Although not all beaches are eroded, many are, and there is good reason to spend large sums of money adding sand to Southern California’s deteriorating coastline.
But as new research from the University of California, Irvine suggests, adding sand isn’t appropriate in every case.
KNX news reporter Natalie Tavidian We spoke to Dr. Daniel Karl from the University of California, Irvine. The student leading the research.
“When you think about replenishment planning, you put sand on a beach. You think the sand goes in one direction, but it actually goes in the opposite direction. Why can’t replenishment be done in some coastal cities? You might wonder, are they benefiting their beaches?” Karl said.
After analyzing the beaches between Long Beach and La Jolla using satellite imagery from the past 20 years, Karl found that our current understanding of how sand naturally moves along the coastline is quite disconnected. We believe that there is a possibility that
This study provides new information that suggests key techniques for identifying interventions other than costly sand replacement/retention projects that better serve the most vulnerable shorelines.
Based on the data collected on sediment pathways, Karl says it is possible to identify the best locations for replenishment and where alternative methods should be considered.
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