Accretion Cycle in Overdrive at the North End

Excess sand at the north end - Why not truck this down to S. Sloat? (photo: Mike Martinovich)

We are eagerly awaiting the official unveiling of the Ocean Beach Master Plan as well as the start of the implementation phase...

Meanwhile, our chapter has been busy talking with City officials and government agencies about a near term plan for Sloat. As much as there needs to be a long term plan, there is no reason why we can't begin reversing the damage now.

We hope to see a new interim policy featuring rubble clean-up, aggressive sand replenishment (sand coming from clearing the Great Highway and parking lots), and the commitment to use sandbags instead of quarry stone for emergencies. Additionally, we could use more attention to maintaining safe access to the beach.

The last few months our seasonal northwest winds have settled in, triggering major sand movement. At the north end, so much sand has piled up that it has reached the top of the esplanade and has begun to spill over into the parking lot. This is nothing new or unnatural. It is an example of our beach's native accretion process, the return of sand to beachscape. Our new document The History of Coastal Erosion at Ocean Beach (see prior post) features a photo of the same exact condition taking hold in 1942.

Unfortunately, at the south end of Ocean Beach, the erosion cycle continues. Our contention is that the exposed fill and quarry stone south of Sloat is only exacerbating the problem. The area in front of the 1997/1998 revetment is particularly troublesome. In this stretch (south of the 1st parking lot) a sand scouring effect is present due to wave reflection off the rocks. This has produced a deep hole or trough that never seems to move or fill in with sand. Normally, troughs at Ocean Beach are temporary, shifting position, disappearing and reappearing as currents and wave energy change the contour of the bottom. The stationary hole at S. Sloat has become permanent. It has been there ever since waves began consistently reflecting off the rock. Check out this video of the hole:  http://youtu.be/SSECoX2WB2Y

It is well known that coastal armoring often lead to this kind of scouring / feedback loop.  Such phenomena inhibit a shoreline's accretion process, causing what is known as "passive erosion". This why we believe the time is now to remove whatever rubble we can and to replace it with sand.
We will update the blog as soon as we reach any progress on this and other issues. Thanks for checking in and staying engaged!

New Document / Video Release

Sand recovered from clearing the Great Highway is being used once again to help shore up the south Sloat bluffs.


Dear Surfriders and Friends,

The Chapter Erosion Committee has just released a new document about the history of erosion at Ocean Beach. See http://public.surfrider.org/files/a_history_of_coastal_erosion_at_ocean_beach_0412.pdf

In many ways, the challenge we face at Sloat is nothing new. There is a long record of coastal erosion at Ocean Beach. With the wisdom gained from an historical perspective, we hope to chart a new course for erosion response by our city...

We are also pleased to announce the release of a new basic informational video about the Sloat issue. Check it out by clicking this link... https://vimeo.com/40248193 Thanks to Josh Hayes of Visual Anarchy and Silvin Morgan for their help in producing this work.

In other news...

The final Ocean Beach Master plan is due to be released within the next few weeks. Please stay tuned! There is an excellent article on the OBMP in the current issue of the SPUR journal The Urbanist. See http://www.spur.org/publications/urbanist

In the meantime, at last Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Carmen Chu asked Mayor Lee if he would support the recommendations of the SPUR OBMP. The Mayor said he would not only help find the money to implement it, but would take steps to expedite the plan through the bureaucracy. This is important news as the situation at Sloat needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. The sooner we take action - hopefully with a managed retreat plan - the better. Coastal erosion keeps its own schedule.

One more development: The City has resumed the practice of using sand collected from clearing the Great Highway to fill erosion hotspots at south Sloat. Although this is a short-term, "Band-Aid" style measure, sacrificial beach sand has less of an environmental impact than sandbags, rock or rubble. Perhaps most importantly, it does not promote the spread of erosion - as is the case with the armored approach.

A Wave of Media Attention on Sloat

Above: The inside sandbar at Sloat - under threat of backwash from an armored shoreline.

Dear Surfriders and Friends,

While we await the unveiling of the SPUR Ocean Beach Master Plan, there has been a groundswell of media attention on the Sloat issue. On Sunday March 23rd, the New York Times ran an article about Sloat on its front page. The next morning, the story was mentioned on NPR. On Tuesday March 25, KALW 91.7fm featured Sloat in the news program “Crosscurrents.” Today, the story made the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. See links to these pieces on the right side of this page.

Overall, the coverage has been excellent. We are certainly happy to see the spotlight drawn to the issue. However, there is one important aspect to the Sloat story that seems to be consistently misrepresented. This has to do with the nature of the managed retreat approach and the fate of the Oceanside Treatment Plant. All too often the coverage paints a picture as if managed retreat implies the immediate and complete relocation of the entire sewer infrastructure - including the treatment plant. This is a most unfortunate characterization.

Our vision of managed retreat involves an immediate pull back of the southbound lane and Lake Merced Wastewater Tunnel only. By relocating these two items, clean up of the rock and rubble may commence. The treatment plant itself is apparently in no immediate danger. Presently it is protected by the 2010 revetment as well as a rather large coastal bluff. Ultimately, we advocate aggressive beach nourishment to address the issue of the plant. In fact, all the remaining infrastructure would be much better off if we were to enhance and restore the sand dune system in the area. With a sandy shoreline, normal beach regeneration processes can return, helping to slow down erosion.

Dear Surfriders and Friends,

The final Ocean Beach Master Plan was originally scheduled to be released March 15, but will be delayed until sometime in April. SPUR is busy re-writing the final document to have them better prepared to move through the city bureaucracy. Also, due to the preparations of the final Master Plan, there has not been any significant movement yet on the feasibility study of the Sloat recommendation. Do stay tuned...

In other news...

Right when we thought we were safe from any more erosion events this year, a chain of storms comes barreling though the Bay Area. Today, Saturday, March 17, we performed a site inspection at Sloat. Luckily, the shoreline did not experience any significant erosion. The new sandbags also held up fine. We did, however, see some loss of sand material underneath the edges of the pavement. During big rain events, erosion also occurs from the bluff top downward due to runoff spilling over from the road. In any event, please be extra careful when checking/entering/exiting the surf!

Sandbag Work Complete - Extended Comment Period for Draft OBMP

Dear Surfrider Supporters,

The sandbag work at Sloat's north lot is now complete. Presently, there are no other plans to add sandbags unless we experience an extreme erosion event.

Some folks may wonder what exactly constitutes such an event and when do we get them...

Generally, we get heavy beach erosion when powerful winter storms make a direct hit to our coastline. A direct hit occurs when the core of a system makes landfall bringing with it high surf, strong winds and heavy rain. Here's a little video clip of an erosion producing storm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38R0NvNJG9A&context=C35c902eADOEgsToPDskIEwyjinXyPmvzKBzl2KoP4 The worse erosion for us tends to occur when a direct hit coincides with a large high tide, such as those in the 6.0 ft. range or better. Storms barreling in from the ocean can create a powerful storm surge, allowing the surf to advance much further inland than under fair weather conditions. This allows the sea to chew up or erode whatever lies in its path. Most folks have heard of storm urge associated with hurricane landfall. The storm surge that comes from our winter storms is basically the same thing. Though less dramatic, storm surge from Pacific systems can cause plenty of damage, too, especially when structures have been located too close to the sea.

The good news is that this winter, we appear to be safe. The jet stream, which carries our storm activity, has been positioned well to the north. There has been a bonanza of great weather and surf, and a reprieve for the Sloat shoreline.

In other news, SPUR has secured a grant to do the feasibility analysis for the draft proposal at Sloat. This is great news. We hope to see a full analysis of the low profile tunnel reinforcement concept along with a tunnel relocation/re-alignment option. We are particularly interested in cost/benefit issues (factoring in the value of recreation and ecology). Perhaps some combination of approaches may finally emerge. We certainly believe that any long term plan should include a phase in which the tunnel is removed from the beach.

Finally, SPUR has also extended comment period on the draft Ocean Beach Master Plan. If you have not yet added your input, there is still time. Please visit http://www.spur.org/ocean-beach There are a lot of changes being proposed for the entire beach. It behooves all of us to weigh in. Comment period ends February 29th. Thank you!

2012 The Home Stretch of the SPUR Ocean Beach Master Plan

Happy New Year Surfriders and Friends,

In 2011, with your help, as well as help from our allies at Save the Waves, the CA Coastal Protection Network and others, we helped de-rail a major rock armoring project at Sloat. From here on out, geotextile sand bags will be used on an emergency basis to protect vulnerable sewer infrastructure. Also, throughout 2011, many took the time to participate in shaping a long term plan for Sloat. Though yours comments, written letters, and signed petitions, a firm support for the clean-up of Sloat's shoreline has been registered in the Master Plan process.

These are great accomplishments.

What's been happening since the holiday season? Primarily, we have the initial sand bag construction project at the south end of Sloat's 1st parking lot. This was deemed an emergency problem area due to the lack of bluff material between the transport box and the ocean. We would like to again remind all our supports that we back the use of sand bags only as an interim measure. We view it as a better alternative to quarry stone and as a bridge to a managed retreat strategy.

As we start 2012, we find ourselves in the final months of the SPUR OB Master Plan. This coming year, in addition to tracking the progress of the box feasibility study, we will work to ensure that managed retreat and restoration are part and parcel of the final SPUR recommendations. We look forward to lobbying our civic leaders to take steps to adopt this vision as official policy. Stay tuned!

Public Comments on the Draft Ocean Beach Master Plan Released

Dear Surfriders and Friends,

Public comments from the Draft Master Plan are now available on SPUR's website http://spur.org/ocean-beach

Thanks to all who submitted comments. There were some excellent points made as well as some unique and creative ideas. As for the issue of Sloat, a common theme emerged: There is widespread support for a managed retreat approach to the erosion issue. While some folks expressed skepticism and doubt about the cobble berm idea proposed by SPUR, most supported a clean up of the rubble and restoration of the shoreline. Many cited the need to have robust sand dune construction by the Army Corps. These are all concepts supported by Surfrider.

On the critical front, there was significant concern about traffic impacts caused by the re-routing of the Great Highway around the back of the zoo, especially at the Sloat intersection. This is absolutely a legitmate concern. We will work to see that this issue is addressed by SPUR as the draft gets fine tuned.

Thanks again to everyone for staying engaged with the Sloat issue and participating in the SPUR Ocean Beach Master Plan. Have a happy holiday season!