Stop Beach Armoring in San Clemente
We already saved Trestles and San Onofre State Beach from a toll road, but now it's under threat again—along with more of San Clemente’s beaches! The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is negotiating a Coastal Development Permit to permanently retain the riprap boulders at Cyprus Shore Beach along Cotton’s Point. This riprap has destroyed the beach, worsened erosion, and impacted the surf. Beach access to San Onofre is completely choked off.
Even worse, OCTA intends to do the same thing at San Clemente State Beach. They’ve applied to construct either a massive seawall or drop up to 33,000 tons of riprap across an even wider swath of beach than Cyprus Shores. We cannot allow OCTA to destroy the entirety of southern San Clemente’s beaches.
Make your voice heard!
The California Coastal Commission will soon decide whether the boulders at Cyprus Shores stay for good, and whether more armoring will go in further north. Surfrider is calling for OCTA to pursue more sustainable alternatives, including sand replenishment, nature-based solutions, and expeditious efforts to relocate the railroad out of harm’s way. We need your help to ensure they make the right decision.
Let’s protect what matters: our coastline, public access, world class surf breaks, and a healthy future for San Clemente’s beaches. Add your voice and make a difference.
We will follow up with more information on how you can participate at the upcoming Coastal Commission hearing - please opt into notifications for more information.
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Stop Beach Armoring in San Clemente
Sign the petition today to save San Clemente's beaches.
Stop Beach Armoring in San Clemente - Save our Beaches and Waves!
Dear California Coastal Commissioners,
We, the following XX signatories, write to oppose OCTA’s Coastal Development Permit applications for the retention of riprap armoring at Cyprus Shores Beach, also known as Cotton’s Point, in San Clemente. This armoring was placed under temporary emergency permits from 2021-2023. We also strongly oppose OCTA's application to extend armoring into 'Area 4' of San Clemente State Beach, the stretch immediately adjacent to Cyprus Shores, which they originally attempted to authorize via additional emergency permits your staff denied.
These projects have far-reaching consequences for public access, beach health, long-term coastal resilience, and the health of the iconic Trestles surf break. This is another example of emergency armoring becoming a permanent, unsustainable, and poorly-planned solution.
We, the following XX signatories, write to oppose OCTA’s Coastal Development Permit applications for the retention of riprap armoring at Cyprus Shores Beach, also known as Cotton’s Point, in San Clemente. This armoring was placed under temporary emergency permits from 2021-2023. We also strongly oppose OCTA's application to extend armoring into 'Area 4' of San Clemente State Beach, the stretch immediately adjacent to Cyprus Shores, which they originally attempted to authorize via additional emergency permits your staff denied.
These projects have far-reaching consequences for public access, beach health, long-term coastal resilience, and the health of the iconic Trestles surf break. This is another example of emergency armoring becoming a permanent, unsustainable, and poorly-planned solution.
We urge the Commission to:
- Deny OCTA’s CDP to permanently retain the “emergency” riprap at Cyprus Shores. Require the removal of all unnecessary riprap along with the immediate restoration of the beach, which provides lateral access to and from the globally recognized Trestles surf complex at San Onofre State Park.
- Deny OCTA’s permit to extend armoring across “Area 4” of San Clemente State Beach. Require sand replenishment paired with implementation of nature-based solutions, as recommended by Bob Battalio of Coastal Futures LLC, a coastal engineer who authored an analysis commissioned by the Surfrider Foundation.
- Condition any future permits on expeditious completion of OCTA’s Coastal Rail Long-Term Solutions Study, which OCTA is undertaking with state partners to explore rail line relocation - the only sustainable solution for both the rail corridor and San Clemente’s beaches.
This Commission saved the iconic surf breaks of Trestles from a toll road nearly twenty years ago. I hope you will continue to safeguard this iconic California beach and surf spot by rejecting OCTA’s proposals to permanently armor Cotton’s Point - which is part of Trestles - and San Clemente State Beach. Continued armoring will exacerbate erosion, destroy our beaches, and degrade the waves that make this region so unique.
By denying these applications we can push for smarter, long-term transportation solutions that protect our beaches and waves without wasting hundreds of millions of dollars trying to hold back the ocean.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and for protecting our state's beloved beaches.
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Stop Beach Armoring in San Clemente
We already saved Trestles and San Onofre State Beach from a toll road, but now it's under threat again—along with more of San Clemente’s beaches! The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is negotiating a Coastal Development Permit to permanently retain the riprap boulders at Cyprus Shore Beach along Cotton’s Point. This riprap has destroyed the beach, worsened erosion, and impacted the surf. Beach access to San Onofre is completely choked off.
Even worse, OCTA intends to do the same thing at San Clemente State Beach. They’ve applied to construct either a massive seawall or drop up to 33,000 tons of riprap across an even wider swath of beach than Cyprus Shores. We cannot allow OCTA to destroy the entirety of southern San Clemente’s beaches.
Make your voice heard!
The California Coastal Commission will soon decide whether the boulders at Cyprus Shores stay for good, and whether more armoring will go in further north. Surfrider is calling for OCTA to pursue more sustainable alternatives, including sand replenishment, nature-based solutions, and expeditious efforts to relocate the railroad out of harm’s way. We need your help to ensure they make the right decision.
Let’s protect what matters: our coastline, public access, world class surf breaks, and a healthy future for San Clemente’s beaches. Add your voice and make a difference.
We will follow up with more information on how you can participate at the upcoming Coastal Commission hearing - please opt into notifications for more information.
