SEAL BEACH : Beach Replenishment to Be Hearing’s Topic

The city’s efforts to use as much as 150,000 cubic yards of sand from the Santa Ana River to replenish eroded beaches will be the subject of an April 14 California Coastal Commission hearing.

The commission must approve the restoration project before the sand can be dumped onto city beaches.

City officials plan to spend about $500,000 on the sand, which will come from a flood control project now being completed at the Santa Ana River. Seal Beach officials hope to finalize the deal with the Santa Ana River Flood Control Authority over the next few weeks.

The city’s beaches have faced years of erosion that if left unchecked could place oceanfront homes in peril, officials say.

The city tested the Santa Ana River sand last week and found it to be compatible with sand on the beaches.

Under the plan, the sand would be dumped on beaches between the Seal Beach Pier and Anaheim Bay. The sand will double the amount of beachfront. At some points, the beaches are as narrow as 60 feet.

City Council members hailed the proposal as a significant move in the effort to restore the coastline. But they were quick to note that an additional 100,000 cubic yards of sand would be needed to replenish the entire Seal Beach coast.

Officials said they are getting the Santa Ana River sand at a good price. Buying a similar amount of sand from a quarry or through ocean dredging would cost millions of dollars, they said.

If the Coastal Commission approves the plan, new sand could hit the shores late this month.