Is San Clemente’s $14 Million Sand Gamble Paying Off?

“The beach breaks of San Clemente used to be consistently fun,” scientist Jonathan Robbins wrote in his Stab piece back in 2022. “Now you have to surf them on the lowest tide possible.”

Now, three years on, it seems that the city of San Clemente’s $14,317,00 bet to replenish their beaches is working.

Here’s the city’s plan: “251,00 cubic yards will be placed along this stretch every six years until 2073, by which point, over 2 million cubic yards will have been laid down. The sand is coming from an offshore site in Camp Pendleton.”

Sound familiar?

But, why the sand crisis? San Clemente has grown 23% in population since the year 2000. Its median income has also grown — up 53% since 2000, adjusted for inflation. It’s no longer the endearing Chicano-core, Chris Ward-ean, heroin-plagued, “San Chlamydia High School” foil to Newport Beach’s posh, Reaganite ethos. San Clemente is starting to feel like Disneyland.

All of this means development, and development stops sand from reaching the sea.

“San Clemente has two sources of sand: The San Juan Creek and bluff erosion. The coastline is nearly completely armored by boulders from Capo Beach to Cottons, so there isn’t really any bluff erosion happening,” Robbins continued in his Stab article. “This leaves the creek as the main source of sand. We’ve modified the San Juan creek a great deal, adding concrete channeling and several dams/drop structures that inhibit sediment flow…Because of these changes, way less sediment makes it to the beach.” 

As you’ll see in the edit above, San Clemente’s taxpayer dollars are at work — providing Griffin Colapinto, Cannon Carr, Hayden Rodgers, Cole Houshmand, Jett Schilling, Kade Matson, and the enigmatic Big 20 Hammer with wedges, ramps, and even the odd funnel to play around with.

The edit’s editor, Jacob Vanderwork, was laconic about the video. “It’s just videos of our group of friends around home surfing. Kinda Ch.11 vibes.”

San Clemente’s youth surfing contingent is, frankly, in a confusing state. Kolohe Andino started the party with Stagnant Ambition, then 2 Percent, now Steko, all showcasing the best talent in town. Then Griff and Crisby dropped Cola Bros somewhere in the middle, and now there’s a new YouTube channel titled “Salad Days”, featuring more or less the same surfers (minus Brother).

But with plenty of watchable surfing and editing like this, we’re grateful for the unusually organized San Clemente city government and their noble investment in sandbars.

Here’s another one for good measure.