Oceanside, California, is taking an international approach to a problem Jersey Shore communities know all too well: disappearing beaches.
During a recent episode of Tidal Flooding Talk, Oceanside Coastal Program Manager Jayme Timberlake explained how the city’s proposed ReBeach project could rebuild its shoreline while offering a new model for coastal resilience.
Oceanside’s erosion problems date back decades. The construction of a federal boat basin and a small-craft harbor during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s changed the natural movement of sand along the city’s coastline. The result has been an ongoing cycle of healthy beaches followed by dramatic sand loss.
Today, some locations have little more than wet sand and cobble, with usable beach available only at low tide.
“The sand leaves our shoreline really fast,” Timberlake said.
Past beach-nourishment projects brought new sand to Oceanside, but much of it disappeared within several years. Instead of simply repeating that process, city leaders began searching for a way to keep more sand in place.
That search became ReBeach.
Oceanside launched an international design competition that attracted more than 30 companies. Teams eventually joined forces, producing three finalists from New York, the Netherlands and Australia.
The winning concept combines traditional sand nourishment with artificial reefs and headlands. The underwater and shoreline features are intended to slow sand loss, restore wider beaches and create a protective buffer between the Pacific Ocean and nearby development.
The project could also improve surfing. Oceanside is home to major competitions and world-title-winning surfer Caitlin Simmers, but erosion has removed some of the offshore sandbars that help waves break. ReBeach is expected to add enough sand to help those features return.
For residents, the loss is about more than recreation. Timberlake said some people left Oceanside for college or military service and returned to find the beaches they remembered had nearly vanished. That rapid change has helped generate strong public support, including the creation of Save Oceanside Sand, a nonprofit advocacy group with roughly 1,200 paying members.
Getting ReBeach built will require another major lift. The project is expected to cost approximately $60 million. Oceanside has used its general fund and federal American Rescue Plan Act money to advance the design and permitting process, but construction funding has not yet been secured.
The city is exploring several possibilities, including state grants, local sales-tax revenue and a potential federal earmark through NOAA.
Although ReBeach would be new to California, its Australian design team has used similar artificial-reef strategies elsewhere. If the Oceanside project succeeds, it could provide a blueprint for other developed coastal communities searching for ways to hold onto their sand—and their identity.
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