Danger zone

Jose Paul Corona

They separate a popular stretch of city beach from Pacific Coast

Highway. But how long will the bluffs towering over dog beach last at the

rate they are eroding?

It is a question the Army Corps of Engineers and the city are trying

to answer. They are in the second phase of a study that will asses the

extent of erosion at Bluff Top Park.

Once the study is completed in September of 2004, it will map out

possible alternatives to stem the erosion that threatens the cliffs,

beach, bike path and Pacific Coast Highway, said Army Corps of Engineers

Study Manager Robert Blasberg.

The bluffs have been eroding at about a rate of one foot per year,

said Todd Broussard, principal civil engineer for the city. Erosion at

the park has put nearby bike paths and Pacific Coast Highway in harms

way, he said.

The city approached the corps in 1997 asking for its help with the

erosion problem. At that time, the corps conducted a cursory study and

found that the erosion problem was severe enough to warrant a second,

more detailed feasibility study, Broussard said.

“Now they are in the process of all the data gathering,” Broussard

added.

Although Blasberg said it was too early in this second study to

discuss possible solutions to the erosion problem, he did outline some

possible courses of action suggested following the first, cursory study.

A couple of the options being discussed after that study were a

breakwater, such as they have in Long Beach to keep the waves from

crashing on the shore, or a sea wall.

Both options drew strong opposition from local residents.

“We anticipated some opposition from surfers,” Broussard said.

Another possible option would be placing stones at the toe of the

bluff, Blasberg said. The stones would act as a type of armor that could

prevent erosion.

Some areas of the bluff have eroded more quickly than others. Those

areas could be filled in with sand to prevent future structural erosion.

A wide beach could also be constructed in front of the bluff, to

eliminate wave impact at the toe of the cliffs.

Though these were some of the options that came out of the first

study, engineers say they are not ready to suggest a specific course of

action.

“It’s a little too early to discuss alternatives at this time, because

we are still defining the problem,” Blasberg said.

Some of the options the city may consider might seem strange,

Broussard said.

“An alternative may be to relocate PCH -- anything is possible,”

Broussard said, “There is even an alternative to do nothing.”

Beach erosion isn’t a problem that is restricted to Surf City.

The corps is working with cities throughout Southern California. San

Clemente, Encinitas and Solana Beach are a few of the other cities that

have similar erosion problems.

Both Solana Beach and Encinitas are part of a multiyear study, like

Huntington Beach, that will examine the erosion along their shorelines.

Sea walls are options that both cities have before them, but both

dislike that solution.

“Our strategy is to discourage sea walls and encourage the plugging of

sea caverns,” said Steven Apple, Solana Beach director of community

development.

The city of Encinitas agreed with that line of thinking, said Kathy

Weldon, a management analyst for the city.

“It’s a very controversial issue,” she said, adding that most

residents think sea walls look ugly.

While Huntington Beach has not taken any steps to prevent erosion,

Encinitas has.

Encinitas recently spread more than 440,000-cubic-yards of sand along

its beaches. The sand prevented the waves from hitting the toes of the

bluff, Weldon said.

While the sand was a good way for the city to address the problem, it

is transitory and the city doesn’t know where the sand will eventually

end up, Weldon said.

If the corps suggests Huntington Beach take action to prevent erosion,

it will then step in and begin working on the erosion problem, Broussard

said.

The corps and the city would share in the cost of a shore protection

project, Blasberg said, with the corps paying for 65% and the city

funding the remaining 35%, Blasberg added.

Since the study is still being conducted the final cost of any

suggested erosion control measures is not yet know, Blasberg said.

Surf City will have to wait until Sept. of 2004 to hear a suggested

course of action, but residents can learn about the project status in

February. That is when the next public meeting is set to take place,

Blasberg said.

* JOSE PAUL CORONA covers City Hall and education. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7173 or by e-mail at o7 jose.corona@latimes.com.f7