Sloat Restoration through Managed Retreat

Sloat Restoration through Managed Retreat
This is our original vision for Sloat Restoration - graphic courtesy of PSA and Associates and the Ocean Beach Task Force

Our Vision of Beach Restoration and Preservation

The shorelines of Ocean Beach south of Sloat Blvd and Sharp Park in Pacifica are threatened by rip-rap seawallls and long-term erosion. This blog chronicles our campaign efforts to restore these beaches. Check out the web view of this site to see our proposed solutions and how to help- in the right hand column below. For all the latest about our efforts, see our monthly posts.

We advocate a managed retreat strategy to restore both Ocean Beach south of Sloat and Sharp Park.

At Sloat, our vision involves:

A long-term plan to relocate threatened infrastructure
(including the south of Sloat Great Highway, the two oceanside parking lots and the sewer lines underneath them).

The cleanup of all the rock and rubble littering the beach.

The use of sand dunes as the primary tool to slow erosion.

For Sharp Park, we advocate the decommissioning of the golf course, the removal of the rip-rap berm, and a full restoration of the wetland.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Meeting Anouncement: DPW Update on Erosion/OB Vision Council


Dear Surfriders and Friends,

Hold the date: DPW will be giving the public an update on the construction project at Sloat on Thursday May 6th from 6:30-8:00pm at the Janet Pomeroy Center 207 Skyline Drive (enter at Herbst Road). All issues involving erosion are on the table, although the focus will be on the bluff stabilization phase of the project - which will include the new road configuration. Lara Truppelli of the Beach/Park Chalet will host the meeting as well as provide an update on the Ocean Beach Vision Council. Please spread the word!

Thanks.

Bill McLaughlin

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Last Week's SF PUC CAC Meeting

Last week Bill and I attended a Citizenz Advisory Committee meeting for the SF PUC. The main topic on the agenda was our Sloat erosion, or from their point of view, the impact on the facilities for the Westside Treatment Plant. The main topics were presentations by Coastal Engineer Bob Battallio of PWC, Frank Filice of DPW, and a few comments on the PUC's handling of sea level rise by PUC engineer Jonathan Loiacono. I'll try to get a copy of those presentations and post the Power Points.

Bob presented first and went over some of this history of the area. One of his main points is that the area that eroded was largely unconsolidated fill placed after the construction of the Merced Tunnel, and that the natural shoreline fluctuated on multi-decade cycles. He showed some old photos of when that area was gently sloping grass-covered dunes, and contrasted them with photos of the area today, where steep bluffs are easily undermined. The contrast served to remind the audience that making even the nicest dunes in the area where the shoreline fluctuates will be washed away. He espoused relocating the waste water tunnels in the area.

Frank Filice updated the audience on the DPW's current construction and future plans. The rock revetment that is being constructed to stabalize the toe of the bluff is nearing completion. The cost is coming in at around $2.9M for about 425 ft of length. Much of those costs should be recoverable through California Emergency Management. Phase II of the project consists of stabilizing the top of the bluff, Phase III consists of reworking the Great Highway back a few dozen feet to about the current centerline of roadway. Phase IV consists of reconstructing the dune. He also spoke in detail about how the schedule is working around the Bank Swallows.

My impression is that DPW is glad to have made it through the winter storms and is now working on doing the real engineering work. Likewise, the PUC is becoming more active in the process as they realize the DPW's road may not be enough of a buffer to prevent the PUC from having to worry about erosion.