OCTA Completes Initial Sand Nourishment to Protect Coastal Rail Line through San Clemente

Initial sand nourishment is part of larger reinforcement efforts to safeguard rail service through south Orange County

ORANGE - The Orange County Transportation Authority has completed its initial beach nourishment project at North Beach in San Clemente, continuing its broader effort to protect the rail line from erosion and unstable coastal bluffs.

As emergency reinforcement efforts continue, construction crews led by OCTA also began work Monday just south of the sand-nourishment project to restore the pedestrian beach trail and build a 1,400-foot catchment wall to protect the rail line from potential sliding on the bluffs.

Over the last 10 days, crews placed sand along more than a quarter-mile of shoreline to help buffer the tracks from waves and improve resilience against erosion. Work at North Beach, which began Sept. 5, wrapped up Monday morning as crews removed temporary construction fencing and restored permanent fencing between the tracks and the improved sand.

Based on an updated final pre-construction survey required just before work began, OCTA ultimately placed approximately 2,500 cubic yards of sand. The change from original projections of approximately 3,200 cubic yards reflects the strict permit requirements limiting nourishment to areas above the mean high tide line, as well as dynamic beach and environmental conditions.

"Completing this first placement of sand is an important milestone we should celebrate as we continue to work on protecting priority areas," said OCTA Chair Doug Chaffee, also the county's Fourth District Supervisor. "We are committed to protecting this vital rail link for passengers and freight through strategic placements of sand and other protective measures."

The sand, hauled from Palm Springs and approved through rigorous environmental review, has been placed to a natural berm elevation and is serving its intended purpose.

This emergency nourishment is the first step in OCTA's plan to place approximately 540,000 cubic yards of sand along San Clemente's beaches. The catchment wall, along with an adjacent pedestrian path, is expected to be completed by next summer. OCTA remains committed to advancing sand nourishment and other protective measures to stabilize the coastal rail line and safeguard passenger and freight rail service along the LOSSAN corridor.

Photos: The Orange County Transportation Authority nourishes North Beach in San Clemente with more than 2,500 cubic yards of sand to help buffer the rail line from encroaching waves, part of an effort that will bring up to 540,000 cubic yards to the coastline in coming years.

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