Posted on May 9, 2022
The annual Oceanside harbor dredging for 2022 is well underway and the city has released several progress updates.
- 5/2/22: Manson Construction has been pumping sand south of the pier for several days. As of Tuesday, May 3, approximately 133,000 cubic yards of sand has been deposited on City beaches. Several additional safety measures, including additional fencing and observers have been added this week. Grunion monitoring has found a high volume on our beaches. Additionally, large 15′ swells are anticipated Monday, May 9th. The dredge pipe located under the pier will be removed in anticipation of the large swells in order to protect the public and pilings supporting the pier. Manson Construction still anticipates dredging 250,000 cubic yards of sand during this dredge cycle.
- 4/26/22: Manson Construction has dredged 95,000 cubic yards of sand as of today. Large south swells have been affecting their productivity for several days. Manson has been averaging 15,000 cubic yards per day, as opposed to their potential production of 20,000 cubic yards per day. Large swells are expected for the next few days. In addition to swells, they suffered a broken swing wire last night that is currently being repaired. They expect to start dredging later today. According to Manson, no snowy plovers have been present and water quality has been good. The next issue facing them is a grunion run expected the night of April 30. Manson is currently discharging clean sand north of the Pier. They have developed a plan to build a berm in front of the City Beach playground, so that they can lay dredge pipe and prepare to deliver clean sand south of the playground. At this point in time, the total dredge production is estimated to be approximately 250,000 cubic yards.
- 4/12/22: Connections are being made to the buried dredge pipe on the north end of Harbor Beach today, April 12. Connections to the buried dredge pipe on the south end will start tomorrow, April 13. Plastic dredge pipe will be floated to Harbor Beach on Friday, April 15 at 7am. Police and Lifeguards will shut the beach down to pedestrians and surfers during this process. Steel dredge pipe will be floated to the Harbor on Sunday, April 17 at 7am and secured along the north jetty by Lot 12. Police and Lifeguards will patrol the Harbor to warn boaters. The dredge vessel is expected to arrive on Tuesday, April 19. Dredge operations will likely start on Wednesday, April 20. Boaters must contact the dredge vessel on VHF Channel 67 before proceeding in or out of the Harbor inlet.
- 4/10/22: Mobilization will begin on Monday, April 11. Lot 12 will be fenced off, fire rings will be removed, portion of the river bed will be fenced and a marked pathway on Harbor Beach will be installed. Manson Construction will prepare the buried pipe under Harbor Beach for connection to the dredge pipe. There will be significant heavy equipment moving on Harbor Beach. Please stay clear. The H.R. Morris dredge vessel will arrive on Tuesday April 19th.
- 4/6/22: The Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed that Monday, April 11, 2022, is the target date to begin mobilizing for the annual dredge of City of Oceanside Harbor inlet. The entire dredge cycle is anticipated to last 6 to 8 weeks, with a completion date no later than Memorial Day weekend. The average amount of sand dredged from the inlet and placed onto Oceanside beaches is between 200,000 and 250,000 cubic yards. Oceanside Harbor inlet is dredged annually by the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that vessels can navigate safely in and out of Oceanside Harbor and Camp Pendleton. Throughout year, the Harbor inlet accumulates sand during storms and south swells. The sand buildup creates a shallow depth in the inlet and breaking waves that can limit navigation. Safety measures during the operation include a delineated pathway for moving equipment, posted signs, flagmen and a lead vehicle for tractors. No events in the area are permitted during any portion of the dredge cycle. Environmental safety measures are also implemented. Regular updates will be available on this Facebook page throughout the dredge cycle. Please use caution on the beach in and around the pipe and vehicles.
Other sand replenishment efforts by the City of Oceanside
The Oceanside Public Works Department has initiated a feasibility study that seeks to develop a strategy to protect City beaches from the impacts of long-term shoreline erosion. A consultant, GHD, was hired to perform a preliminary engineering evaluation and feasibility study to consider options for beach sand replenishment and/or retention devices to stabilize and enhance the beach widths in the City. GHD has reviewed and analyzed of data and relevant global project examples and has developed six preliminary concepts to carry forward in the feasibility study. The goal of the study is to identify a beach replenishment/retention strategy that is environmentally sensitive, financially feasible and has a reasonable chance of being approved through the regulatory permitting process. A public workshop was held and poll was taken on September 15, 2020 on these strategies.
Source: Patch
