Keeping our beaches the vital center of the economy and community:
A innovative, community-driven initiative for sand retention
and restoration in Oceanside, California.
What is RE:BEACH?
RE:BEACH is the City of Oceanside’s primary coastal resilience building initiative. The project is focused on sand retention, pulling inspiration from global solutions and applying them locally to keep Oceanside’s beaches the vital center of the economy and community. The pilot project includes two artificial headlands onshore and one offshore artificial reef between Tyson Street Park and Wisconsin Avenue.
Keeping our beaches the vital center of the economy and community.-
Oceanside’s beaches have suffered decades of chronic erosion, exacerbated by construction of nearby harbors and disruption of natural sand movement. Traditional sand nourishment efforts temporarily widened beaches but sand quickly eroded away. In 2020–2021, the City completed a Phase 1 Sand Feasibility Study to examine long-term solutions, concluding that both consistent nourishment and retention strategies were needed.
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In response to significant coastal erosion and disappearing beaches and public opposition to hard infrastructure like groins, the City of Oceanside took on a new approach to bringing innovative solutions for sand retention to its beaches. From this theRE:BEACH initiative was born. The first phase hosted an international coastal resilience design competition that brought design teams from around the world to identify the best possible community-backed localized solution. through concepts. Following six months of outreach and co-design, a jury of community members, coastal experts, and local organizations endorsed “Living Speed Bumps” by International Coastal Management (ICM) as the winning design to become the RE:BEACH pilot project. Featuring two artificial headlands onshore and one offshore artificial reef, “Living Speed Bumps” help stabilize back-beach sand and dissipate wave energy, while promoting sand deposition and reducing erosive forces. Once implemented, RE:BEACH Pilot will:
Retain sand longer on Oceanside beaches (making nourishment more effective and sustainable).
Protect coastal infrastructure, recreation, and the local tourism economy.
Provide a science-driven, community-vetted pilot that could inform future coastal restoration strategies locally and regionally.
Protect coastal infrastructure, recreation, and the local tourism economy.
Provide a science-driven, community-vetted pilot that could inform future coastal restoration strategies locally and regionally.
Provide a science-driven, community-vetted pilot that could inform future coastal restoration strategies locally and regionally.
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DESIGNED FOR COASTAL RESILIENCE.
ROOTED IN SCIENCE.
TESTED FOR WAVE PERFORMANCE.
MONITORED OVER TIME.
The Latest
As of September 2026, the engineering modeling and physical wave testing for the RE:BEACH pilot are nearly completed and the permitting processes are underway. As part of that, a draft Environmental Impact Report is anticipated in October.
Additionally, the project team is developing the RE:BEACH Adaptive Management Plan (RAMP) provides a process for identifying concerns about potential effects of the project and , through on-going monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment, builds in proactive measures to mitigate the risk unintended consequences. Baseline monitoring to inform the RAMP is underway.
PRESS
RE:BEACH | June 2026 Newsletter
Read about the latest updates with RE:BEACH and the City of Oceanside’s coastal management, including updates on the summer public webinar, newly launched advisory groups, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation updates.
REPORT: Beaches Add $2.8b Annually to Oceanside’s Economy and Must Be Saved
San Diego Tribune | March 2026Statistics support need for far-reaching replenishment projects erosion continues.
RE:BEACH | February 2026 Newsletter
Read about the latest updates with RE:BEACH and the City of Oceanside’s coastal management, including updates on the summer public webinar, newly launched advisory groups, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation updates.
RE:BEACH Summer 2025 Newsletter
RE:BEACH | August 2025Read about the latest updates with RE:BEACH and the City of Oceanside’s coastal management, including updates on the summer public webinar, newly launched advisory groups, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation updates.
Location Approved for RE:BEACH Oceanside Pilot Project
City of Oceanside | November 2024On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the siting recommendation for the “Living Speed Bumps” with two headlands to be located at Tyson Street Park and at Wisconsin Avenue, and an offshore artificial reef situated offshore to retain sand.
City Council Unanimously Approves RE:BEACH Project
City of Oceanside | January 2024The City Council met at a Workshop on January 31, 2024, to discuss the RE:BEACH project, and unanimously approved moving forward with the ICM proposal.
A California Beach Town is Desperate to save it’s vanishing sand
The New York Times | September 2023Sea-level rise and man-made projects have left Oceanside with precious little beach space. That’s a problem if coastal life is part of your city’s identity.
RE:BEACH Newsletter Launched
RE:BEACH | May 2025The City of Oceanside is excited to launch the RE:BEACH newsletter to provide updates on the project and details on ways to provide input and engagement with the project. We will release these newsletters 3-4 times a year to keep you updated on critical progress for the RE:BEACH headlands and artificial reef pilot project.
Firms reveal proposals for a project to restore oceanside beach sand
The San Diego Union-Tribune | August 2023Over 200 community members participated in the RE:BEACH first public workshop on August 29, 2023 where design concepts like, islands, artificial reefs, and a coastal forest are among the proposals outlined.
City Secures $1.8M Grant from CA Coastal Commission
City of Oceanside | April 2025On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a $1.835M grant for the City of Oceanside. These funds will support a robust baseline monitoring effort to advance the City’s coastal management program and the implementation efforts of the RE:BEACH Oceanside project.
SANDAG Selects RE:BEACH for RBSPIII
SANDAG | June 2025The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Shoreline Preservation Working group has officially selected RE:BEACH pilot as the regional sand retention pilot (RSBP III). This will provide further support for the implementation, monitoring, and analysis for the RE:BEACH pilot program, as a model for future shoreline planning.
Notice of Preparation for Draft EIR
CEQA | October 2025Oceanside Sand Nourishment and Retention Project, the formal project name for the RE:BEACH Pilot, published its Notice of Preparation for the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and is now available for public comment.
BBC Documentary “Trying to Save One Beach at a Time” Highlights RE:BEACH
BBC | July 2025Watch how local organizations are innovating and adapting to slow coastal erosion and build a more resilient seaside city. Part of the BBC StoryWorks / C40 the Transforming Cities series.