Submitted By: City Manager
Prepared By: Andy Hall, City Manager
Subject:
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2026 UPDATED DRAFT SAN CLEMENTE COASTAL STRATEGIC PLAN
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Summary:
Staff is pleased to introduce the City’s 2026 Updated Draft Coastal Strategic Plan which describes ongoing and planned high priority coastal projects and programs to be implemented to protect and restore the City’s sandy beaches. The updated plan reflects accomplishments and new efforts underway since the 2024 plan was published.
A foundational City goal embedded in the Coastal Strategic Plan is the implementation of a suite of projects which taken together comprise a comprehensive, long-term, Citywide coastal resiliency strategy for all residents and visitors. The Coastal Strategic Plan outlines a range of projects and programs intended to widen the beach over time making consistent progress with incremental steps that widen City beaches. While some progress has been made to reverse the trend of shoreline erosion, significant work remains in San Clemente. Interim goals include achieving beach width that is widened to 100 feet wide over the next decade and then widening the beach to 200-250 feet within two decades.
Background:
San Clemente has experienced widespread beach erosion over the past several decades due to historic, natural sand supplies being cut off and no longer reaching the beach coupled with significant storm wave events and El Nino events over time. The City’s shoreline is now in a significant sediment-deficit condition requiring immediate action and intervention to proactively restore the public beach so that it can function once again as natural shoreline protective infrastructure. Based on the May 2026 Shoreline Monitoring Program results, the beaches in the City range from a minimum of 0 feet (e.g., no dry beach) to 179 feet in width. The next shoreline profile monitoring data will be collected at 18 transect locations later this month.
Coastal erosion threatens the City’s public beaches and it also threatens access to and along the beach. Beach erosion also threatens existing structures, critical public infrastructure and utilities including the railroad and related revetment, world class surf breaks and the fundamental quality of life in a coastal dependent community like San Clemente.
Protection of the sandy, walkable public beach has emerged as a top local priority by both City leaders and the community. The sandy shoreline not only protects critical infrastructure but is essential to the quality of life and community character of San Clemente.
Many of the City’s current coastal programs and projects included in the 2026 Coastal Strategic Plan, were first identified in the City’s 2021 Coastal Resiliency Plan. As such, the coastal projects remain principal elements of the City’s comprehensive shoreline management plan to ensure the beaches are enhanced, protected and preserved.
There are 4.7 miles of shoreline in the City (equal to 24,816 linear feet). Coastal engineers estimate that millions of cubic yards of sand are required to restore the shoreline over time. In 2024, the City added approximately 200,000 cubic yards of sand between T Street and Linda Lane on either side of the Pier and 37,000 at North Beach. Together, this volume of sand added represented the first meaningful efforts to begin the process of restoring the beaches of San Clemente which is expected to take one to two decades of sustained beach sand replenishment efforts.
Looking ahead, the City is advancing several planned beach sand replenishment projects as listed below:
• SCOUP Project in Fall 2026 to provide extra protection for City assets and infrastructure in advance of the predicted El-Nino. This project is in development and will likely involve approximately 5,000 cubic yards of new sand to create winter storm berms as an alternative to “sand pushing” in certain locations
• USACE Project: 251,000 cubic yards of sand every 5-6 years (next cycle planned for 2029/30) for a total of 2 million cubic yards over the 50-year project timeline)
• SANDAG RBSP III Project: Approximately 1,000,000 cubic yards of sand every 10 years beginning in about 2030 and repeating each decade
• SCOUP Projects: up to 300,000 cubic yards of sand per year for the next ten years and beyond
• OCTA Project: At least 540,000 cubic yards of sand (Fall 2028) with more sand after that initial placement occurs
Some of these projects are fully permitted and “shovel ready” but not all of the projects are funded which may hinder, prevent or delay full implementation.
Discussion:
A wide sandy beach functions as a natural buffer from waves and storm energy and protects amenities and facilities on the beach and landward of the beach. Existing beach widths in the City have narrowed and existing structures and critical public infrastructure on the beach are exposed to direct wave energy in certain locations along the City’s shoreline.
The loss of beach has also significantly reduced the area available for public recreation, use and enjoyment, and sandy beach habitat. The latest shoreline monitoring data collected by the City indicate that over time the City is experiencing an overall net loss of the sandy beach acreage. The 2026 Updated Draft Coastal Strategic Plan highlights the range of City plans and projects that are planned or in development to build long term coastal resilience for San Clemente beaches.
The Coastal Strategic Plan is intended to further the community conversation on advancing beach widening projects in San Clemente. The Plan includes two categories of projects including both capital projects and ongoing programs and efforts that are non-capital in nature. Staff will continue to keep the Council and community updated on the progress of building wider beaches in the City to restore their function as natural shoreline protection infrastructure.
In advancing a comprehensive, long-term, citywide beach sand replenishment and retention strategy, the establishment of a Coastal Strategic Plan is a crucial tool in outlining and defining the key projects and programs that are necessary to advance City goals and objectives embodied within the Plan. Key recommendations in the Coastal Strategic Plan include establishing a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for beach restoration in the next fiscal year that can support the City’s efforts to implement the projects and programs identified in the Coastal Strategic Plan.
Considerations Identified by Staff:
City staff will continue to actively pursue grant funding opportunities for projects outlined in the Coastal Strategic Plan. The City has been successful in obtaining grant funding for many of its coastal projects including the federal beach sand project, offshore sand source investigation and the sand retention planning study. However, the lack of a predictable and stable funding source has also constrained the implementation timeline allowing forward progress only as funds become available.
Council Options:
• Accept the 2026 update to the Coastal Strategic Plan and direct staff to continue the pursuit of implementing the projects in the updated Plan.
• Provide alternative direction to staff.
Environmental Review/Analysis:
The Coastal Strategic Plan is a planning study and is statutorily exempt from the requirements of CEQA under Section 15262 “Feasibility and Planning Studies”. Each defined project in the Coastal Strategic Plan will be analyzed separately under CEQA, as appropriate, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) at the appropriate time.
Fiscal Impact:
None at this time.
Potential Action(s):
recommendation
If the City Council concurs with the contents of this report, the City Council should accept the updated Coastal Strategic Plan and direct staff to continue to pursue implementing the projects in the 2026 Updated Draft Coastal Strategic Plan.
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Attachment:
1. 2026 Updated Draft Coastal Strategic Plan
Notification:
None.