has resulted in the rivers and creeks being dammed such that the normal supplies of sand that have historically reached the beach have been largely cut off and are prevented from reaching the coast. Beach nourishment reintroduces natural sediment into the natural sediment-cycle, reestablishing wide protective beaches for residents and visitors, as well enhancing sandy beach habitat for birds, fish, and other coastal wildlife.

When did this Project start?

In 2000, San Clemente requested assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE ) to protect critical public infrastructure, existing structures, and facilities, as well as the railroad tracks running adjacent to the shoreline. After two decades of planning, environmental review, permitting, and ongoing coordination between federal, state, and local agencies, Congress authorized and funded the Project for construction.

Who is involved in this project?

The project was developed jointly between the City of San Clemente and the USACE with assistance from the Corps’ Coastal Planning Center for Expertise and other cooperating federal and state agencies such as California State Parks. Since its inception, the Project has received ongoing support from Members of Congress and State representatives.

Did the USACE Evaluate Other Methods for Promoting Coastal Resiliency, and Preventing Erosion Other Rather than through Beach Nourishment?

The USACE planning regulations require all feasible options to be considered, including the no-action alternative. Alternatives were compared against the no-action alternative to determine effectiveness, cost, and benefits. The USACE evaluated a range of reasonable alternatives such as seawalls, living shorelines, and beach nourishment. Nourishment was determined to be the most economical and effective means of coastal protection for the City.

Will the New Sand Move Around Over Time?

Beach nourishment projects are designed and engineered to mimic natural beaches, allowing sand to shift continuously upcoast and downcoast, offshore in winter and onshore in summer. Beaches naturally respond to changing waves, wave energy, swells, and storms. Like all sandy beaches, sand accretes and erodes in response to natural forces. Engineers use models to determine how often the beach will require a fresh load of sand. In San Clemente, natural trends indicate the beach will likely need to be renourished every 6 years.

What is the total cost of the project and how is it funded?

The total cost of construction for this project is $16,000,000, and is funded 65% by the federal government, and 35% by the City of San Clemente with the assistance of California State Parks, supported by grant funding from the California Public Beach Restoration Fund.

Will this Project impact the environment?

This project has been subject to both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and compliance requirements and has received approvals from all required federal, state, and regional regulatory agencies. The Project is not expected to affect environmental resources and a comprehensive post-construction monitoring plan is in place.

What can we do to keep the sand in place and make it last longer?

The City of San Clemente is actively exploring both proven and new, innovative means of sand retention. The City is currently implementing a companion effort called the“nature based coastal resiliency feasibility study” that is evaluating various means to keep the new sand in place for as long as possible and to reduce future costs of beach nourishment. This study is underway and a draft feasibility study will be prepared in 2024.

North Beach Sand Replenishment Project

Project Overview:

37,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand, sourced from the Santa Ana River (Costa Mesa/Fountain Valley), to bolster the function of the sandy beach as a natural shoreline buffer to protect critical public infrastructure and existing structures.
The first truckloads of sand began arriving July, 2024 and completed in October, 2024.

Project Updates

10/2/24 Sand Deliveries Complete in North Beach Sand Replenishment Project
9/6/24 Approximately 20,000 cubic yards of sand have been added so far to North Beach!
8/27/24 Take an inside look at the North Beach Sand Replenishment Project! More than 1,000 truckloads have been delivered so far making the project approximately 35% complete.
08/09/24 The North Beach Sand Replenishment Project is off to a great start! More than 100 truckloads of sand have been delivered to the beach!
06/28/24 City Announces the Start of the North Beach Sand Replenishment Project

What can I expect during construction?