What is it? 

A new Seawall has received recent approval to be implemented along Ocean Beach. The seawall is predicted to be 3,200 feet long and cost an immense $175 million. This decision to start such an expensive project comes after the California Coastal Commission’s unanimous vote to approve the project. They acknowledged that the Seawall is the only viable solution to the current problem: The Lake Merced Sewage Tunnel. This sewage tunnel near the Great Highway and Ocean Beach is a major coastal erosion risk. But the need for this Seawall stems from the rising sea level on top of the erosion, caused by the strong Ocean Beach waves. This project has been prioritized as this sewage tunnel plays a crucial role in San Francisco’s sewage system. 

The Challenges 

The project has gained approval, but there has been backlash from the San Francisco locals and the general public. Environmental activists, surfers, and oceanographers have banded together to argue that the Seawall would be a short-term solution that would fail to address the larger issue of climate change and long-term coastal erosion. A study in the San Francisco Chronicle conducted by a group of Oceanographers, including Sean Vitousek, reported that 25-70% of California beaches may completely erode by the year 2100 due to sea-level rise scenarios. Many critics call for more sustainable and environmentally sustainable solutions instead of relying on structures, such as the Seawall, that many believe will eventually cause more erosion down the line. In addition to the initial $175 million cost of the Seawall, the California Coastal Commission has outlined an extra $1 million in funding to replenish the sand lost to waves washing away at the structure. This ongoing maintenance cost highlights the challenges of protecting the coastline from the natural forces of nature, which has raised questions on the long-term sustainability of a structure. 

What this means

With the implementation of this project, it could shake up the San Francisco coast indefinitely. Especially considering the recently passed proposition K, which will develop part of the Great Highway into a park, the western section of San Francisco might drastically change in the coming years and decades. Despite these concerns, the approval of a structure such as this Seawall marks a significant step in addressing the immediate threat to vital infrastructure at Ocean Beach, which sparks ongoing discussions about the best way to protect California’s coastlines against climate change. Your voice has an impact, and these decisions do not come without the feedback and input of citizens and locals. It is vital to our democracy to make your voice heard in forms that work for you when you believe that your voice needs to be heard.