Posted on July 14, 2025
The harbor dredging and Surfer’s Beach restoration project is underway, and the San Mateo County Harbor District has announced upcoming closures for key areas of Pillar Point Harbor as crews prepare to install a pipeline that will transport sand from the harbor to Surfer’s Beach.
The first closure, already in effect, impacts the coastal trail just below Sam’s Chowder House through July 18. Crews will move six large pipeline sections from the vacant lot above the boat launch across the trail and into the water. Once in place, workers will weld the sections together. During the work, pedestrians and cyclists will have limited passage when it is safe to do so.
On July 28 and 29, crews will close the harbor’s main entrance to the ocean to pull the pipeline into position and submerge it beneath the water. Once in place, the sunken pipeline will sit deep enough to allow continued use of the harbor entrance.
During the same start period, the east entrance to the inner harbor will close for safety while dredging operations are underway. That closure will remain in effect through August 18. The west inner harbor entrance will stay open and unaffected.
The project aims to remove accumulated sand deposits near the boat launch and the east breakwater and will send more than 100,000 cubic yards of clean sediment to Surfer’s Beach. The sediment will help restore a 1,000-foot stretch of eroded shoreline. Work is expected to conclude by October 15.
The total project cost is approximately $5.3 million, including a 10% contingency for unforeseen challenges. The Harbor District will contribute about $2.94 million from its available working capital, while the remaining $2.88 million comes from a grant awarded by the California Ocean Protection Council.
A map shared at a Harbor Commission meeting shows the two dredging sites, the boat launch and the breakwater, as well as the mitigation area for the eelgrass to the west. The map also includes the area where the sand accumulation will be placed along Surfer’s Beach.
A key factor driving the project’s timeline is the presence of eelgrass, a protected species, growing on the sand deposits scheduled for removal. The Harbor District developed a mitigation plan to relocate the eelgrass to designated areas within the harbor. Crews must complete the transfer by August 1 to align with the eelgrass growing season. Once the habitat has stabilized, the district will begin pumping sediment from the harbor to Surfer’s Beach, using the remainder of the construction window to complete the sediment transfer.
In advance of the transfer, the project also studied the ecology of the sand on Surfer’s Beach to ensure that the addition of new sand would not harm species living there.
