High Surf/Tide Combo Slams Capo Beach – Again

Locals started getting nervous Wednesday as high swells started rolling into Capistrano Bay in advance of high tides expected through Sunday. By Wednesday night, residents on the north end of Beach Road braced against house-high waves as beleaguered Capistrano Beach (Capo Beach) Park took hit after hit from huge surf exacerbated by a 6.5 foot high tide. By Thursday morning, the aftermath looked familiar and bleak. The surge had moved huge k-rails out of place, almost buried concrete picnic tables, and had strewn cobble, sand and debris across the narrow beach and parking lot.

More chunks of pavement at the south end of the park had crumbled and collapsed, and three large holes (which are scheduled to be protected by realigned rip rap boulders and large sand cubes starting this month) widened further.

Sadder still was the havoc wreaked on the restored coastal trail joining Capo and Doheny beaches. Extensive work including a deep double wall of huge sand cubes, significant sand replenishment and new pavement was recently completed by Public Works under the direction of OC Parks. The restored path had reopened the previous Saturday, allowing happy pedestrians, bike riders and dog walkers back on the long closed trail. It looked great for a total of 4 days before the now familiar combination of high tide and surf tore out precious sand, unearthed sandbags and buried the path in cobble and sand thrown as far as the railroad right of way. The good news is that the double wall held the path in place. OCParks officials said the plan is to clean things up as soon as this surf event is over – likely early next week.

On August 13th Parks officials updated the California Coastal Commission on its schedule to complete a long term master plan for Capo Beach Park; undertake a pilot program with a living shoreline along the north section of the beach; and work with regional stakeholders on a plan that would coordinate interests and funding for a long term solution. These three projects are being undertaken concurrently and are anticipated to be completed by 2026.

With high surf/tide events becoming more common and increasingly destructive, residents are hoping the beach lasts long enough for solutions to be implemented. Long term local, Rocky Neidhardt reminisced about the glory days along this stretch when much of the 2 million cubic yards of sand deposited after the Dana Point Harbor construction was still in place. “In ’99 I had a bunch of friends down from LA. We drove in and parked at hole in the fence* day use lot. There was so much sand on the beach it took a few minutes to walk from the lot to the water. I remember being out of breath from walking so far in deep sand. Now, you can jump straight into the water from the parking lot. The beach is totally gone.”

If a great deal of sand doesn’t find its way to sand-starved Capo Beach very soon, Rocky may be right. The National Weather Service warned of beach hazards including 7 to 8 foot wave sets in Orange County through Saturday night.

*local term for the stretch between Capistrano and Doheny Beaches