A proposed project on the coast to remove sediment built up inside the Pillar Point Harbor outer breakwater and move it to Surfers Beach for reuse is progressing, with a late spring to summer starting timeline proposed by staff.
“There are a lot of wheels in motion, but things seem to be proceeding fairly smoothly and according to plan,” said Brad Damitz with the San Mateo County Harbor District at a Jan. 18 meeting. “It’s just going to be a lot of different sequencing of different tasks as we get closer to springtime.”
The Surfers Beach Restoration Pilot Project plans to remove sediment from Pillar Point Harbor and transfer it to Surfers Beach to address coastal erosion and public access issues. The project from the San Mateo County Harbor District would dredge up to 100,000 cubic yards of sand accumulated along the inside of Pillar Point Harbor’s east breakwater and use the sand to form an elevated berm along an approximately 1,000-foot-long section of shoreline at Surfers Beach, a staff report said. It would also relocate eelgrass in the east basin before dredging and create an eelgrass restoration area at the Harbor’s west basin to protect Highway 1 and other shoreline areas.
The Harbor District is planning for a spring to early summer timeframe to begin a phased project start, a staff report said. The first phase is the eelgrass dredging, followed by Surfers Beach dredging.
The Harbor District has submitted permit applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board and Monterey Bay/Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries for approval.
The Harbor District is looking for project funding and has received a committed $1 million in funding. Staff said an environmental analysis determined that the project is not expected to result in any significant effects.
A more detailed report to the Harbor District Board is expected in February.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.