From kelp collection to clearing stormwater drains, maintaining the beaches is much more than playing with sand.

When millions of tourists each year play in the La Jolla sand, keeping the beaches pristine isn’t a dune deal.

And when lajolla.ca observed what seemed to be a large addition of sand to La Jolla Shores Feb 8, it led us to dig deeper: does the city of San Diego routinely add sand to our beaches, and how else does the city maintain our miles of coastal playground?

The sand we saw earlier this month isn’t an addition, but may appear to be as it’s part of regular work to clear sand from a stormwater outlet, according to city spokesperson Benny Cartwright.

San Diego “doesn’t do much beach replenishment other than push sand that the tides bring in,” Cartwright said, adding it happens at multiple locations along the shoreline.

Cutting the sand back and piling it up allows water flow, combined with the incoming tides, to bring sand back in.

Sand gestures

Stormwater clearing is part of the city’s regular beach maintenance program, Cartwright said, referencing a 2008 city document that outlines the nitty-gritty of keeping San Diego’s beaches, from Ocean Beach north through La Jolla and including the beaches at Mission Bay, clean and protected against storms and erosion.

The beach maintenance operations consist of kelp and eelgrass wrack removal, fire ring cleaning, trash collection, beach restoration, seasonal storm-berm building along unprotected stretches of coastline, storm-related repairs, the placement and storage of lifeguard towers and the demolition of impounded boats.

Kelp removal happens rarely in La Jolla; though decaying kelp is typically “considered to be an unattractive, fly-infested and odiferous nuisance,” according to the sand maintenance report, San Diego’s abundance of kelp wrack generated by the significant offshore beds mean landfill disposal is not a viable option for kelp management.

Instead, beach maintenance crews integrate kelp into a number of shoreline uses, such as adding the kelp into storm berms to retain sand against wave erosion.

At La Jolla Shores, berms are built to protect the seasonal lifeguard towers on the beach and the boat launch ramp at Avenida de la Playa.

Additionally, the city views kelp as a resource over waste, “because of the value of kelp as a natural beach stabilizer that disappears with time,” the report states.

Kelp accumulation above what’s needed is stockpiled on Fiesta Island for future maintenance.

Removing the kelp is part of the city’s beach grooming routine, which takes place on a ten-day cycle on oceanfront beaches including La Jolla Shores and consists of kelp removal from the tide line, beach contouring, heavy raking on wet sand, light raking on dry sand, sand screening and fire ring cleaning.

City crews also perform beach restoration regularly as needed, which entails the redistribution and replacement of sand that has been washed away during storm and rain events. 

Beach restoration is adjusted for changes in the beach profile that occur as a result of natural erosion and accretion and the preseason removal of winter storm berms.

All these efforts mean a day enjoying the La Jolla coastline is always within beach.

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