Retreat Blog

California is a bellweather state. Could this be the new thinking?

Studies Show West Coast Beach Sand Coming from Coastal Bluffs

Two separate studies that have been recently published assert that the majority of sand at Southern California beaches comes from naturally eroding sea cliffs, and not from streams and rivers that empty their sediment load into the coastal zone. One study used a type of "sand fingerprinting" technique, and the other study used a laser imaging system to ascertain sand origin. Among other things, the results of these 2 studies indicate to us that shoreline structures stopping beachfront cliff erosion rob our public beaches of their most important source of sand.