The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has prepared the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Surfside-Sunset Beach Nourishment Project Stage 13, Orange County, California.
The project proposes dredging of approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of sand from an offshore borrow area with placement on Surfside-Sunset Beach to nourish the beach and act as a feeder for downcoast beaches and backpassing approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sand within the city of Newport Beach, reported the Corps.
According to USACE, the proposed project is required in order to renourish locally starved feeder beaches, which will allow natural sediment transport processes to move sand downcoast while providing adequate protection to shoreline facilities from storm damage.
Dredging for the Surfside-Sunset Beach project is expected to begin in fall/winter 2019, taking approximately four-five months to complete the works.
It is anticipated that a cutterhead suction dredge will be used to excavate the sand. However, use of a hopper dredge to perform the work will also be assessed, added the Corps.