Cabrillo Power I LLC Dredging Project

Cabrillo Power submitted an application for a permit to dredge 500,000 cubic yards of sand from the bottom of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and deposit the dredged sand on North, Middle, and South Beach in Carlsbad.

This vote marks a paradigm shift in how Cabrillo Power will manage future dredging activities. The permit condition adopted by the Commission will change a half a century of practice in order to explore more appropriate ways to use the dredged sand and avoid impacts to coastal resources, including recreation as well as coastal ecosystems. The fate of dredged sand is also important when viewed in light of California’s responses to sea level rise, which will likely hasten erosion within the coastal zone. Although deposition of dredged sand on beaches – often euphemized as “nourishment” – often causes negative impacts to coastal resources, it could contribute to an appropriate suite of sea level rise adaptation measures in some situations. It is important for the Commission and permit applicants begin considering such situations proactively, and to avoid unnecessary deposition of sand where it will have greater negative impacts on coastal resources.