TIMELINE OF OCEANSIDE’S EROSION
Oceanside’s beaches have been reshaped by human activity, storms, and coastal engineering projects for decades.
Despite what some may say, coastal erosion in Oceanside is not what you would call “natural.”
Since the 1940s, one decision after another has disrupted the natural flow of sand to Oceanside’s beaches — and we have been paying for it ever since.
Explore the key events that have contributed to beach loss and see why action is urgent.
100 YEARS OF EROSION
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100 YEARS OF EROSION 〰️
EARLY IMPACTS
1923
HENSHAW DAM
Located on the San Luis Rey River, Henshaw Dam was completed in 1923. It was originally built to create Lake Henshaw and provide water for agricultural irrigation. Currently owned by the Vista Irrigation District, its capacity was reduced due to seismic concerns in 1978. The dam has significantly reduced the river’s sediment flow to Oceanside’s beaches.
HARBOR CONSTRUCTION
& EXPANSION
1963
HARBOR COMPLEX
Oceanside built a small-craft harbor, including a 300 foot groin and floodwall, that has further disrupted the natural flow of sand down the coast. While millions of cubic yards of sand were initially added to Oceanside’s beaches during construction, the long-term impact has been to contribute to the steady erosion of shoreline south of the harbor. Sand loss has caused the beaches south of the Harbor Complex to retreat as much as 6.6 feet per year in some areas.
EARLY COASTAL
MANAGEMENT
REGIONAL BEACH
SAND PROJECTS
MODERN MONITORING
& RE:BEACH PILOT
1942
DEL MAR JETTY & BOAT BASIN
The federal government built the Del Mar Jetty and Boat Basin in conjunction with the establishment of Camp Pendleton during World War II to provide a harbor facility for the base. This has disrupted sand transport in the Oceanside littoral cell, inadvertently forming a sand fillet (accumulation) to the north of the Del Mar Jetty. Today it is estimated that 7.5 million cubic yards of sand are trapped there.
1970’s
LOCAL NOURISHMENT EFFORTS
Small-scale sand placement projects to offset erosion.
LATE 1980’s
SAND BYPASS SYSTEM
A sand bypass system was built on the Del Mar Breakwater to offset sand erosion due to the Camp Pendleton Harbor Complex. It was meant to act like Mother Nature’s conveyor belt to transport sand to Oceanside’s sand starved beaches to the south. A federally funded project, the system operated from 1989 - 1993. By 1996, the system was decommissioned, having fallen into disrepair and lacking necessary funding to continue the project.
2001 & 2012
RBSP I & II
SANDAG led two major sand projects—Regional Beach Sand Project I & II—that brought in millions of cubic yards of offshore sand to nourish regional beaches. Oceanside received over 700,000 cubic yards of sand in total, helping temporarily widen our coastline. The goal was to slow erosion and improve coastal resilience through regular regional nourishment. But the reality is it didn’t last - and it’s time for another one.
2020 - PRESENT
SAND NOURISHMENT & RETENTION PILOT PROJECT - (RE:BEACH)
The City of Oceanside launched a multi-phase effort to address long-term beach erosion. After completing the feasibility study, the City began exploring local sand sources and innovative ways to hold sand in place (retention). Through the international RE:BEACH design competition, the City selected the “Living Speed Bumps” concept—two small artificial headlands and an offshore artificial reef. These constructs will stabilize sand on the back beach and slow down nearshore erosive forces.
We’ve Studied the Problem.
NOW IT’S TIME TO FIX IT.
In 2020, the City of Oceanside launched Phase 1 of a project to identify feasible solutions to protect the beach from long-term erosion. That independent study was completed in 2021 and recommended 4 solution alternatives, as opposed to doing nothing.
Those alternatives were also evaluated in comparison to each other based on technical performance, financial and environmental criteria. Based on the study’s recommendations, the City conducted further public outreach that culminated in the international RE:BEACH Design Competition, including a series of 3 public workshops. A winning design was selected through this competition, and it was approved unanimously by the Oceanside City Council in January 2023.
RE:BEACH is an innovative sand nourishment and retention pilot project. Engineering design, as well as environmental compliance and permitting, will be completed in 2026 for a shovel-ready project. In 2025, SANDAG selected RE:BEACH as the regional sand retention pilot project.
We know what’s causing the problem. We’ve seen what doesn’t work. Now we need to act on what does.
“This isn’t just a sand issue. It’s a shoreline survival issue.”-SOS Communications Director, Charlie Bowen