DATE: October 23, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION GRANT APPLICATION FOR RE:BEACH OCEANSIDE BASELINE MONITORING PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution authorizing staff to submit a grant application to the California Coastal Commission requesting $1,294,000 in funding to assist the Baseline Monitoring Program associated with RE:BEACH Oceanside, a sea level rise adaptation pilot project, part of the phased, comprehensive update to the City’s Local Coastal Program; and appropriate awarded funds to the RE:BEACH Baseline Monitoring Program grant fund account.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In November 2023, the California Coastal Commission announced new availability of rolling grant funds to support local government coastal resiliency efforts. Funding is provided by the Budget Act of 2021, which appropriates $31 million to the Coastal Commission to provide assistance to local governments responsible for developing and amending Local Coastal Programs (LCPs). Funds may be used for projects that are designed to assist local governments in assessing impacts and planning for coastal resiliency, as well as adapting to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Funding for developing technical and engineering studies; planning and design of adaptation strategies (including phased approaches) that address the impacts of climate change and sea level rise; and public outreach and engagement associated with this planning work are all eligible activities.
The focus of this grant funding request is the advancement of key recommendations in both the Phase 1 Beach Sand Feasibility Study (2021) and the Phase 2 Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project (2023), now known as RE:BEACH Oceanside. Specifically, the elements that the City is seeking funding for involves tasks associated with the implementation of the Baseline Monitoring Program for RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project.
The Baseline Monitoring Program for the RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project has been ongoing since the kickoff of Phase 1, and will expand and continue through Phase 2. The Baseline Monitoring Program is comprehensive and shall provide a robust dataset to compare the installed Pilot Project against and gauge its efficacy as an innovative solution for sustaining sandy beaches. Baseline assessments incorporate current surveys conducted by community science-led efforts by Save Oceanside Sand and processed into a coastal database by Scripps Institution of Oceanography; unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys of the back beach; bathymetric surveys of the nearshore; offshore oceanographic data collection; an assessment of surf conditions over time and geographic space; biological assessments of the intertidal and offshore habitat; and a quantitative assessment of beach usage around the pilot project site.
A summary of the Baseline Monitoring Program tasks is provided below:
• Shoreline Change Monitoring: Comprehensive monitoring for the beach and seafloor surface is considered necessary in order to identify significant changes in response to the implementation of the proposed Project. Shoreline monitoring will involve quarterly UAV surveys and bathymetric mapping along established transects.
• Numerical Model Calibration: In order to predict the morphological response to the implementation of the proposed Project, numerical modeling will be utilized to refine and optimize the individual components (i.e. artificial reef, artificial headland). To enhance the model’s predicted capabilities, it needs to be calibrated against local data.
• Surf Monitoring Program: A baseline surf amenities assessment is necessary to understand where or how surfing could be impacted by the proposed Project. It is expected that surfing resources will be measured based on the number of surfers and their observed location offshore over an established period of time (i.e. 1-2 years). Surf conditions and the amenities provided are proposed to be assessed using Surfline cameras, GPS monitoring, and interviews.
• Biological Monitoring: In order to identify potential Project-related impacts to nearshore marine biological resources, it is necessary to have an understanding of the existing biological conditions in the area. As any impacts would need to be mitigated, a baseline assessment of the presence and abundance of reefs shall be determined fine-scale sonar mapping and in-situ field sampling.
• Beach Usage Monitoring: To inform knowledge on beach usage, a system for tracking public usage is proposed to understand how the Project may affect visitation and access along the shoreline.
• Baseline Monitoring Report: At the end of the two-year baseline monitoring period, a summary report that compiles the results from all the of the monitoring efforts, with a focus on the lessons learned from the program, will be completed.
Completion of these technical monitoring tasks will assist the City in implementing the RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project, which proposes to adapt our coastline to sea level rise and climate change by increasing coastal resiliency and maintaining and protecting public beaches which serve as a natural shoreline protective buffer that supports a sustainable, healthy, and resilient environment for all.
FISCAL IMPACT
If this application is successful, the City would receive up to $1,294,000 in new grant funds, to be added to the RE:BEACH Baseline Monitoring Program grant fund account 836195824272. The RE:BEACH Baseline Monitoring Program grant fund account has a current balance of $0.00. Funding for any Baseline Monitoring Program tasks that are not covered by this grant would be covered under the Phase 2 Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project existing contract, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Sand Replenishment Account. The Sand Replenishment account 837134221271 currently has an available balance of $584,069.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The City Attorney has reviewed the Resolution and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Jayme Timberlake, Coastal Zone Administrator
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Resolution