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.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

North Lot / Great Highway Closed - Accretion Cycle Underway

Accretion Process Returns to Sloat
Dear Surfriders and Friends,

The spring winds have kicked back in after a short, but pleasant respite.  Although these onshores can be brutal, they are part of a natural process of sand build up or accretion that helps to restore our beach.

Unfortunately,one of the side effects of all the wind has been the closure of the Great Highway and the north (and now) southern parking lots.  So much sand has been blowing over the berm that we even have a closure of the southbound lanes of the Great Highway in front of the erosion area. Clearly, the new sand berm needs to be stabilized like the rest of the dunes along Ocean Beach.  A few weeks ago we contacted SFPUC, DPW and NPS about the issue.  They are aware of the problem and are working through the SPUR structure at identifying options such as dune planting. In the meantime, bulldozers will be doing the maintenance.  Look for work to begin when the winds subside...

In other news...  We have a special film screening to announce...

"Shored Up" a documentary about beach erosion, beach replenishment, sea level rise and climate change is coming to San Francisco. This one is right in our wheelhouse!

When: Saturday June 1st 4pm
Where: New People Cinema
1746 Post St (at Webster), SF

Shored Up leaves no sand grain unturned; every perspective is brought together to capture wisdom and ironic lessons as New Jersey and North Carolina grapple with accelerating sea level rise before and after Hurricane Sandy. It is a gripping tale about human nature and how we try to prevail over the tremendous forces of nature that can be episodic and terrifying at times, separated by long periods of seeming tranquility. The scenes shot during and after Hurricane Sandy remind us of that reality in a visceral way.

Shored Up portrays how all of us, even taxpayers who live far away from the U.S. East Coast, are a part of this story. At the heart of the film are the wise and insightful comments by surfers, artists, mayors, scientists, and coastal residents. Understanding the causes of sea level rise presents challenges for deciding long-term solutions while communities struggle with short-term “fixes” for coastal erosion and storm surges of today.

http://shoredupmovie.com


General festival info:

Join us for the 3rd San Francisco Green Film Festival, May 30-June 5, 2013 – the West Coast’s leading destination for groundbreaking and compelling films on the urgent environmental issues of our time.
This year’s festival presents 50 new films from around the globe, with over 70 visiting filmmakers and guest speakers who will cover urgent environmental topics including clean energy, green chemistry, food, housing, water, trash, and art in the environment. The festival will also feature special events, discussion panels, workshops, and educational programs, inviting festival attendees to get involved and take action with environmental causes important to them. The Festival’s Closing Night celebrations, June 5, 2013, take place on the United Nations’ World Environment Day. For this year’s full festival program please visit: sfgreenfilmfest.org.