Posted on March 16, 2022
The Army Corps of Engineering is likely to soon receive nearly $10 million in federal funding that will help the City of San Clemente address the ever-present issue of sand erosion and coastal decline.
San Clemente’s Sand Replenishment Project for shoreline protection was one of many within the state’s 49th Congressional District that is expected to soon see funding following the passage of a $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday night, March 9.
The bill, which was passed in two separate votes—one pertaining to defense spending, and the other relating to federal domestic initiatives—includes money designated for aid to Ukraine and raises funding levels for non-defense agencies, according to news outlets. The non-defense portion of the measure passed in a 260-171 vote.
Rep. Mike Levin’s office this week touted the congressman’s efforts to secure more than $21 million in the legislation to fund projects in both Orange and San Diego counties, including $9.3 million for the sand replenishment initiative.
“My number one focus is delivering results on our local priorities, and I am thrilled that this bipartisan funding legislation will soon be on the way to President Biden’s desk with key investments to address some of the biggest challenges facing our region,”Levin said in a press release.
In addition to the Sand Replenishment Project, the bill is slated to give $27.5 million to the Department of Energy to address nuclear waste disposal, $2.4 million to the South Coast Water District’s Doheny Ocean Desalination Project, and $1.87 million to Dana Point for the Doheny Village Connectivity Improvement Project, which will add bike lanes, beautification elements and other enhancements to the area.
“I look forward to seeing President Biden sign this bill later this week and watching these investments deliver tangible results in our communities and around the world over the coming months and years,” Levin said in the release.
The appropriations bill will now go to the Senate for consideration, where Levin expects it to pass in the coming days, and be signed into law by March 15.
The bill’s passage in the House comes weeks after the Army Corps chose not to allocate funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act toward shoreline protection in San Clemente.
The project, which needs about $14 million to get off the ground, would place nearly 251,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach from Linda Lane to T-Street, thus widening the beach 50 feet.
Following the Army Corp’s announcement in late January, Levin and San Clemente Mayor Pro Tem Chris Duncan, both of whom have been proponents of the project, had expressed optimism and remained confident that it would be aided by the federal spending bills.
While unable to speak in finality, Duncan commended Levin’s work, and said the passage was a major step, 20 years in the making, in protecting the city’s coastline. The project could start as soon as 2023.
“We see the fruition of all of the effort of people over that 20 years … coming with this project,” Duncan told San Clemente Times Thursday, March 10. “It’s the largest sand replenishment project that we’ve had in the area, and it’s going to make a visible difference in the beaches when the project is actually completed.”
While Biden is anticipated to sign the legislation, the shoreline protection project would still require nearly $5 million in local and state support before it could move forward and add sand to San Clemente’s coastline, provide storm damage reduction and protect the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor.
As the city has been waiting to first secure the federal funding, it can now move forward in the process of gaining the state backing, according to Duncan. He also reasoned that it should be less strenuous to obtain the funds necessary to replenish the sand every six years.
“We would hope that since the initial investment was made, that the lesser investments to fully effectuate the whole project, which will take place over many, many years, we would hope that would be an easier process than this initial step,” Duncan said.
Additionally, the California Coastal Commission on Wednesday awarded a $570,000 grant that will go to San Clemente to support the city’s Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Pilot Project.
The grant was one of seven that was approved by the commission as part of the seventh round of the Local Coastal Program.
San Clemente City Council approved the city’s application in December 2021. The project aims to reestablish an annual shoreline monitoring program consisting of fall and spring surveys to document the beaches’ conditions, a feasibility study focused on opportunity to develop nature-based projects, and prepare an LCP Amendment to incorporate the findings and recommendations from the two other goals.
According to the application, the city is working to establish a regional shoreline management working group with partners to collaborate and implement coastal resiliency solutions, and establish a Capital Improvement Program fund dedicated to funding coastal resiliency programs.
All of these steps would push San Clemente towards joining the list of California cities with a fully certified LCP.
The grant is also meant to support sustainable development, public health, and environmental justice as the city looks to protect the shoreline.
Commission staff recommended funding the project, as it “will build off the work of past sea-level rise planning,” according to environmental scientist Kelsey Ducklow.
