Blum Center flood and erosion expert, Dr. Brett Sanders spoke on several, perhaps lesser publicly understood influences on California beaches. He highlighted the role of rivers in providing sediment to beaches – if sediment which would have naturally eroded and flowed to the beach is locked behind dams, beaches are starved for sand. He also discusses the influence that coastal development and a booming beach economy had on artificially enlarging beaches to maintain that SoCal beach identity over the years. Healthy beach ecosystems, Sanders says, may, in some locations, require dredging and subsequently nourishing beaches. Sanders and his colleague Kahl have been developing data to help identify where interventions like nourishment will be necessary and worth the cost.
Read insights from Dr. Sanders and many other UC coastal experts here.