DANA POINT, Calif. (KABC) — Powerful surf is accelerating coastal erosion in south Orange County, where officials are taking steps to protect vulnerable shoreline areas ahead of a potentially powerful El Niño.
About 9,000 cubic yards of sand is being brought to Capistrano Beach, where erosion has destroyed a parking lot, put train service at risk and left homes on the brink of collapse.
“The whole coast of Orange County is really under siege right now,” said Katrina Foley, Orange County’s Fifth District supervisor.
The concerns extend beyond Capistrano Beach. A bluff at Crystal Cove State Park has developed cracks just yards from Pacific Coast Highway.
Blair Conklin, a local skimboarder, surfer and content creator, said he noticed brown sediment in the water while driving along Pacific Coast Highway over the weekend. He said he then spotted the cracks in the cliff.
“Yesterday it was actively eroding where I saw parts of the cliff fall into the water,” Conklin said.
“It just seems like it’s consistently eroding every day, and that’s the problem,” he added. “With how much swell we have in the water even for the next couple of weeks, it’s probably going to continue to happen.”
Caltrans said it is working with State Parks and the Coastal Commission to assess the area and determine the most effective path forward.
For Conklin, the wave conditions that began as ideal surfing conditions have become a source of concern for the coastline.
“It’s pretty sad and devastating to see a lot of these places that we enjoy completely changing and maybe for good, you know,” he said.
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