New Sand for Carlsbad Beaches

Carlsbad beaches will receive new sand as a result of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon dredging project, scheduled to take place from mid November until spring 2015. 

“There’s a large sandbar in the lagoon consisting of sand that came from the beach,” said Kasia Trojanowska, parks planner for the City of Carlsbad. “The dredging puts the sand back on the beach so beach goers have a nice, sandy spot to place their towels and enjoy one of Carlsbad’s most popular attractions.” 

Routine dredging of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon outer basin typically occurs about every two years. The last time the lagoon was dredged was four years ago, in late 2010 and early 2011. The work typically takes place during the winter to minimize impacts to beach visitors and wildlife. The lagoon has been dredged regularly since 1954.

The project consists of pumping up to 500,000 cubic yards of sand from the western basin of the lagoon to the beach to allow more cooling water to reach the Encina power plant. Cabrillo Power I LLC, which owns the lagoon, will position a dredging vessel and begin laying large black pipes along the seawall to deposit sand on the beach.

The first phase of the project will deposit approximately half of the sand on the beach between the intake and outlet jetties. The next phase will consist of depositing about one-quarter of the remaining sand south of the warm water jetty. The final stage will consist of placing the remaining sand on the beach between Tamarack and Oak avenues.

The project is expected to be completed before the annual grunion run, which usually begins in mid April.

The city is one of several regulatory agencies, including California Coastal Commission, Regional Water Quality Control Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California State Lands Commission and California Department of Parks & Recreation, to provide permits to Cabrillo Power I LLC to complete the work.

Cabrillo Power I LLC is responsible for funding, monitoring and inspecting the project.

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Press Release