Solutions Prove Elusive as Popular Beach Erodes

Twin mysteries perplex visitors to the sandy shores, fishing pier and grassy commons of Goleta Beach County Park. Why are the beach and park eroding into the sea and why hasn’t anything been done to stop it?

The park, where about 1.5 million people go every year to swim, fish, sunbathe, picnic, barbecue, go boating or just take naps, is the most popular seaside spot in Santa Barbara County. Surrounded by wetlands and served by a rustic restaurant, it is a happy blend of recreational development and natural beauty.

But there is trouble in paradise. Officials estimate that 30 feet of beach and park were lost to erosion in the last year alone when high tides and powerful storms swept sand, grass and infrastructure out to sea. Add that to about 400 feet of beach lost since the 1970s and it becomes clear -- Goleta Beach is endangered.

“The sand used to go all the way under the pier -- much, much farther than it goes now,” said Javier Gomez Ochoa, a Goleta resident since 1978. “It’s too bad, because this is where we come with the family, where we bring the children to play and to have a picnic.”

On a chilly Saturday, every picnic table and barbecue was in use. Families swam in the 55-degree water, played tag on the fraying lawn and built sand castles above the high-tide line. Restaurant patrons waited patiently for window tables. Anglers, their fishing licenses worn like necklaces, compared catches.

“If we lose this beach, where will we go?” Ochoa asked. “Who’s in charge? Who knows how to fix it?”

Good questions.

Scientists disagree about what has caused the erosion. Possible causes include the recent spate of El Nino conditions, which spawn powerful storms with waves and currents that scour the beach clean of sand. Some believe that sea walls and jetties create currents that shrink the beaches. Others cite a vast increase in development throughout the area, which has restricted the depositing of sand from the nearby mountains and hills.

Equally elusive is agreement on how to prevent further erosion. Quick fixes could include jetties and rock walls, which are physical barriers to fend off waves. A longer-term possibility is an artificial reef, which could be buried several hundred yards offshore. The theory is that the reef would force waves to break farther away and prevent them from pounding the beaches.

“It’s an enormously complex problem,” said Kevin Ready, director of the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment. The organization, which was established to deal with coastal erosion and other Central Coast beach problems, was formed by Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and the cities of Port Hueneme, Oxnard, San Buenaventura, Carpinteria and Santa Barbara.

“Everything depends on the details -- the size of waves, where they come from, the topography of the inland area, what you’re trying to protect,” Ready said. “A solution in one place won’t necessarily serve you well in another place.”

Factor in the crazy quilt of state, local and federal agencies with jurisdiction over Goleta Beach and things get even stickier.

The current strategy to stem the erosion centers on replenishing the beach with tons of sand dredged from Santa Barbara Harbor, a process known as beach nourishment.

To proceed, this plan must be approved by five agencies -- the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, the state Department of Fish and Game, the State Lands Commission, the California Coastal Commission and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The soonest Goleta Beach can expect its nourishment program to begin is November, after the grunion run and -- officials hope -- before the next crop of damaging winter storms.

“The reality is, we need to find a balance between the recreational needs of the public and the natural resources of the area,” said Susan Rose, the county supervisor whose district includes Goleta Beach. To that end, Rose has outlined a three-part plan to bring county residents into the decision-making process and to set out long-term solutions.

The first part, a series of educational workshops, will begin in June. In July, residents will be able to air their wish lists for the park. In September, Rose wants experts and officials to meet and hammer out a plan.

“If you look at the park you see we’ve got to move as quickly as possible to get a long-term plan in place,” Rose said. “Is it optimistic to think that by the end of the year we’ll have a long-term plan in place? We’ll see.”

Goleta resident Jeff Graybill will be among those watching.

“It’s a question of science and it’s a question of politics,” Graybill said. “No one wants to be wrong.”

If the final plan is bad, Goleta Beach will continue to vanish, Graybill said.

But if it goes well, the wide swath of beach he recalls from decades ago could return.

“They don’t need to reinvent the wheel here,” Graybill said. “But they do have to do something, and do it soon.”