Coastal erosion in California is costing money for constant maintenance and managed retreat projects. Local beaches are damaged by sea level rise and waves aren’t breaking like they used to. Surfers, activists, and city officials are involved in the battle to save California’s coast from erosion and faulty mechanisms that are put in place to avoid it.
Dean LaTourrette, Executive Director of Save the Waves Coalition told WaterWideWeb, “Coastal planners and city officials need to understand that they have this treasured surf spot area. If they aren’t aware, they could undermine economic development.” SWC enlists the support of surfers and other activists to preserve the environment of beaches by protecting the ecology and water quality of near shore environments.
The problem along California’s coasts is that infrastructure is built very close to the beach. Real estate and other private property is priced because of its prime location and sea side view. But the private property and other city infrastructure is hindering efforts to save the beaches from sea level rise that is scouring California beaches.
Effectively tackling coastal erosion can’t be done with shoddy short-term responses that need constant upkeep and yield negative long-term outcomes. Rather, long term sustainable solutions to California’s coastal erosion should factor in the economic development variable and cost-effective solutions that will have lasting results on the local community.
“Part of the solution includes pushing infrastructure back from the coast. The rest includes dune and vegetation restoration. Sand and sediment restoration can slow down the process of erosion,” continued LaTourrette.
Moving back city infrastructure from the coastline will allow beaches to go back to their natural flow. Developing land in these areas disrupts the natural flow of the ocean waters. Managed retreat projects that simply allow areas to be flooded with water are the equivalent of putting a band-aid on a wound that needs to be stitched together again and again. It is not a comprehensive plan to preserve coast properties or conserve the environmental system.
Brian Brennan, City Councilmember for the City of Ventura in California told WaterWideWeb, “Certainly, it’s not just for revenue generated from surfing but 72 percent of Americans take a vacation at the seashore. There’s an awful lot of economic development that goes with that.”
Preserving the California coast line is crucial for fostering recreational and professional surfing, but it’s also a key factor in assuring financial input from tourism. The hospitality industry is largely impacted by the amount of people that flock to California.
Moreover, coastal preservation is important for sustaining the livelihood of individuals and families who invested their resources in property that was close to the beach, continued Brennan.
City officials and urban planners certainly have their hands full with coastal management response in California. Calculating the cost of repetitive projects that temporarily suspend the immediate affects of coastal erosion are only making the problem worse for future generations. The solution to coastal erosion in California doesn’t need to be simple but it must be sustainable…and timely at that.
How can city officials work to push city infrastructure back while not infringing on the rights of private land owners or other businessmen with beach front property?
Can California afford to continue managed retreat projects at the cost of tourists and others who come to these areas for their wave breaks?
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