So Cal Beach Erosion Worst In Decades Thanks To Storms - 20-30 Horizontal Feet Lost In Some Areas

[hatrack]

Jeremy and Fernando Gutierrez descended a staircase to a cove in Laguna Beach for a nighttime lobster dive and almost fell into the ocean. Even in the darkness, the brothers could see what the problem was -- the sand at Treasure Island Beach had all but disappeared, leaving a rugged landscape of rock and a sudden drop-off where the staircase once led gently to the strand.

"I couldn't believe it," said Fernando Gutierrez, 26, of Costa Mesa. "There was no beach and a 20-foot drop-off." It's a similar scene at dozens of other Southern California beaches where powerful winter storms have swept away a spectacular amount of sand. The vanishing beaches have forced city crews in Dana Point to remove fire rings, picnic tables and shower pads so lifeguards have room to patrol the remaining sand.

At Laguna's Rockpile Beach, the waves scrubbed the shore so heavily that jagged rocks and rusty remnants of an old sewer system that haven't been seen for years reemerged. "This year it was just plain rock pile," said Ken Frank, city manager of Laguna Beach. "Forget the beach."

And at Dockweiler Beach near Los Angeles International Airport, cobblestones are visible where there once was soft sand, and workers have been using heavy machinery to fill in some of the more perilous drop-offs. "We lost half a dozen palm trees that were planted in the 1980s" after the sand holding their roots washed away, said Rich Haydon, the state Department of Parks and Recreation superintendent for Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre state beaches. "The amount of sand taken away from Doheny is going to take many, many years to replenish, if it does replenish at all."

EDIT

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-vanishing-beaches2-2010apr02,0,2223726.story

[Gman]

1. It's El Nino and NOT global warming

Maybe, possibly enhanced by global warming, but this is 99% an El Nino thing. It's been one of the strongest El Nino's in several years. The storms track further south across Baja or southern CA, then across the southern tier of states. It leaves northern areas drier than normal, like the Pacific NW.

[kestrel91316]

2. Anybody who thinks coastlines and beaches haven't been changing

constantly since there have BEEN coastlines and beaches needs their head examined. They are inherently unstable. People who buy or build right near the coast and then act all shocked and upset at this natural process won't get any sympathy from me.

If I ran things, we wouldn't have to worry about it because I wouldn't allow any construction within at least 50 yards of ANY body of water.

[classysassy]

3. How soon

will it be,before my arizona home is on the beach?