California Will Face a Terrible Choice: Save Cliff-Side Homes or Public Beaches from Rising Seas – The Washington Post
Credit: Patrick Barnard/Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center/U.S. Geological Survey
Article Synopsis – According to a U.S. Geological Survey study, “California officials from Santa Barbara to San Diego will face an awful choice as the sea rises: save public beaches enjoyed by millions, or close them off with boulders and concrete walls to armor the shore and stop the waves in a bid to save homes”. The study predicts coastal land loss on an unimaginable scale over the remaining century, up to 135 feet beyond the existing shoreline. According to the study, “Without the supply of sand from eroding cliffs, beaches in southern California may not survive rising sea levels — and bluff-top development may not withstand the forecast 62 to 135 feet cliff recession.” As a result, the authors wrote, “managers could be faced with the difficult decision between prioritizing private cliff-top property or public beaches” when they allow or ban hard shore protections. To read the actual article click here.