Posted on August 11, 2021
Oceanside City Council Workshop Weds at 2:00 p.m to consider the Beach Sand Feasibility Study Report. Will groins save Oceanside’s sand?
OCEANSIDE, CA — After years of increased shoreline erosion and investigating numerous methods to resolve the loss of sand, the Oceanside City Council will meet tomorrow to consider approving the Beach Sand Feasibility Study Report.
The staff report by Kiel Koger, Public Works Director of the City of Oceanside recommends that the City Council approve the Beach Sand Feasibility Study Report and direct staff to move to the next phase of the project to include design, permitting, and environmental work for a groin and bypass system pilot project.
BACKGROUND
Oceanside has a 79-year history of beach erosion resulting from the Camp Pendleton Harbor construction in 1942. The federal government first identified the erosion problem and acknowledged sole responsibility for this issue in 1953. Numerous reports and studies have been conducted over the years by the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). SANDAG, and coastal engineering firms to study the problem.
In 2000, the Corps was directed by Congress through the Water Resources Development Act (Act) to conduct a Special Shoreline Feasibility Study (Study) with 100 percent Federal funding and complete the Study within 44 months after the date the Act was enacted. The Study was intended to identify solutions to mitigate beach erosion and other impacts resulting from the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor and to restore beach conditions along the affected public and private shores to the conditions that existed before the construction of Camp Pendleton Harbor. To date, the Study has not been completed due to a lack of Federal funding.
Due to the inability of the Corps to complete the Study and per direction given by the City
Council at its October 9. 2019. meeting. staff initiated a process to identify feasible solutions to protect the beach from long-term erosion by either utilizing re-nourishment projects of beach suitable sands, construction of retention devices to retain/reduce the loss of sand, or a combination of both. The goal was to identify strategies that are environmentally sensitive, financially feasible, and that have a reasonable chance of being approved through the regulatory permitting process.
ANALYSIS
in November 2019, the City solicited proposals from qualified consulting firms specializing
in coastal engineering to provide a preliminary engineering evaluation and feasibility study
for a beach sand replenishment and retention device project. Five firms submitted
proposals, which were reviewed based on the approach to the evaluation and study,
previous experience with similar studies, qualifications of team members, satisfaction of
previous clients. overall understanding of the project, and the ability to provide a quality
product in the time frame allotted.
Three firms were shortlisted and a panel of City staff conducted interviews in January 2020. The panel determined the top-ranked firm to be GHD and staff entered into a negotiation process, resulting in a Professional Services Agreement which was approved by the City Council on April 8, 2020. GHD worked on the study for approximately one year while evaluating options to stabilize
and enhance the beach widths in the City.
They performed numerous tasks during the study, including a review of pertinent studies and data to develop a more in-depth understanding of the shoreline’s condition and how past projects have performed in other areas. They reviewed and analyzed relevant global project examples, as well as developed six preliminary concepts to carry forward, including three replenishment and three retention options for evaluation.
GHD also estimated cost and approach for future project phases for selected options and engaged the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation (CCIA) at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) to develop a scientific coastal baseline and monitoring plan. They also performed numerical modeling of options to predict how the options being considered will impact local and regional sand movement, as well as conducted several resource agency, stakeholder, and other meetings to understand concerns and receive feedback on options being considered.
A considerable amount of outreach was done during the past year, including virtual meetings with the public, California Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board, Army Corps of Engineers, Surfrider Foundation, SANDAG Shoreline Preservation Working Group, Resilient Cities Catalysts, as well as interested advocacy groups, homeowners, and concerned citizens.
After a substantial amount of research, modeling, and analysis, the most practical option that met the above-mentioned project goals was determined to be the use of groins for sand retention with
a bypass system for replenishment. Each option was run through a multi-criteria decision matrix to consider downdrift impacts, surfing impacts, nearshore reef impacts, aesthetic impacts, sea level rise resilience, estimated construction costs and life cycle costs.
Staff recommends that the project move toward to the next phase (i.e., design, permitting,
and environmental work) of a pilot project consisting of groins and a bypass system. This
phase is anticipated to cost $1 million. The idea is to begin with a pilot project, then,
assuming success of the project, add more groins on an as-needed basis to other sections
of the coastline in future phases. GHD’s report suggests four groins initially but the exact
number, length, and location will need to be addressed in the next phase of the project with
more public outreach. The City will also need to establish a secure, significant source of
high-quality sand before design of a bypass system.
Staff and GHD have identified an ideal sand source (the fillet at Del Mar Beach on Camp Pendleton) and are in the process of creating an agreement, which will need to be finalized before proceeding with design of the bypass system.
On June 30. 2021 , staff hosted a well-attended public workshop to share the results of the
Beach Sand Replenishment/Retention Feasibility Study. While some attendees expressed
concerns over the proposed use of the retention devices, the majority of the public
comments received at this workshop were in favor of a groin system as the preferred
option. Public comments received at this meeting suggested groin locations at the southern
end of the City, rather than the originally suggested locations of Marron Street and Tyson
Street.
Staff plans to works with GHD to conduct additional public outreach in the next phase of the project before final locations are decided. If the City Council approves staff’s recommendation, staff will issue an RFP for the next phase of the project, which includes design, permitting, and environmental work. Once a consultant is selected, this phase of the project is expected to take approximately two years.
FISCAL IMPACT
No Fiscal Impact. The next phase of the project is estimated at $1 M and staff will present
funding options for this phase at a later date.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to
form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Beach Sand Feasibility Study Report
and direct staff to move to the next phase of the project to include design, permitting, and
environmental work for a groin and bypass system pilot project
This August 11th public workshop will be held virtually on zoom, but people may also attend in-person, if desired. Visit this webpage for meeting access information.
!S.O.S.Oceanside! is a local advocacy group for healthy, sustainable beaches. Visit S.O.S. Oceanside for more information on their efforts or visit their Facebook SOS group.
