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RE:BEACH Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project

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Sand Distribution Feasibility Report

The City of Oceanside’s RE:BEACH project requires substantial volumes of high-quality sand for both initial construction and long-term beach maintenance. Approximately 900,000 cubic yards (cy) of sand is needed for initial nourishment, with potentially up to 500,000 cy of sand required every 3 to 5 years to maintain restored beach widths. To meet these needs, the City completed a Sand Distribution Feasibility Study to evaluate cost-effective and reliable sand sources and subsequent delivery strategies. The study incorporates current scientific understanding of sediment transport across the world, regional sand management practices, and available local and regional sand resources, while also considering lessons learned from prior efforts such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Experimental Sand Bypass System.

Two primary sand delivery scenarios were evaluated:

Scenario 1: Fixed Harbor Bypass System:
This scenario considers construction of a fixed or semi-fixed pipeline system to transport sand from the Camp Pendleton fillet and Santa Margarita River area across Oceanside Harbor to City beaches. While technically feasible, this approach presents significant constraints, including limited access to sand sources under U.S. Marine Corps jurisdiction, complex regulatory and interagency coordination requirements, high upfront capital costs, and extended delivery timelines. The estimated cost to deliver 500,000 cy is approximately $88.3 million, with considerable uncertainty. This scenario carries substantial financial, operational, and jurisdictional risks.

Scenario 2: Mobile Offshore Dredging:
This scenario evaluates the use of mobile dredging operations to source sand from offshore borrow sites and place it directly on City beaches. This approach reflects established regional practices and offers several advantages, including readily available compatible sand sources, no requirement for permanent infrastructure, flexibility in implementation, and the ability to deliver large sand volumes in a single campaign. The estimated cost to deliver 500,000 cy is approximately $12.6 million, with a narrower range of uncertainty and greater cost reliability.

The study demonstrates that while multiple sand sourcing strategies are technically feasible, they vary significantly in terms of cost, risk, permitting complexity, and implementation timelines. Identifying reliable and cost-effective sand sources will be critical to the long-term success of the RE:BEACH project and the City’s broader coastal resilience objectives.

Physical Modeling of the RE:BEACH Pilot Project

Oceanside advanced the RE:BEACH Pilot Project through state-of-the-art physical wave modeling at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory.

A 1:35 scale model of Oceanside’s coastline — from the Oceanside Pier to Wisconsin Avenue — was constructed in a large directional wave basin to test the proposed offshore reef and headland system under a range of tide and wave conditions.

This effort builds on more than 900 numerical simulations and 45 reef configurations analyzed over the past year. Physical modeling allows engineers to:

  • Evaluate wave breaking and shoreline interaction
  • Measure current circulation patterns
  • Study sediment transport and sand retention performance

Physical Modeling Timeline (2026)

December 2025 – January 2026
Fabrication of the physical model and construction of Oceanside’s bathymetry in the wave basin.

February – March 2026
Instrument setup, baseline evaluation, installation of reef and headland features, and sequential testing of multiple reef configurations — including sediment movement analysis.

End of March 2026
Completion of testing and performance evaluation.

Results from this testing will further refine the design before final engineering and environmental review.

Please visit RE:BEACH Oceanside for further up-to-date information on the project and upcoming opportunities to get involved!

Project History: 

The City of Oceanside understands the importance of sandy beaches for the protection of coastal infrastructure, recreation, and the local economy. RE:BEACH Oceanside is a Coastal Resilience Design Competition that brought together three design teams from around the world to develop innovative sand retention pilot projects for the City of Oceanside.

In 2021, a year-long study (Phase 1) was completed to identify feasible solutions to protect the beach from long-term erosion.  Since the completion of the Feasibility Study in 2021, the City has been gathering information through public outreach efforts and meetings with cities within our regional littoral cell, or sediment transport zone.  Several consistent concerns relating to downcoast erosion were noted, as well as recommendations to pilot a more innovative engineering solution to retention than traditional groins.  

On January 25, 2023, the City Council reviewed and approved a Professional Services Agreement for Phase 2 of the Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project , with GHD Inc.  For further information on the Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot project, please see, A Coastal Resilience Design Competition, Design Brief.

In the next phase of the project (Phase 2), the City further defined our replenishment and retention options, with the first order of business being to locate a local sand source or decipher a method of consistent sand delivery from around the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin.  This is crucial to the project; retention of any sort can only be done if we can determine a dedicated sand source that will add sand to the littoral cell.  We intend to use the results of our sand investigation and our new Sand Compatibility Opportunistic Use Program permits to provide immediate relief to our shoreline while working out design features for maintaining the sand.

Additionally in Phase 2, a conceptual designs for a hybrid approach to sand retention was developed through RE:BEACH Oceanside, an international design competition which began in June 2023 and continued through January 2024. Three public workshops were held to inform the community about the conceptual designs and gather public input on the options being proposed. The conceptual designs are online at www.rebeach.org or see each team's final concept slides below:

          Team SCAPE

          Team MVRDV / Deltares 

          Team ICM

A summary of public comments gathered thus far is available here: ReBeach Community Workshops Summary.pdf

Following the third and final Public Workshop for the RE:BEACH pilot project, a Jury/Advisory Panel comprised of a diverse group of coastal scientists, community leaders and regional representatives recently met to evaluate proposals from three international Design Team finalists. 

The RE:BEACH Jury expressed their unanimous support of a preferred alternative, International Coastal Management’s “Living Speed Bumps” concept.  The “Living Speed Bumps” concept includes the construction of two small headlands that will aim to stabilize sand on the back beach, with an offshore artificial reef aimed at slowing down nearshore erosive forces.  ICM, based in Australia’s Gold Coast, has decades of experience implementing “speed bumps” on their own coastline, bringing forward a new concept for Oceanside’s coast, but with a proven track record of success on the East Coast of Australia.  Learn more 

   

 

For background information on the Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project, see: 

Environmental Review Process (EIR)

On October 17, 2025, the City issued the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for RE:BEACH Oceanside. A public scoping meeting was held on October 30, 2025, at Oceanside City Hall.

All scoping materials and related documents are available below:

 

Please visit RE:BEACH Oceanside for up to date information on the project and upcoming opportunities to get involved!

 

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