The City of San Clemente announced on Tuesday, Jan. 10, that it has initiated a study intended to develop solutions to coastal erosion along San Clemente beaches and identify locations where significant erosion has occurred.
The Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study will be presented at the Feb. 14 Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. It will start at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers, located at 910 Calle Negocio.
“The goal of the Study is to identify feasible solutions to promote long-term resiliency of beaches by retaining sand and reducing sand loss along the City’s shoreline,” the city said in its announcement.
During Mayor Chris Duncan’s “Looking Ahead” interview with San Clemente Times, he said coastal erosion would be his No. 1 priority in 2023 and referenced the upcoming study.
“It’s an existential issue for San Clemente to make sure we save our sand (and) keep our beaches,” he said, adding: “It’s just critical for our businesses, critical for our residents.”
According to the announcement, the study’s results will be the development of pilot projects for future implementation that could vary depending on the segment of shoreline and its unique conditions and response and recovery to coastal hazards.
The city has also formally reestablished a Shoreline Monitoring Program that had been inactive for approximately 15 years, with the last completed shoreline survey of San Clemente occurring in 2007. Other related projects include a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment done in 2019 and a Coastal Resiliency Plan in 2021.
Both the study and Shoreline Monitoring Program implement key recommendations in the Coastal Resiliency Plan.
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