Posted on April 21, 2025
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Beach erosion is shrinking shorelines along the California coast, and in Oceanside, it’s pretty visible.
“There’s no beach… that’s pretty much the biggest thing that I’ve noticed,” Oceanside resident Jessica Shanahan said.
Coastal Zone administrator Jayme Timberlake tells ABC 10News the city’s beach loss is part of a bigger issue.
“Whenever we have these constructs that we build in the watershed and we don’t have a fully natural watershed, you’re going to see an interruption in how beaches function naturally,” Timberlake said.
A local factor is the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin.
“That, the harbor and the jetty, it limits the amount of flow of sediment that can come down from the Santa Margarita River and make its way to our beaches to restore them naturally.”
This issue is happening across the world, and cities are looking at global solutions.
On Australia’s Gold Coast, an artificial reef has helped keep sand from washing away. And now, Oceanside wants to try the same thing.
“What we need to do is try to enable the sand to stick around a little bit longer so we don’t have to go out and dredge sand as frequently as we may need to keep a beach around,” Timberlake said.
The plan involves building two rocky structures called “headlands” that stick out into the water, and installing an artificial reef between them. The setup would slow wave energy, giving sand a better chance to stay in place.
One of the headlands would also add new park space and better beach access.
The city recently secured a nearly $2 million grant from the California Coastal Commission to design the project. While it hasn’t been approved yet, if it is, construction could begin as early as 2027.
“I’m really, really excited about the Coastal Commission grant and that they’re giving us their early preliminary nod of approval,” Timberlake said.
And for families like Jessica’s, it’s a welcoming change.
“I have an under 2-year-old and I would love for him to actually play on the beach, on the sand without there being a gnarly beach break,” Shanahan said.
