Winter 2026 Newsletter

As we kick off 2026, the RE:BEACH pilot project is entering an exciting phase of design refinement, technical analysis, and environmental planning. In this edition, we highlight community-informed design progress, the economic case for building coastal resilience in Oceanside, expanded modeling and monitoring efforts, and preparations for large-scale physical modeling at Oregon State University. We’ll also share updates on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance process and upcoming project milestones. Thank you for your continued engagement as we work toward a more resilient future for Oceanside’s beaches!

Project Design Updates

Artificial Headlands Amenities & Integration 

Over the summer and fall, the RE:BEACH team gathered community feedback on the proposed Tyson Street and Wisconsin Avenue artificial headlands through surveys, a virtual webinar, and stakeholder discussions. This input is helping guide how each headland will look, feel, and function within the existing infrastructure in these locations and as well as how the headlands will provide improved access to the new sandy beaches in these locations. Read the community input summary here.

Priorities for both sites emphasize accessible, safe, and welcoming spaces that preserve ocean views and the character of The Strand. Residents supported passive, low-impact designs complemented by practical amenities such as seating, shade, picnic areas, bike and surf racks, and interpretive signage.

Site Highlights:

• Tyson Street Park: Integrate with the existing park, providing passive and light active uses such as shaded seating, nature-play areas, and improved circulation along The Strand.

• Wisconsin Avenue: Create a flexible balance of nature-focused spaces and outdoor exercise opportunities to allow multiple activities.

Community input continues to guide the conceptual layouts for both headlands, ensuring safe, accessible, and enjoyable spaces for all visitors. More detailed designs and updates will be shared as the project progresses in 2026.

Modeling

Over the past year, the reef design has advanced from a high‑level concept to a refined design informed by rigorous technical analysis and stakeholder engagement. The graphic below highlights the modeling approaches the Project Team has used to simulate wave and sediment transport processes, with the goal of developing a design that buffers wave energy, helps retain sand, and minimizing downdrift impacts, marine safety concerns, and effects on surfing resources.

Empirical analysis first helped define the overall objective of developing a reef that generates nearshore currents capable of countering the most erosive wave conditions, while promoting sediment deposition. Building from this foundation, the Project Team evaluated how waves across different swell directions and water levels interact with various reef geometries using a hydrodynamic model. 

Through a detailed numerical modeling process, more than 45 distinct reef configurations were tested and refined. Reef location, crest depth, and overall geometry were iteratively adjusted based on a defined set of performance indicators. In total, over 800 numerical simulations were completed, ultimately converging on a preferred reef design. This configuration will continue to be refined through physical modeling—focused on wave breaking and current formation—and through morphological modeling to assess long‑term shoreline response using real‑world data from Baseline Monitoring along the Oceanside and northern Carlsbad coastline.

In early 2026, the RE:BEACH team will conduct physical modeling at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University. A scaled version of the offshore reef and headland system will be constructed in a wave basin to evaluate wave breaking behavior, sediment transport processes, and overall system stability across a range of conditions.

Key objectives  of the upcoming physical modeling include:

• Validating numerical modeling results

• Refining crest elevations and arm configurations

• Assessing overall system performance

Current Reef Design

Because Oceanside’s coastline is exposed to all swell directions, the current reef design accounts for waves coming from the north, west, and south.  As the project moves through physical and morphological modeling, the Project Team anticipates further refinement of key dimensions—such as the bridge crest height or length of arms—to optimize performance prior to final design and implementation.

Advisory Groups

Because Oceanside’s coastline is exposed to all swell directions, the current reef design accounts for waves coming from the north, west, and south.  As the project moves through physical and morphological modeling, the Project Team anticipates further refinement of key dimensions—such as the bridge crest height or length of arms—to optimize performance prior to final design and implementation.

In late 2025, the RE:BEACH team hosted the first virtual meeting of the Ecology Advisory Group. The group brings together experts and stakeholders to provide guidance on ecological considerations as the Pilot Project moves forward. 

Key themes and feedback from the Advisory Group recommended that the Project Team:

• Establish clear ecological goals tied to sandy beach ecosystems

• Continue collecting baseline data to support monitoring and evaluation

• Explore opportunities to enhance the back beach, such as considering dune restoration

• Using quarry rock for reef construction, rather than a concrete mold

• Refine reef design elements (slope, voids, elevation) to optimize ecological opportunities and function

The Ecology Advisory Group will continue to provide input as RE:BEACH advances, with another meeting anticipated in early 2026 to review modeling results and refine ecological strategies. 

The Case for Coastal Resilience Investment: Quantifying Oceanside Beach as an Economic Asset

We are pleased to share that an economic analysis report of Oceanside’s beaches – The Case for Coastal Resilience Investment - commissioned by Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) for the City of Oceanside with support from Alumbra Innovations Foundation, is now publicly available. This independent study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of Oceanside’s beaches as an economic asset and examines the citywide fiscal implications of ongoing shoreline erosion. The report also outlines potential funding mechanisms the City may consider to support long-term shoreline management and the RE:BEACH pilot project.

The analysis highlights the significant value that Oceanside’s beaches generate for the local and regional economy, as well as the potential economic risks associated with allowing continued erosion to persist without implementing proactive coastal management tactics. These findings are intended to support future conversations around coastal resilience and fiscal planning and do not require the City to adopt or pursue any of the funding concepts identified in the study.

Key Findings

• Economic Value: Oceanside’s beaches attract ~25 million annual visits, generating $2.8 billion in direct visitor spending.

• Regional Impact: Including indirect and induced effects, beaches contribute $5.6 billion annually to the regional economy.

• City Revenue: Beach-driven activity generates ~$81 million annually for the City’s tax revenue (transient occupancy tax, sales tax, property tax).

• Fiscal Risk of Inaction: Without ongoing shoreline management, visitation could drop by 10%, resulting in ~$280 million in lost spending annually and ~$7 million in General Fund impacts.

• Infrastructure at Risk: Critical public infrastructure along The Strand and Harbor may require $26–$46 million in replacement costs due to erosion and storm exposure.

Funding Concepts: The report identifies several potential tools the City may consider for future shoreline resilience efforts, including transient occupancy tax or sales tax adjustments, parcel taxes, parking fee updates, General Fund allocations, and state and federal grants. These concepts are informational only and are not recommendations or policy proposals.

Sand Delivery System Feasibility Study

As part of the Phase 2 Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project, the team evaluated options for delivering sand to Oceanside’s beaches. One option assessed was a fixed or semi‑fixed harbor bypass pipeline system that would transfer sand from the Camp Pendleton sand fillet and/or Oceanside Harbor south to Oceanside’s beaches. While technically potentially feasible, this approach carries very high upfront and long‑term costs, significant uncertainties, and limited confidence in the availability of sufficient sand to justify the investment. As an alternative, the report evaluates a mobile dredging approach using nearshore and offshore borrow sites. This method eliminates the need for permanent City infrastructure, reduces capital and maintenance costs, provides the City with far greater flexibility, and offers more reliable access to sand than a fixed or semi‑fixed bypass system. Additional advantages include:

• No permanent pipeline or pump systems for the City to construct and maintain

• Costs scale directly with the volume of sand delivered

• Gives City the ability to leverage regional dredging programs (e.g., SANDAG RBSPs, USACE harbor dredging mobilizations)

The report also notes that offshore dredging costs are generally well understood and more predictable, and that both permitting pathways and sand quality/volumes at offshore borrow sites are well documented, adding further certainty compared to a fixed bypass system. The report is currently in draft form and will be finalized over the next month.

NOP Scoping Meeting & Environmental Compliance

The Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the RE:BEACH project has been issued, marking the first step in the CEQA and NEPA environmental review process. A CEQA Scoping Meeting was held on October 30, 2025, at City Hall, and the public comment period closed on November 17, 2025.

The project team is now reviewing submitted comments to refine the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and guide the next steps in environmental compliance and permitting. This marks the official kickoff of RE:BEACH’s environmental review process—an essential step toward project implementation.

Stay Connected

For more information and updates throughout 2026, visit www.rebeach.org or subscribe to newsletter updates here.