Sand Dollars Add Up to Millions

You wouldn’t know it by looking, but Seal Beach is perpetually short on sand, forcing the city to shell out millions of dollars shipping in sand to replenish the shoreline.

However, Tuesday the city will hold a community meeting aimed at finding a more economical and sustainable solution to the problem while attempting to free up millions for other city programs.

“We lose sand every year,” said Assistant City Manager Sean Crumby. “We replace it every five to seven years.”

When the city last replenished the beach in 2009, it cost $1.1 million, he said.

“If we didn’t have to spend the money on sand, we could spend it elsewhere,” added Crumby.

The meeting will cover plans by local and federal agencies to reduce shoreline erosion and coastal storm damage, provide environmental restoration, increase the natural sediment supply to the coast, preserve beaches, improve coastal access, improve water quality along the beach and find other convenient sources of sediment.

One possible solution could be for Seal Beach to obtain the sediment that regularly gets caught in the catch basins along the San Gabriel River, said Crumby.

The City of Seal Beach will host the public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Council Chambers, 211 Eighth Street.