Sept. 10 update: Productive beach nourishment is continuing as weather allows.  At this time approximately 180,000 Cubic Yards of an estimated 250,000 CY of sand is in place on the beach.  Completion of the northern half of the beach nourishment area has been followed by the start of beach nourishment of the southern half.  Placement of beach nourishment material is anticipated to be complete in mid to late September, with completion of pumping possible as early as next week.  Dredging of the Main Ship Channel and placement of dredged material on Ocean Beach is anticipated to continue 24 hours per day, 7 days per week until completion (weather and equipment permitting).  A ceremony, attended by VIPs, was held onsite Sept. 9  to recognize significant efforts put into the project to date and the ongoing physical construction phase of the project. 

The contractor will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is necessary because dredging of the main ship channel, the source of the sand, runs continuously.

Dredging will occur at the SF Main Ship Channel and the dredged sand will be pumped onto the beach to rebuild the damaged bluff south of Sloat Boulevard.

The dredging and sand placement project will have the following impacts:

South of Sloat Beach Access
The beach access ramp at Sloat Boulevard will remain open during project activities except when the contractor is using it to move heavy equipment. The beach south of Sloat Boulevard will be closed for the duration of the project to help ensure public safety.

Noise
Residents and businesses along the southern end of the Great Highway may experience slightly increased noise and lights (only at nighttime) when the project is in operation. 

Light
There will be lights on the beach during the night work, but it should not affect nearby residents because it will be directed to the beach.

Vehicle Traffic
There could be occasional traffic delays to southbound traffic on the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard.

Beach Safety
To ensure the safety of beach goers and the construction team, the Corps, City, Park Service and contractor have developed protocols that will be posted at the project site.

In 1852, the Ocean Beach shoreline in the vicinity of the Lake Merced outlet, at the location of Sloat Boulevard, was situated hundreds of feet landward of its current location. Subsequently, a combination of human activities and winter storms caused significant fluctuations in shoreline position. Construction debris from development in the 1800s and early 1900s moved the shoreline seaward, and construction of a large wastewater transport pipe resulted in placing approximately 400,000 yd³ of sand on the beach. Between the Cliff House and Taraval Street are constructed dunes and three seawalls that limit storm-generated impacts to public facilities and provide for a wide, user-friendly beach. Conversely, because there are no protective structures from Sloat Boulevard south to Fort Funston, intense winter storms have caused significant beach retreat and bluff erosion.

Because the bluff consists of unconsolidated sand, which is susceptible to periodic severe erosion, and construction debris, which litters the beach when exposed, the CCSF has repeatedly placed rock revetments against the bluff face and attempted to create protective sand dunes to protect the valuable infrastructure immediately inland from the bluff. The rock has only been placed in front of areas that had just eroded, so other sections of the bluff remain unprotected. Despite those efforts, a stretch of bluff continues to erode, undermining a parking lot and roadway shoulder adjacent to the Great Highway. Rather than placing more rock, the CCSF, GGNRA, and many residents want to find a means of bluff protection and beach creation that does not include rock.

The sand placement will protect the bluff and the wastewater infrastructure from erosion and is designed to last approximately 5-6 years before eroding into the nearshore.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the dredging and sand placement. The Portland District is providing oversight of the mobilization activities and has dedicated personnel onsite to monitor contractor compliance with requirements starting the week of July 25, continuing until the end of the beach nourishment work.  The Public Utilities Commission, on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco, is the non-federal partner, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area manages the beach.

During dune building, the Corps requires that a portion of the main parking lot at the intersection of Sloat Boulevard and the Great Highway be used for equipment staging by the contractor (The Dutra Group). That area will be closed, but there will be limited access to the rest of the parking lot and public restroom.

We understand that allowing only limited access to this valuable parking lot and restroom will undoubtedly be an inconvenience for many – please hang in there with us!

This project is following strict protocols and other measures to protect the environment. The NEPA Environmental Assessment, developed by the Corps outlines Avoidance and Minimization Measures.

Habitat Impact
The US Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service provided Letters of Concurrence that agreed with the Corps’ determination that the project would not adversely affect any listed species or critical habitat.

Water Quality
The California Regional Water Board, San Francisco Bay Region requires the Corps to implement the Best Management Practices described in the Corps’ Certification Request.

Dredging will be completed with a large hopper dredge. When full, the dredge will anchor offshore of the beach. A 24” pipe, anchored to the seabed, will be connected to the dredge and the sand will be pumped through the pipeline onto the beach. The pipe will likely be landed near the center of the site to deliver material efficiently to the beach.

On the beach, a bulldozer and other equipment will be used to spread and shape the material into a shape of the bluff profile.

The Ocean Beach Master Plan, a vision for San Francisco's western coast, recommends ways to improve coastal access, restore ecological function and protect critical infrastructure in the face of chronic erosion and sea level rise. One element of the plan calls for an ongoing large-scale beach nourishment program over at least the next 50 years to maintain a sandy beach after the effects of sea-level rise are realized. Sand-transport modeling indicates that placing about one million cubic yards of sand directly on South Ocean Beach every 10 to 20 years will be sufficient to meet the Plan’s goals.