At Pillar Point Harbor, a dredging project designed to stem erosion at Surfers Beach is finally underway.
Sediment from the launch ramp is currently being dredged and will be redistributed in the west end of the harbor, where a critical eelgrass retransplant will occur to preserve the environment for fish and wildlife, Harbor District Operations Director John Moren said.
That process for eelgrass replanting must be completed by Aug. 15, contractors said previously.
Later this month, Pillar Point Harbor sand will be moved to its final home at Surfers Beach, where erosion is causing concerns for the highway located directly aside the shore.
“We will then shift to pumping the sand along Highway 1 on top of breakwater along to Surfers Beach to restore sediment and sand that naturally would have migrated south,” Moren said.
From around Aug. 7 to Aug. 14, pipeline will be transferred along the highway and down the slope of Surfers Beach to begin the final dredging operation. This could cause delays for pedestrians and cyclists, however, crews will work to allow limited passage when it’s safe, according to a press release from the Harbor District.
Despite minor challenges with keeping the pipe at the mouth of the harbor in place due to strong currents, the project is still slated to be completed by Oct. 15.
The dredging and eelgrass mitigation will cost the Harbor District $5.3 million. A grant from the Ocean Protection Council will directly apply $2.8 million to those construction costs.
In addition, commissioners previously approved the $1.7 million cost of monitoring the project before, during and up to five years after construction. That data collection could be important to pursuing larger dredging projects funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the future, a consultant previously told the board.
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