LA County Plans for Coastal Erosion

A newly approved coastal resiliency plan aims to protect Los Angeles County beaches by reusing sediment from flood control channels to ‘augment’ narrowing shorelines and create “hybrid shoreline devices that combine manmade materials with natural elements to lessen the impact of waves that cause erosion.”

As Steve Scauzillo explains in the Los Angeles Daily News, the devices “create a berm with cobble rocks as a base, and are filled in and topped with sand and native vegetation to secure the existing shoreline.” The county hopes it can secure state and federal grants to fund these efforts.

According to the motion approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors, “The county’s beaches are more than just cultural touchstones: They provide a critical public resource to residents seeking respite from extreme heat, access to the water and nature, and recreational opportunities.”