Long Beach Alamitos Bay dredging project begins, includes sand replenishment
As the ocean has been taking chunks out of the Long Beach Peninsula, the city is working to rehabilitate the storm-torn area, as its Alamitos Bay dredging project and beach sand replenishment project are underway.
Three recent storms battered the shoreline, washing away sand, ripping apart sections of the historic boardwalk, and damaging the seawall and homes.
Now, city crews are mobilizing near 72nd Place to begin an $11.4 million project to provide the Peninsula with much-needed protection.
The Alamitos Bay Entrance Dredging Project, planned since 2023, will deepen the entrance to the bay and bring about 415,000 cubic yards of sand to Peninsula Beach. The goal is vessel safety, as navigable depths in the channel will be restored by removing deposited sediments, which build up over time.
The dredged material will be reused to widen the shoreline by about 200 feet in the targeted area, creating a greater buffer between the ocean and homes.
"This environmentally preferred practice for dredging aligns with regional sediment management practices, and helps combat erosion, preserve recreational space and coastal access," the city wrote in a news release.
It has been more than 20 years since the entrance channel was last dredged, according to the city.
"They're trying to mitigate the possibility of disaster by building it up and building it properly, so we'll see what happens," resident Steve Shinn said.
Not everyone is convinced the extra sand will be enough. Robert Smith says he welcomes the effort, but he's not forgetting what happened.
"If the currents have taken away the existing beach, there seems to be a certain logic in the beach not lasting as long as they want," Smith said.
With king tides and the threat of more El Niño storms ahead, residents know the newly built beach could soon face another test.
"Good luck. You try to outguess Mother Nature, and you're going to come out on the short end every time," Shinn said.
The dredging project stretches from 61st Street to 72nd Place and is scheduled to conclude in February 2027.
