| Tweet |
Custom Search
|
|
|
||
 City of Solana Beach
Section 3
Shoreline and Coastal Bluff Management Strategies Draft MEIR
Environmental Impact Analyses
Of the four alternatives evaluated, the policy of Sand Replenishment and Retention has the
highest potential to affect biological resources. Although specific project-related impacts will not
be assessed here, the suite of methods and structures that could be employed under this
strategy could affect both terrestrial and marine resources.
Sand Replenishment
In this evaluation, it is assumed that the sand replenishment option that would be employed in
Solana Beach is the sand replenishment method recently completed in June 2001 by SANDAG.
Similar projects could be implemented on a one-time or ongoing basis. The location of the
replenishment site at Fletcher Cove was designed to avoid potential impacts to biological
resources. Fletcher Cove was selected because it was the most accessible site along the
Solana Beach coast and this location had the least impact to existing kelp beds. An alternative
site, Tide Park, was considered but was rejected because of existing rocky reefs and kelp beds
offshore and the site was not as accessible as Fletcher Cove. Beach replenishment at Fletcher
Cove was designed to receive approximately 140,000 cubic yards of sand along approximately
1,800 feet (0.3 mile) of the beach. The northern boundary of the proposed fill site started just
south of Fletcher Cove and extended southward to the Del Mar Beach Club. A berm was
constructed to an elevation of approximately 12 feet above MLLW. The berm was flat and
extended seaward approximately 100 feet. The beach fill was sloped seaward approximately
135 feet at a slope of 10:1.
Impacts to subtidal hard-bottom and soft-bottom habitat from the direct deposition of sand at this
location would be considered less than significant. The widespread occurrence and rapid
recovery rates of the organisms inhabiting these habitats indicate that impacts to these
resources would be less than significant. The lack of suitable grunion spawning beaches within
the study area indicates that no impacts to this species or their habitat would result from this
alternative, and spawning habitat would potentially be created through this action. Other
potential impacts resulting from implementing this alternative include temporary loss of
shorebird foraging habitat, temporary increase in water turbidity near the deposition site,
temporary loss of seabird foraging area near the turbidity plume, and alteration of natural
sediment transport processes near the deposition site. These potential impacts are considered
adverse but less than significant.
Replenishment of other beach sections within Solana Beach or deposition of greater sand
volumes would require further evaluation of impacts. Implementation of this alternative north of
Fletcher Cove has the potential to impact sensitive species based on the proximity of nesting
and foraging California least terns and western snowy plovers. In addition, the deposition
location and sand quantity are important to consider because they have the potential to more
adversely impact subtidal reef habitats and the species that occur there.
Future sand replenishment efforts should be guided by the recent SANDAG project. The
location of future sand replenishment site or sites would be dependent upon the volume of sand
available. Impacts to biological resources from comparable replenishment efforts in Solana
Beach should employ the methods, locations, quantities, and mitigation measures utilized in the
Project No. 323530000
Page 3-47
|
 
|
|
|
||
