Overview
With additional funding approved July 2, 2013, by the East Bay Regional Park District Board, 82,600 cubic yards of sand will be pumped onto Crown Memorial State Beach and Alameda Beach between September and November 2013. Work will continue on Saturdays between 8am and 5pm, as of October 26, in addition to weekdays.
Site Description
This project will place some 82,600 cubic yards (CY) of sand along nearly 8,000 feet of beach. Imported beach sand mixed with water will be pumped from an offshore barge, dewatered and graded out on the beach as needed. To minimize disruption and inconvenience to neighbors, work is scheduled for weekdays only. Delivery of sand from a barge in the water requires numerous permits and approvals, but eliminates heavy truck traffic through the city and residential areas.
During this project, the public will be able to access the beach safely across sand fill or ramps over the pipeline, with certain areas restricted as the work progresses, in phases, from one end of the beach to the other. The Park District operates Crown Memorial State Beach and Alameda Beach for the State and City, and invests significant resources to maintain and preserve it.
History
Crown Beach is an artificial beach that has no natural source of sand replenishment such as deposition from a creek or river. Annual beach maintenance requires collecting sand transported along the shore by wave action to either end of the beach and moving it back to the nodal point at Westline Drive and Shoreline Drive. There is approximately one percent offshore loss of sand each year due to normal natural causes, as predicted by the design model and verified over time by survey. In rare instances there has been a significant offshore loss of sand from a major storm event, as occurred in 1998 and 2005-2006.
The engineered beach and dune system has performed well beyond its projected 20-year life cycle. The State Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Alameda, the East Bay Regional Park District, and regulatory agencies all agreed that constructing and maintaining a sand beach would provide both the needed erosion protection and desired public access to the shoreline.
Timeline
Project Resources
Alameda Beaches Sand Restoration Project Update Saturday Work Days Added - October 24, 2013, Press Release
Crown Memorial State Beach Sand Project - July 10, 2013, Press Release
Crown Memorial State Beach Sand Project - Fact Sheet [PDF]
Crown Memorial State Beach - Web Page Link
Our Commitment to Alameda, Crab Cove Conceptual Plan - Project Flyer [PDF]
Past Events
Project Underway - Photo Opportunity -- Tuesday, October 1, 10 a.m. - Invitation to Media
Community Information Day
When: Saturday, August 24, 9 a.m. to noon
Where: Crab Cove Visitor Center
1252 McKay Ave, Alameda, CA [Google Map]
Crown Memorial State Beach Sand Project - Event Invitation [PDF]
Other Resources
The trustee agencies and the East Bay Regional Park District have identified five restoration projects to address natural resources injured by the 2009 Dubai Star oil spill. Information on the status of the restoration project can be found on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
Background Information
East Bay Regional Park District to Replenish Sand at Crown Memorial State Beach
Video
Contact
Diane Althoff, Chief of Design and Construction, 510-544-2304