Description: Given the location of the critical areas of erosion and the need to avoid adverse impacts to local sensitive habitat, the Southern Monterey Bay Coastal RSM Plan recommends that the coastal area between Wharf II in Monterey to Marina be considered as potential receiver site locations for both subaerial beach and nearshore sand placement. For the latter, the area between the Monterey Beach Resort and the Ocean Harbor House condominiums is considered suitable for three main reasons: The net alongshore sediment transport rate is low and to the north, but the gross transport rate is high in both northerly and southerly directions. This location is fairly central to the southern bight and would allow the sand to be transported most effectively along the whole shoreline. Sand placed at a location further to the north would be unlikely to disperse sufficiently to cover critical areas of erosion towards Monterey Harbor given the overall net transport to the north, and placement further to the south would be too close to the sensitive habitat located offshore. This location is far enough away from the sensitive kelp, eelgrass and rocky reef habitat so as not to cause disturbance through sedimentation or turbidity during construction and post-construction phases of the project. The location is relatively close to a potential stockpile area proposed at Fort Ord where inland sediments, if they become available, could be placed temporarily until a beach nourishment maintenance-style project could be developed. Road access to the location is available. Beach nourishment would occur within the Cities of Sand City, Seaside, and Monterey. The shapefile showing this location was compiled by PWA as a recommendation in the Southern Monterey Bay Coastal Regional Sediment Management Plan (AMBAG, 2008).
Copyright Text: Philip Williams & Associates, Ltd. (PWA), Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup