Repeated storm-driven swells have chewed away sand in Newport Beach, California, heightening worries about homes, beaches, and public infrastructure along the state's southern coast.
The city is moving quickly to rebuild part of that shrinking shoreline via an emergency agreement with OC Public Works that allows Newport Beach to take sand from the Santa Ana River outlet and spread it across some of its most at-risk beaches.
Here's what to know
Newport Beach has been cleared to move about 200,000 cubic yards of sand from the Santa Ana River onto its eroding shoreline, according to The Orange County Register.
However, Newport Beach Deputy Public Works Director and City Engineer Jim Houlihan said crews will likely be able to recover closer to 100,000 cubic yards under the county's existing permit.
City officials expect the material to go to West Newport, where the area between the groin jetties already has permits and the systems needed to accept the sand. Houlihan said getting the material to the Wedge or the Balboa Peninsula would be harder because of transportation and permitting challenges.
"This move comes at a critical time as coastal cities reckon with the damage caused by Hurricane Marie and prepare for this winter's El Niño storm season," Fifth District County Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement.
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Foley added, "In Orange County, sand is infrastructure. Along the entire Orange County coast, we must accelerate sand replenishment and shoreline protection to protect our homes, beaches and infrastructure."
The city is expected to seek a contractor, and the project could cost roughly $1-1.5 million, according to The Orange County Register.
More background
The decision comes after a summer of consecutive tropical storms that hit parts of Southern California, stripping sand from beaches and leaving seawalls, piers, roads, and nearby properties more exposed.
Newport Beach is not the only community dealing with the problem. Concerns have also been raised about erosion in Long Beach and elsewhere along the California coast.
As extreme weather disasters worsen, erosion can increase flood risk, weaken natural and manmade coastal defenses, disrupt local businesses, and threaten public spaces that support tourism and jobs.
Sean Starky, a bodysurfer and owner of Yucca Fins who has observed conditions at the Wedge for years, said the losses have been significant.
"We've lost, since 2023, 150 feet of beach," he said, adding that some of the displaced sand is swept offshore into a deep underwater canyon.
Long Beach resident Marc Moore shared similar concerns about shoreline conditions there. "My concern is that Long Beach's Peninsula beach and seawall are in far worse shape today," Moore said.
What's being done?
Using the county's existing permit, Newport Beach is moving river sediment into West Newport to create more buffer before additional storms arrive. This type of sand-moving project typically happens every year, but the city wants to get ahead of seasonal wave damage.
Other erosion trouble spots are also under review. Houlihan said that officials are discussing a plan to remove sand from the Newport Harbor entrance and send it across the rock jetty to the Wedge, although that hydraulic dredging effort may cost $4-5 million and take as long as 18 months.
The city has also put forth storm-related infrastructure proposals as it tries to recover some expenses under the county's declared state of emergency.
Where can I learn more?
For more on the forces reshaping Newport Beach's shoreline, these stories look at Southern California beach loss, the environmental toll of sand extraction, coastal landslide threats, and another large-scale sand defense project.
• Across Southern California, the grim future of beaches is narrowing public access as seas rise.
• Around the world, illegal sand mining ravages rivers and coasts as demand keeps rising.
• In California, a disastrous coastal slide is tearing apart homes and destabilizing bluffs.
• On West Africa's coast, engineers are deploying a "sand motor" buffer to hold back erosion.
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