Posted on July 31, 2024
The San Mateo County Harbor District received the final permit from the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to begin the Pillar Point Harbor dredging and Surfers Beach sand replenishment projects in spring 2025.
The dredging project encountered delays after the discovery of an endangered species of eelgrass necessitated further study and mitigation plans before the project could be approved.
At the July 18 meeting of the Harbor Commission, General Manager Jim Pruett said that the project is now greenlit all the way across and the project can commence in spring 2025.
“We have to wait for the eelgrass growing season to start the mitigation before we can do the dredging,” said Pruett. “So next summer will be a busy time around the harbor and Surfers Beach.”
Harbor District Commissioner George Domurat explained that “you can move the eelgrass to an area where it wouldn’t be causing any kind of challenges with the operation of the harbor.”
Domurat said that a project in Southern California encountered similar challenges when they found eelgrass inside a harbor where they wanted to dredge a channel that hasn’t been dredged in many years.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines dredging as the necessary routine removal of sediments and debris from bodies of water to prevent sand or silt from filling channels and harbors.
Santa Cruz Harbor, for example, has to be dredged three times a year because so much sand accumulates. If there’s sediment buildup, an area can get shallow enough that boats are not able to dock.
The Pillar Point project had been underway before engineers found eelgrass growing in the area just before dredging commenced. Due to the endangered species classification, studies were required to determine if the eelgrass could be moved and where it could be moved to.
When dredging begins next year, all the sediment that is scooped up will have to be tested to ensure that it’s safe and pollutant-free before being used to build up Surfers Beach.
