DATE: April 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: PHYSICAL MODELING OF THE RE:BEACH OCEANSIDE PROJECT AT THE O.H. HINSDALE WAVE RESEARCH LABORATORY
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council receive a presentation and report on the physical modeling of the RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project conducted at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Many factors contribute to the current state of Oceanside beaches; however, the primary driver of long-term beach erosion is the lack of sustained natural sediment supply. Coastal development, armoring, and flood control infrastructure have significantly reduced sediment delivery from local watersheds, while alongshore transport of sediment is disrupted by the Oceanside Harbor Breakwater. This structure supports the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin and City's Small Craft Harbor (Harbor Complex), but also impounds sand that would otherwise be transported from the Santa Margarita River to Oceanside's coastline. Additional coastal management challenges contributing to the eroded state of the beaches include the fact that Oceanside does not have any hard structures, either natural (e.g., a natural reef or headland) or unnatural (e.g., groin) south of the Oceanside Pier that would help retain sediment. Without varied topography, Oceanside sustains a straight coastline, exposed to all swell angles and seasons, which results in erodible beach conditions and sand that leaves the shoreline more rapidly than other areas in North County San Diego.
In 2020, the City completed a beach sand replenishment Feasibility Study (Phase 1) that evaluated coastal management deficiencies and identified a suite of solutions to address long-term erosion. The study concluded that a reliable source of compatible sand is necessary to support ongoing nourishment and that retention structures are critical to improving the longevity of placed sand.
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