A pipeline was installed in Solana Beach on Dec. 11 to commence the long-awaited sand replenishment project, which will add 700,000 cubic yards of sand along the city’s beaches.
The project extends from the Tide Park public beach stairway to the city’s southern border, and includes 290,000 cubic yards of “renourishment” sand about every 10 years until 2074. There will be about 2.1 million cubic yards of sand total over that time.
Sand placement will start in the middle of January.
Solana Beach City Manager Greg Wade said during a Dec. 13 City Council meeting that the project is “to protect our bluffs and coastal properties from storm damage and depletion of sand that protects the bluffs.”
The total cost of the project is approximately $49.5 million, with funding from the city, state and federal governments.
The goal is to create a 150-foot wide beach along 7,200 feet of shoreline with sand sourced from the mouth of the San Dieguito River. It will be pumped in through the pipeline and shaped into the revamped beaches.
According to the city of Solana Beach, the project will result in about 25 acres of new public beach space. The city first requested help in bolstering the shoreline from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2000, resulting in the sand replenishment project.
The city of Encinitas is also part of the project, with plans for a 50-foot wide beach along approximately 7,800 feet of shoreline spanning from Beacon’s Beach to Boneyard Beach. It includes 340,000 cubic yards of sand with renourishment every five years over the next 50 years.
“The sand replenishment work will address some of the biggest coastal and infrastructure challenges facing our region,” U.S. Rep. Mike Levin said in a statement earlier this year. “After years of fighting for our communities, along with the work of local partners, I’m proud these crucial funding streams will benefit our communities, and I look forward to seeing the projects begin soon.”
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