Layers of issues impacting San Clemente dredging project
A big project to replace sand that has washed away from San Clemente beaches may be hitting a snag.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (KABC) -- A landmark sand replenishment project that started in San Clemente last month is up and running again after it was halted for two weeks due to the holidays, equipment issues and big swells caused by King Tides.
Residents like Mike Pavick have been keeping a close eye on the project.
"We're thrilled to see the project come here because we don't like to see the beach eroding, obviously," said Pavick. "To think that they're going to fill in sand from Linda Lane to T Street is pretty cool, pretty fantastic. It's going slower than I thought and there's a lot of rock in this that they're digging up, so that's a bit of a concern."
San Clemente Mayor Victor Cabral agreed.
"We're glad that it restarted, but I think all of us agree, including the Army Corps, that the quality of sand that's delivered has to be better than what's been delivered," he said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hope to dredge about 250,000 cubic yards of sand from an offshore site in Oceanside.
However, they haven't been able to reach the beach quality sand they want so far.
Instead, Dena O'Dell, chief of Public Affairs for the Army Corps Los Angeles District, said engineers have ran into rocky layer of cobble.
"The rocks are too large for our beach, but it's useful," said Mayor Cabral. "It could be used as a base with sand over it, so that's one of the things we're hoping to do."
O'Dell said they're still trying to determine if they can reach the sand underneath the cobble.
She said if they can't reach suitable material soon then they will have to reassess. Cabral said that could put the $15 million project on hold.
"We're hoping that the deliveries this afternoon, or tomorrow morning, will have a greater percentage of sand. We know that it's there," he said.
"I would hope they could investigate a different location with which to pull the sand off the ocean floor but not vacate the project," said Pavick.
O'Dell said if they reach a point where they cannot reach suitable sand, then the project would move to Solana Beach.
