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STAFF REPORT and PRESENTATION. From the OneShoreline (San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District) meeting on Monday, February 23rd, 2026.
Agenda and Staff Report for Item #4A: “Adopt Resolution No. 2026-02-23 in support of a OneShoreline application to the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways to fund the City of Pacifica Beach Boulevard Offshore Artificial Reef Study”.
Recommendation
That the San Mateo County Flood and Sea Level Rise Resiliency District (“OneShoreline”) Board of Directors (“Board”) adopt Resolution No. 2026-02-23 to approve the application for grant funds from California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (“DBW”).
Background and Discussion
The City of Pacifica (“City”) is experiencing significant coastal erosion that threatens homes, businesses,
utilities, and public access infrastructure along Beach Boulevard, a vital transportation corridor and coastal access area. In response, the City is advancing the Beach Boulevard Infrastructure Resiliency Project, which proposes replacement of existing seawalls, beach nourishment, and public access improvements such as new promenades and beach access points. While seawalls provide important shoreline protection, they can also contribute to long-term beach narrowing, requiring costly sand replacement to maintain the adjacent beach.
OneShoreline, in collaboration with the City, is seeking funding to evaluate whether an offshore artificial reef could help to improve climate resilience along Beach Boulevard. A well-designed reef could attenuate wave energy before it reaches the shoreline and reduce wave overtopping and coastal flooding. It could also help to retain and even accumulate sand and thus reduce the frequency and cost of beach sand renourishment and extend the useful life of the City’s proposed protection infrastructure. In addition, the reef has the potential to create new rocky intertidal habitat for marine life and provide recreational benefits, including enhanced surfing conditions.
On February 2, 2026, OneShoreline submitted an application to the DBW Shoreline Erosion Control Grant
Program for FY 2027-28 to complete the Pacifica Beach Boulevard Offshore Artificial Reef Study.
OneShoreline and the City would partner with researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz
Center for Coastal Climate Resilience to conduct technical analyses of potential reef designs using advanced coastal modeling tools. These analyses would evaluate how various reef configurations could affect coastal dynamics and the degree to which these could reduce flood risk along Beach Boulevard.
The study would also include community engagement events to gather public input throughout the two-year period. This study would provide critical information to determine whether an offshore artificial reef is a feasible and cost-effective complement to the Beach Boulevard seawall, and the results could inform similar coastal resilience efforts elsewhere along San Mateo County’s Pacific coast. The total project cost is $150,000, and OneShoreline’s funding request to DBW of $75,000 represents one-half of the total project cost, which is the maximum percentage allowed by this State grant program. The grantee match will be provided by in-kind staff time contributed by OneShoreline and the City and funds secured by our agencies.
Pacifica Offshore Reef Presentation – 4/29/2025
Author: mdrag
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