San Clemente’s beach building is officially underway.
Officials gathered on Monday, Dec. 18, to mark the start of the long-awaited San Clemente Shoreline Sand Replenishment Project, with heavy equipment in the backdrop shifting sand to make way for the dredged sediment pulled from the ocean floor in Oceanside.
Beachgoers will notice a large barge off the coast through January, with heavy machinery, large piping and orange safety netting on the sand for the project.
A dredger was having a piece fixed before it was expected to haul its first load of sand ashore later in the day Monday, the start of the $14-million project that will eventually add a 50-foot-wide beach between T-Street and Linda Lane on the north and south sides of the town’s iconic pier.
Congressman Mike Levin, among the many dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony, said the project that is adding about 251,000 cubic yards of sand isn’t just as one-time deal, but a 50-year commitment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repeat the replenishment every five years.
“It’s so important, not only because we like to have nice white, sandy beaches for that great recreational asset. It’s very important for all our coastal tourism as well,” Levin said, noting the sand also helps protect the rail corridor that runs along the coast.
San Clemente Mayor Victor Cabral noted the project has been 20 years in the making, saying it was only possible because of the collaboration between federal, state, county and local partners.
“Today it’s important to recognize all community leaders who had the vision and the courage to start this project 20 years ago,” he said. “The project will protect critical shoreline infrastructure, including rail line and businesses, as well as preserve access to our beaches.”
The sand piped in restores the natural nourishment missing because of human impacts such as development, he said, and is a way to prepare for future impacts of climate…
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