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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-11-24; City Council; info; Beach ErosionDATE: NOVEMBER 21, 1980 TO: CITY MANAGER FROM: Assistant City Manager/Administration SUBJECT: BEACH EROSION Attached is a copy of a draft letter from Mayor Packard, as well as copies of letters from the City of Del Mar and the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, regarding the Corps of Engineers' recommended solution to the beach erosion problem. Does the City Council wish to take a position on the Corps' proposal as indicated in the draft copy of the Mayor's letter? FRANK N. MANNEN Assistant City Manager/Administration FNM:ldg Atts. Council Action 11-24-80 - Council directed staff to forward the original letter, as drafted. 1200 ELM AVENUE ffl^I^J%k TELEPHONE: CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA 92008 M^^^M (714)438-5561 Office of the Mayor dtp of November 25., 1980 DRAFT Colonel Gwynn A. league, C.E. Los Angeles District Engineer U. S. Army Corps of Engineers P. 0. Box 2711 Los Angeles, CA 90053 BEACH EROSION - OCEANSIDE Dear Colonel Teague: The City of Carlsbad is vitally interested in the beach erosion problem along our coast. We are anxious to support the efforts of the Corps of Engineers and the City of Ocean- side to find a solution to this problem. However, we carrn.ot endors.e. the solution recommended in the Corps' current project statement. Our principal concern is that neither the breakwater nor the groin project will assure a reversal of the beach erosion which continues along the coast. We believe it is imperative that the solution chosen must provide for a continuous sand bypass system to replenish beaches south of Oceanside. Carlsbad has participated in several studies of the beach erosion problem. We have been impressed by the fact that the movement of sand along the coast is a complex problem. We note that the "experts" disagree on the causes and solutions to this problem. We are concerned that another structural project in the Oceanside area could possibly worsen the situation in Carlsbad and on beaches south of Oceanside. We are not convinced that the Corps proposal will work. The Carlsbad City Council wishes to commend the Corps and the City of Oceanside for the leadership provided in seeking a solution to the beach erosion problem. We urge you to con- tinue these efforts until agreement, is reached. We need your help and we pledge you our support, in finding an answer. Sincerely, RONALD C. PACKARD Mayor RCP : gb city or del mar November 13, 1980 Colonel Gwynn A. league, C.E. Los Angeles District Engineer U. S. Army Corps of Engineers « P. 0. Box 2711 Los Angeles, California 90053 o> Re: Survey Report for Beach Erosion Control San Diego County, Vicinity of Oceanside, California Dear Sir: The City of Del Mar supports the efforts of the City of Oceanside and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in seeking a solution to the ^ beach erosion problems which plague Oceanside. However, we find o that the Corps' current recommendation of a breakwater-groin sys- tem focuses only on a local solution. As such, it is unacceptable. It simply does not fully address the regional implications for the co beaches south of Oceanside, from the City of Carlsbad to La Jolla. r*M C Del Mar favors an approach which is regional in scope and one which includes restoration and protection of beaches of Oceanside. But even this regional approach must not occur at the expense of beaches to the south. Any solution to Oceanside1s problem should approximate the natural sand transport system with an unimpeded flow from north to south. A combination of a bypass system gram (Recommendation 9) would appear to be the most promising option for Oceanside and the region. Placement of structural devices along the beaches of Oceanside should occur only after nonstructural options have been observed to be inadequate. Moreover, whatever the design of small structural devices and whenever they are constructed, they should be accom- panied by a sand bypass system and/or a sand nourishment program ^ which would offset any adverse impact these structures might have on the sand profiles of the beaches to the south. o Del Mar prefers a combined sand bypass and sand nourishment program. E We would insist that any breakwater-groin system or the like be accompanied by a sand bypass system and a sand nourishment program.0 We find unacceptable the Corps' proposal in its present form. o''U)o Colonel Gwynn A. league, C.E. November 13, 1980 Page Two Finally, Del Mar would like to acknowledge the time and effort that Oceanside has expended in seeking a solution to the beach erosion problems it has and is experiencing. We look forward to cooperating with them, the Corps and the adjoining juris- dictions in working toward a regional approach for combating the loss of sand which is denuding the beaches of North County. Sincerely, Richard L. Roe Mayor sm cc: Mayor Lawrence Bagley, City of Oceanside Mayor Ronald C. Packard, City of Carlsbad Mayor Pete Wilson, City of San Diego Councilmember Bill Mitchell, City of San Diego, District No.l Supervisor Roger Hedgecock, San Diego County Supervisor Paul Eckert, San Diego County Assemblyman Robert Frazee, 76th Assembly District State Senator Bill Craven, 38th Senatorial District CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE POST OFFICE BOX 1605 • CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA 92008 • (714) 729-5924 November 12, 1980 Colonel Gynn A. Teague, District Engineer Department of the Army ^ Corps of Engineers P.O. Box 2711 Los Angeles, Ca. 90053 Dear Colonel Teague: The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has been concerned about the loss of sand from the beaches of our city, due to the storms and erosion of the past few years, and because of the studies conducted by the Corps of Engineers on the beaches of our neighboring city of Oceanside. The Corps of Engineers had proposed a series of groins to be placed on the Oceanside beaches as the "most effective" means of controlling the sand on the Oceanside beaches. The Carlsbad Chamber's Beach and Lagoon Committee, along with a number of other communities in northern San Diego County held several meetings under the sponsorship of the Chamber or the City of Carlsbad Beach Study Advisory Committee, both chaired by myself. The Carlsbad Chamber, after hearing testimony from Corps of Engineer staff, Scripps Institute, from private engineering firms and from firms which do beach control work, made a recommendation to the City of Carlsbad and to the Corps of Engineers that the Chamber would be opposed to any groin project which did not include a "SAND BY-PASS" program which would allow for the passage of sand from north of the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin and the Oceanside Harbor to the Oceanside beaches and on toward the Carlsbad and other north San Diego County communities to the south. The recent proposal of the Corps of Engineers to build an offshore breakwater as "the most effective" manner to control beach erosion, may as shown by the Corps report, be the least expensive in terms of dollars, however, it still does not answer the problem of sand replenishment to any beaches other than Oceanside and does not include the important "SAND BY-PASS" which various experts feel must be included for on-going sand replenishment and restoration to downstream communities. Further, the Chamber's committee feels that the construction of an off-shore breakwater would force the currents of sand into even deeper water and not be carried toward the beaches under normal conditions. To all appearances, the off-shore breakwater would create a semi "lagoon" inside the breakwater if groins are built at each end. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce would have to remain opposed to the proposed breakwater as well as the groin system until adequate assurances could be provided to our city and other cities along the San Diego County coast that there will be an continuous supply of sand available through a By-Pass system or regular sand replenishment from other sources. David Minnich, Chairman Beach & Lagoon Committee Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - OFFICES, ELM AVENUE AT OLD SANTA FE DEPOT