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Home My WebLink About2024-10-01; Beach Preservation Commission; ; Dredging projects that impact sand volume on beaches within the City of CarlsbadMeeting Date: Oct. 1, 2024 To: Beach Preservation Commission From: Todd Reese, Parks Services Manager Staff Contact: Nick Stupin, Parks Planning Manager nick.stupin@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2527 Subject: Dredging projects that impact sand volume on beaches within the City of Carlsbad Recommended Action Receive a report on the dredging projects that impact the sand volume on beaches within the City of Carlsbad. Discussion During the Aug. 6, 2024 Beach Preservation Commission meeting, several Commissioners requested an agenda item to provide updates on the dredging projects that impact the sand volumes within the City of Carlsbad. Many factors impact sand volume on beaches. Beach nourishment projects add sediment adjacent to or directly on beaches. The benefits of such sand placement include establishing or reestablishing areas to recreate, creating a protective barrier that limits the impact of seasonal tidal events and also improving or protecting other coastal resources. Beach nourishment projects can include trucking sand from inland sources or dredging and pumping sand from harbors, rivers, lagoons, and other bodies of water. City staff has been charged with supporting and facilitating these projects, which are executed by other entities. Parks & Recreation Department staff track and report on the dredging projects that impact beaches within the City of Carlsbad. The tracked projects can be grouped into the following types: Recurring maintenance, development, and regional nourishment. Recurring maintenance projects Oceanside Harbor annual maintenance dredging •The US Army Corps of Engineers annually dredges the mouth of the Oceanside Harbor for safe navigation of vessels. The annual dredge typically occurs in the spring. The amount of time it takes to start and complete the dredge is dependent upon many factors. Weather and the grunion run are two examples that can create delays. •The sand dredged from the Harbor inlet is pumped onto Oceanside beaches. –The amount of sand available each year to be placed on the beaches is dependent on how much excess sand fills in the harbor entrance each winter, which varies from year to year. How far south the dredged sand can be deposited is dependent upon the erosion that occurred during the preceding months. It is generally believed that Carlsbad’s North Beach ultimately receives sand from the Oceanside Harbor dredging projects. Oct. 1, 2024 Item #3 1 of 4 & BEACH PRESERVATION COMMISSION Staff Report . Agua Hedionda Lagoon – outer basin maintenance dredging •Since 1954, maintenance dredging projects have been conducted at intervals of one to four years to remove a flood-tide shoal that forms in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon outer basin (also referred to as the outer basin), to maintain tidal exchange throughout the lagoon and provide cooling water flowrates required for Cabrillo Power operations. Cabrillo Power discontinued operations requiring the cooling water in December 2018. However, maintenance dredging of the outer basin continued to be necessary to maintain tidal exchange throughout the lagoon, and to provide seawater to support the operation of the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. The most recent maintenance dredging project was conducted Feb. 15 - March 27, 2021, and deposited approximately 304,483 cubic yards [cy]of sand back onto Carlsbad beaches (North Beach - 121,667 cy; Middle Beach - 100,992 cy; South Beach - 81,824 cy). •Channelside Water Resources plans to conduct an Agua Hedionda Lagoon maintenance dredging and beach nourishment project in 2025. –Sand placement quantities for each receiver beach are determined based on the conditions reflected in a beach profile survey conducted within 45 days of the commencement of the dredging project. The currently projected quantity of dredged sand (including contingency) to be placed on Carlsbad beaches is approximately 450,000 cy: 150,000 cy on the North Beach, 166,800 cy on the Middle Beach, and 133,200 cy on the South Beach. All dredging work is anticipated to be completed by April 15, 2025. Batiquitos Lagoon maintenance dredging •Maintenance dredging of Batiquitos Lagoon removes sand from the flood shoal that is drawn into the lagoon from the near shore areas by tidal action. Shoal material has been tested and determined to be a minimum of 90% sand. Sand will be placed back on adjacent beaches, consistent with state and federal regulations. Dredging and redistribution will occur outside of avian nesting and grunion spawning seasons. •This project is anticipated to begin at the end of 2025. –The Batiqutos Lagoon Dredging project typically relocates approximately 118,000 cy of beach-quality sand from the central basin to South Ponto Beach. Development projects Batiquitos Lagoon Double Track •As part of a suite of projects to increase the frequency and reliability of train service, SANDAG and Caltrans are constructing a second set of train tracks across the Batiquitos Lagoon. This will enable northbound and southbound traveling trains to pass at the same time, and for passenger trains to pass slower freight trains on the second track. The project also replaces a 1940’s wooden trestle bridge with a concrete, double-track bridge which will improve tidal flow underneath the bridge due to a wider channel. Oct. 1, 2024 Item #3 2 of 4 •The Batiquitos Lagoon Double Track Project spans 0.6 miles across Batiquitos Lagoon, from La Costa Avenue in Encinitas to north of Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad. It is a critical component of the first phase of the North Coast Corridor (NCC) program, known as Build NCC, which includes a combination of transportation improvements, environmental protection, and coastal access projects. This project supports the objectives of North County Transit District, Amtrak, and BNSF Railway to increase the overall efficiency and reliability. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2028. –This multi-year project will yield approximately 60,000 cy of beach sand. In 2025, approximately 10,000 cy of sand will be placed on South Ponto State Beach. Buena Vista Lagoon enhancement •Buena Vista Lagoon covers approximately 220 acres, with most of the area owned and managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as the state's first Ecological Reserve. The lagoon has been slowly filling up with reeds and sediment since it was dammed in the early 1970s by a weir at the mouth. Historically, the lagoon was both a saltwater and freshwater environment, depending on the influence and timing of ocean tides and upland streamflow. •The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) created a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in 2015 and a final EIR in 2018. The EIR presented three alternatives (besides no action): saltwater, freshwater, and hybrid. The homeowners, CDFW, and SANDAG ultimately agreed on a modified saltwater alternative, which keeps a portion of the lagoon (a small basin owned by the homeowners) intact as a freshwater system, with ocean saltwater bypassing this portion. The weir will be removed, and the lagoon dredged and engineered to allow tidal flushing of ocean water. •On May 22, 2020, SANDAG approved a project for enhancing the Buena Vista Lagoon, an almost 20-year effort in the making. SANDAG staff is continuing to seek additional grant funding to proceed with the design of the project beyond 30% drawings. –This project will place sand on Carlsbad’s North Beach. The anticipated volumes of sand are still being determined and will be based on final sediment studies. Regional nourishment projects Regional Beach Sand Project III •A Regional Beach Sand Project (RBSP) involves dredging beach-quality sand from offshore borrow sites and placing it on highly eroded beaches in the San Diego region. SANDAG successfully administered the RBSP I in 2001 and the RBSP II in 2012SANDAG has a regional forum - the Shoreline Preservation Working Group – for which elected officials are engaged in regional adaptation projects, such as beach nourishment. Representatives of the Shoreline Preservation Working Group have expressed an interest in initiating the RBSP III. SANDAG staff have committed to coordinating with those cities’ staff, the City Council Members who serve on the Shoreline Preservation Working Group, and other technical advisors to administer the preliminary planning activities for the RBSP III. Oct. 1, 2024 Item #3 3 of 4 •On May 9, 2023, the Carlsbad City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding between SANDAG and the City of Carlsbad regarding the preliminary planning activities for the RBSPIII. SANDAG is now working on the project’s planning and permitting phase. –RBSP II placed an estimated 350,000 cubic yards of sand on Carlsbad beaches. Exhibits None. Oct. 1, 2024 Item #3 4 of 4 Dredging Projects that Impact Sand Volume on Beaches in Carlsbad Nick Stupin, Parks Planning Manager Parks & Recreation Department Oct. 1, 2024 { City of Carlsbad 2 TODAY’S PRESENTATION •Overview •Explanation of city’s role in dredging •Dredging types •Tracked projects (Timeline and impacts) •Q&A ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive a report on the dredging projects that impact the sand volume on beaches within the City of Carlsbad. ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad DISCUSSION •City staff has been charged with supporting and facilitating dredging projects Executed by other entities Parks & Recreation staff track and report on dredging projects that impact beaches within Carlsbad ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS 5 TRACKED PROJECTS GROUPINGS RECURRING MAINTENANCE DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL NOURISHMENT ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS (city of Carlsbad 6 RECURRING MAINTENANCE •Oceanside Harbor •Agua Hedionda Lagoon – outer basin •Batiquitos Lagoon ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad OCEANSIDE HARBOR •Owned/managed by City of Oceanside POC: Jayme Timberlake, Coastal Zone Administrator o jtimberlake@oceansideca.org, 760-435-3073 •Anticipated dredging schedule is as follows: Mid-April to Mid-May 2025 (annually) Previous project – May 2024 ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS AGUA HEDIONDA LAGOON •Owned by NRG/Dredged by Channelside Water Resources POC: Michele Peters, Technical and Compliance Manager o mpeters@channelsidedesal.com, 702-606-8742 •Anticipated dredging schedule is as follows: Winter 2024 – Early Spring 2025 Approx. 305,000 cubic yards of sand on Carlsbad beaches Previous Project – Winter 2021 3 - 4 year cycle projection ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS BATIQUITOS LAGOON •Owned by California Department of Fish & Wildlife POC: Gabriel Penaflor, Environmental Scientist o gabriel.penaflor@wildlife.ca.gov, 858-636-3160 •Anticipated dredging schedule is as follows: Winter 2025 – Early Spring 2026 Approx. 118,000 cubic yards of sand on southern Carlsbad beaches Previous Project – Winter 2020 4 - 5 year cycle projection ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS 10 DEVELOPMENT •Batiquitos Lagoon Double Track Project •Buena Vista Lagoon Enhancement Project ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad BATIQUITOS LAGOON DOUBLE TRACK •SANDAG lead Project POC: SANDAG Build NCC project team o buildncc@sandag.org, 844-622-0050 •Anticipated project schedule is as follows: Fall 2024 – 2028 Fall 2024 – Spring 2025: approx. 10K cubic yards of sand Total project: approx. 60K cubic yards of sand on S. Ponto ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS -Construction • • • • Bridge Replacement Proposed Grading Areas for Least Tern Habitat Railroad Municipal Boundary Botiquitos Lagoon ,,_,-...:o Costa Ave Encinitas BUENA VISTA LAGOON ENHANCEMENT •Owned by California Department of Fish & Wildlife POC: Kim Smith, Senior Environmental Planner o Kim.Smith@sandag.org, 619-699-6949 •Anticipated project schedule is as follows: 65% Design Plans – TBD Previous Project Step – 30% Design Plans - Winter 2021 Anticipated volumes of sand TBD based on final studies ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS 13 REGIONAL NOURISHMENT •Regional Beach Sand Project III ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad REGIONAL BEACH SAND PROJECT III •Managed by SANDAG; 5–7 cities typ. participate POC: Courtney Becker, Associate Regional Planner o courtney.becker@sandag.org, 619-699-6942 •Anticipated dredging schedule is as follows: Funding - Fall 2023 - 2025 Permitting – 2025 - 2026 Mobilizing – 2027 Previous Project – 2012 Approx. 350,000 cubic yards of sand on Carlsbad beaches ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS Thank you ITEM NO. 3: IMPACTFUL DREDGING PROJECTS { City of Carlsbad