Safety measures during the dredging operation included a delineated pathway for moving heavy equipment, posted signs, flagmen, and a lead vehicle for tractors.

The dredging operation was complete on May 18, 2023.This year, they placed 480,000 cubic yards of sand on Oceanside beaches. The average amount of sand dredged from the inlet and placed onto Oceanside beaches is usually between 200,000 and 300,000 cubic yards.Army Corps of Engineers began to mobilize equipment on April 3, 2023, for the annual dredge of the Harbor inlet, and the actual dredging began April 12, 2023. The annual dredge generally takes 6-7 weeks. Please use caution at the beach during the dredge operation.ĭue to weather, grunion runs, and other factors, changes in the schedule do occasionally arise and delay the project. The contractor will make ramps over the pipe for you to continue to access the beach. You may see a fenced area around the San Luis Rey River mouth to protect the Western Snowy Plover nesting areas. They move the outfall pipe south as they go. You may see the dredge vessel in the Harbor inlet, working to pump the sand through the pipe. For safety reasons, a path for heavy equipment is marked on the beach with delineators and barricades. Harbor Lot #12 is closed during this work for staging equipment. You'll see heavy equipment at the beach during this operation, along with large pipe and bulldozers. Often times, the beach on the north side of the Pier must be filled in substantially in order to support the pipe that must be laid on the beach. How far south the dredged sand can be deposited is very dependent upon the erosion that occurred during the preceding months. The amount of sand available each year to be placed on the beaches is dependent on how much excess sand fills in the harbor entrance each winter it varies from year to year. The sand dredged from the Harbor inlet is pumped onto Oceanside beaches. Weather and the grunion run are two examples that can create delays.

The amount of time it takes to start and complete the dredge is dependent upon many factors. The annual dredge typically occurs in the spring. The US Army Corps of Engineers annually dredges the mouth of the Oceanside Harbor for safe navigation of vessels.

What does working coastal dredge