Shifting Sand
- Dwight Worden | Seaview Avenue
Del Mar’s Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan relies on sand replenishment as a strategy to keep the ocean from flooding our homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure and to keep our recreation based economy strong. Sand replenishment projects are underway in Oceanside and Carlsbad, and were recently completed in Solana Beach and Encinitas. SANDAG is planning Regional Beach Sand Project 3. Building a bigger beach through replenishment avoids the need for seawalls or retreat, provides a nice big sandy beach for recreation, supports tourism, and is vital to the economy. But, sand replenishment can have a downside. Sand put on the beaches migrates and gets entrained into our lagoons and river mouths. When sand closes the opening to a lagoon, tidal exchange stops, oxygen is depleted, and critical species start to die in a matter of weeks.
More than $100 million has been spent restoring our San Dieguito Lagoon. Another $60 million was spent on the lagoon extension called W-19. Big dollar restorations have been competed at San Elijo. Penasquitos, and Batiquitos Lagoons. More are planned. These are good things, but are at risk if we don’t manage the entrainment that results from sand replenishment. There is no emergency program at any of the north county lagoons to address this concern.
The solution is an emergency protocol to allow opening the river mouths under strict conditions when they close. Participation in such an emergency protocol should be a requirement of every sand replenishment project. The emergency program would be subject to environmental and agency review in advance. Funding should be part of the required mitigation.
A group of concerned citizens and experts, led by WildCoast, have been working to develop such an emergency opening protocol to allow for opening when a closure occurs. The protocol would be processed in advance through the Coastal Commission, affected cities, and the resource agencies, and be on standby for emergency situations at all our north county lagoons.
We need sand replenishment to address sea level rise and to keep our beaches and our economy strong. If we don’t address the emergency need to remove blockage from sand replenishment the future of sand replenishment will be at risk. Anyone who thinks entrainment is not an issue, can visit dog beach and see the huge amount of sand that has migrated down from the Solana Beach replenishment program threatening to plug the river at any moment.
Dwight Worden is a retired environmental lawyer, served on the Del Mar city council for 10 years, helped draft Del Mar’s Sea Level Rise Plan, and chaired the SANDAG Shoreline Working Group.