Real Estate Blog - Malibu's Broad Beach Narrows to a Sliver of Sand

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Malibu's Broad Beach Narrows to a Sliver of Sand - Emergency Action Needed

California enjoys some of the best weather in the country and yesterday was a magnificent day for the beach.

I decided to take a day off and have a break from Real Estate. A friend and I drove out to Malibu and chose Broad Beach as our destination. When we arrived it was high tide. We were shocked by what we saw. The beach was gone - literally. The water had risen so much that the beach houses were being sucked back into the ocean. It's a disastrous case of sand erosion.

Desperate homeowners have placed walls of sandbags on the borders of their properties in an attempt to hold-off the forces of nature. There are "Emergency Coastal Development Permits" on several of the homes allowing for the placement of temporary sandbags to protect existing development on the seaward side of the properties.

What I can't figure out is what long-term practical solution could be employed to remedy this situation - I don't think there is one.

Posted by Stewart Penn - Los Angeles Condo Specialist on 06/29/2009 07:05 PM

Comments (14)

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Originally posted at: LA Connection Property Blog: Malibu's Broad Beach Narrows to a Sliver of Sand - Emergency Action Needed

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14 Comments on Malibu's Broad Beach Narrows to a Sliver of Sand - Emergency Action Needed

JUN

I'm not sure that there is a solution if the ocean decides to claim more of the land that it had before...sort of a hazard of owning that type of property. Very sad for the owners though....

Stewart, Those images are not what I have envisioned regarding California beaches. A shame really.

Like charades: One word, two syllables

RIPRAP!

Riprap is a method we use on the Oregon Coast for these types of situations. I just Googled this and it's used in a lot of other places worldwide. It helps, and looks a hell of a lot better then the sandbags and plastic.

Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riprap

If the tide turns (sorry, not punny) and it gets worse, there's nothing that can be done. But if the ocean is cooperative, this is a good long(er) term solution!

Stewart - The same thing is happening here in Florida with the beaches eroding due to the hurricanes.

JUN

Carla - Do you think "RipRap" could really handle the ongoing and relentless force of the tide?

Stewart, I know the geography and climate on the west coast and the pacific ocean is different from the Atlantic Ocean but many of the beach communities on eastern Long Island have been trying to control beach erosion for many years. Several communities in Fire Island have established erosion control districts. We have rough winters that damage the Dunes and erode the beach. I've seen beach houses destroyed after a bad winter. The community of Fire Island Pines has spent over $10 million replenishing sand by dredging offshore. Walking on the Dunes is now prohibited along the Dune zone. Planting beach grass and snow fences have been erected to help protect the dunes. Sometimes old Christmas trees are placed on the dunes as a makeshift snow fence. Periodical beach re-nourishing is necessary. While bad winter weather is the primary culprit here unfortunately so is over development on vulnerable shorelines.

WOW! I knew erosion was a problem with beachfront communities, I did not know just how bad it is in Malibu. Great photos really make it very clear this is a serious problem now.

Robert - The strange thing is the soil erosion became an urgent problem last year during the summer when the sand should have been accreting, not washing away ... so its not a situation where a hurricane or some other major incident exacerbated the problem.

Mitchell - Over development is the ultimate problem, but I think that when these homes were originally built no thought was given to the possibility of "global warming", rising water levels and such drastic soil erosion.

This is sad. I remember an oceanogrphy class years ago, leaning that, even though erosion of land could be predicted, the choices for "land use" by developers were not restricted by this knowledge, not did realtors have to disclose any knowledge (if they even knew). I'm sure some laws are in place now, though, a couple decades later, and certainly there is greater awareness & caution nowadays, but a lot of this construction was done during times of greater ignorance.

Aloha Stewart,

Sand erosion from beaches is a constant as is accretion. Some years there's more erosion and vice versa. Piers or groins can have a dramatic effect on the sand accumulation in areas surrounding the structures, as they effect circulating currents. There are many factors that contribute to erosion; ocean currents and storm activity in the southern hemisphere, which happens to be particularly intense this year, can mysteriously strip a beach bare. I would be very surprised if this time next year the beach was not replenished but you never know.

Peace,

JUL

I know that here every 5-10 years they dredge the ocean bottom off the coast and redeposit the sand on the beaches. Virginia Beach added sand and extended the beach 300-400 yards out. So far, it's holding there for the last 4 years....

Of course it costs money.... some home owners on oceanfront communities have to pay a special tax for it.....

"What I can't figure out is what long-term practical solution could be employed to remedy this situation - I don't think there is one."

I was wondering this same thing. Unfortunately, it appears that a lot of these homes may be in danger.

Stewart -- I'm not an expert, but when the beaches up here were being hard hit, riprap was placed. The rocks take the burnt of the hits as an erosion prevention measure. When placed one on top of the other, they make a very solid wall. For beachfront property, it's ideal and a protective measure.

I'm quoting this: If rip-rap is used, crushed or blasted rock locks together better than rounded boulders, but can be very expensive unless it is readily available.

Here are some other good reading guides:

http://www.dlwa.org/docs/Riprap_for_Shoreline_Protection.pdf

http://www.pwd.org/pdf/water_resources/conservation%20fact%20sheets/Lake%20Shoreline%20Riprap.pdf

http://www.sustland.umn.edu/implement/rock_riprap.html

Rip Rap Pic1

JUL

It's pretty scary stuff, Stewart. Imagine trying to sell one of these homes right now? Bet you couldn't even get a new home owner's policy.

Jeff

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Stewart Penn - Los Angeles Condo Specialist

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