3.1 Geology and Soils
The Leucadia receiver site is located within the Oceanside Littoral Cell and is subject to similar transport
processes as those described for the South Oceanside receiver site. The Leucadia receiver site is located
within a critical erosional area (USACOE 1991).
Moonlight Beach
The Moonlight receiver site was formed from sand and rocks that originated from upland erosion. The
receiver site consists of a relatively thin sand layer, which varies in width and lies on a shallow rock
platform. The receiver site is relatively wide although beach widths decrease to the north and south, where
coastal bluffs line the coast.
The Moonlight receiver site is located within the Oceanside Littoral Cell and is subject to similar transport
processes as those described for the South Oceanside receiver site. The Moonlight receiver site is located
within a critical erosional area (USACOE 1991).
Cardiff
The Cardiff receiver site consists of a rocky (cobble) beach that lies on a shallow, wave cut platform. The
beach area has been stripped of most of its sand from large waves which typically occur during the winter
months.
The receiver site is located directly seaward of San Elijo Lagoon and south of the lagoon mouth. The
lagoon was formed during lower stands of sea level, when the shoreline was farther to the west and existing
streams quickly eroded the exposed marine terraces. This formed steep canyons, and as the sea level rose
(approximately 18,000 years ago), sediments quickly filled the lower reaches of the channels and created
the lagoon (FRH 1997). San Elijo is still currently a tidal lagoon because the channels are not completely
full of sediments.
The Cardiff receiver site is within the Oceanside Littoral Cell and is subject to similar transport processes
as described for South Oceanside. However, the Cardiff receiver site is not located within the critical
erosional area south of Oceanside Harbor (as identified by the CCSTWS).
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
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