All set for Carlsbad dredging project

Carlsbad beaches will soon have more sand as a result of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon dredging project – starting this February until mid April, informs the City of Carlsbad, California.

The lagoon has been dredged every one to four years since 1954 as part of the Encina power plant operations. The last time the lagoon was dredged was three years ago, in 2018.

Now that the Encina plant has been retired, Poseidon Water is taking over the dredging, as part of an agreement when the seawater desalination plant was built and came online in 2015.

The work typically takes place during the winter to minimize impacts to beach visitors and wildlife.

Regular dredging is needed to remove sand that slowly enters the lagoon and forms a large sand bar in the western-most part of the lagoon. In all, up to 300,000 cubic yards of sand will be returned to Carlsbad beaches during the project. The sand will be deposited on Tamarack State Beach and Carlsbad State Beaches.

A dredging vessel has been positioned in the lagoon, and large black pipes are being placed along the seawall just west of the lagoon to deposit sand on the beach.

Under the plan, Poseidon Water will begin dredging of the lagoon and sand placement operations this week. The operations will take place during daylight hours, Monday through Saturday. If the schedule is delayed by storms, work may occur during daylight hours on Sundays.