Pillar Point dredging raises complex disposal issues

Pillar Point Harbor is filling with sand because of its breawakter. At the same time, the force of waves deflected by the breakwater is eroding the cliffs above Surfers Beach, reports the County Times.

When other harbors, such as Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco, face the same problem, the common solution is to dredge the sand out and dump it on a nearby beach. A growing chorus of voices, surfers among them, suggest this is the perfect solution for both Pillar Point and Surfer’s Beach, which could clearly use the sand.

The problem is, that’s not an option at Surfer’s Beach, which lies within the protected boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

And that’s just the beginning of the complexity.