Coastal Zone Management – Shoreline Management
The City of Encinitas Coastal Zone Management program focuses on the protection and enhancement of the City’s coastline. The City realizes the importance of wide, sandy beaches to tourists and residents alike along with the economic value these beaches provide to the City.
SAND COMPATIBILITY AND OPPORTUNISTIC USE PROGRAM (SCOUP)
The City of Encinitas and other cities are working with SANDAG to obtain permits in advance of potential projects to place opportunistically available sand on our local beaches. Encinitas certified the SCOUP Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration in June 2008. The City is in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals from the Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board, California State Lands Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS LONG-TERM BEACH REPLENISHMENT PROJECT
The US Army Corps of Engineers is working with the City of Encinitas and Solana Beach on a long term beach sand replenishment program to reduce the impacts of storm damage on the City’s shoreline and bluffs. A recirculated EIR/EIS will be prepared and is anticipated to be available in 2010-2011. For further details please visit the USACE website at: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/solana.htm
REGIONAL BEACH SAND PROJECT #2
Encinitas and other coastal cities are working together to advance a repeat of the successful 2001 project which brought more than 2 million cubic yards of sand to beaches in the region. In October 2008, SANDAG began the preliminary planning activities associated with rebuilding the RBSP including the investigation of offshore sand sources and preliminary engineering/design. Recently, SANDAG received funding from Department of Boating and Waterways that would fund a portion of the RBSPII. These funds come from the Public Beach Restoration Fund and require a 15 percent match from the local entity. SANDAG is currently working with the Cities of Encinitas and other coastal cities to secure matching funds.
COASTAL REGIONAL SEDIMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Encinitas is participating as a SANDAG member agency in the development of the first Regional Coastal Sediment Management Plan. Preparation of the Management Plan began in late 2007. The Management Plan builds upon what has been developed for the California Coastal Sediment Management Master Plan, which as a goal of developing a process that facilitates the management of sand on a regional basis. The Regional Management Plan is a guidance and policy document that will discuss how management of sediment targeted at coastal erosion can be implemented in an expeditious, cost-effective, and resource-protective manner throughout the San Diego region. The sediment sources identified as part of the Regional Management Plan can be placed on regional beaches under the SCOUP and regional projects.
SAN ELIJO LAGOON RESTORATION PROJECT
The City of Encinitas is working with Caltrans, SANDAG and other regional, state and federal stakeholders to develop the San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project (SELRP). The San Elijo Lagoon forms the boundary between Encinitas and Solana Beach and is a coastal wetland with significant biological and ecological resources. Over the past several decades, the ecological system has gradually degraded due to urban development that has altered the hydrology and increased sedimentation within the lagoon. The goal of the SELRP is to enhance and restore the biological functions and values of the San Elijo Lagoon Reserve with a balance of habitat types. A restoration plan will be developed with various project alternatives that would restore habitat function sand values of the lagoon consistent with the strategies identified in the San Elijo lagoon Enhancement Plan (County of San Diego 1996) and the San Elijo Lagoon Action Plan (San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy 1998).
San Elijo Lagoon Studies.
Links
Program Contacts:
Katherine Weldon - kweldon@ci.encinitas.ca.us