Story updated July 17 at 2:47 p.m.
Batiquitos, Moonlight and Cardiff beaches will be widened this fall as part of a regional sand replenishment project.
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) 2012 Regional Beach Sand Project (RBSP) is bringing more than 1.4 million cubic yards of sand to shorelines from Oceanside to Imperial Beach.
“Putting sand onto the region’s beaches will provide environmental, economic and recreational benefits for residents and tourists,” SANDAG project manager Shelby Tucker said in a written statement.
The sand used in this project is dredged from deposits that sit a couple miles off the shoreline in about 50 feet of water. The makeup of that sand is compatible with what’s already on the beaches.
“Every effort to minimize impacts to our coastal environment will be made,” Tucker added.
To see the complete Environmental Impact Report (EIR), you can review the PDF file attached to this story.
Encinitas is slated to get its new sand in September and October.
At Batiquitos Beach, just south of the Batiquitos Lagoon mouth, 105,000 cubic yards of new sand will extend south to a bluff-backed area of the beach. At Moonlight Beach, crews will start near the existing restroom and spread a total of 92,000 cubic yards of new sand to the north and south. Cardiff will get 89,000 cubic yards of new sand, starting at the Chart House and stretching south down the beach.
Sand replenishment will continue at other nearby beaches throughout fall.
SANDAG estimates the project will cost $29 million from planning through construction. The project is funded in part by the the California Department of Boating and Waterways, and the participating cities.
Encinitas is contributing $885,000 toward its portion the project, which includes the cost of technical studies, background documents, and permitting fees. Of that, $744,146 came from the Coastal Zone Management Fund—and $141,700 came from the Coastal Commission Sand Mitigation Fund. For more information, you can view the PDF file of the city staff report attached to this story.
For updates on the RBSP timeline, visit www.sandag.org/beachsand. To subscribe to notifications, e-mail beachsand@sandag.org. For more information, call the project hotline at (619) 699-0640.
