Restoring Surfers' Point: Partnership's Persistence Pays Off

Coastal erosion has repeatedly damaged bike paths and parking lots near Ventura, California. Local groups took a decade to agree on the decision to retreat from the ocean to rehabilitate the beach instead of constructing harden structure that limit recreational opportunities. The project received grants from the California Coastal Conservancy and the Federal Highway Administration. They managed to relocate the bike path and parking lot, construct cobble mattress and vegetated dunes, and install stormwater filtration system to manage runoff. These efforts have led to a 70-foot-wide buffer zone as well as increased dune elevation that reduce the erosion threat to inland infrastructure.