Santa Monica Expands Nature Based Dune Work Along City Shoreline

SANTA MONICA/VENICE - Santa Monica is expanding its beach-dune restoration project from the Pier toward the Venice border—an effort the City says will add nearly 30 additional acres of restored dunes intended to buffer erosion and flooding as sea levels rise. The City of Santa Monica said Thursday, Feb. 26, that Phase III of the Santa Monica Beach Dunes initiative will use native vegetation to better capture windblown sand and create natural dunes along the shoreline. The City said enhanced dunes can provide better buffering against climate threats like erosion and flooding than “hard infrastructure like jetties and seawalls,” while also improving wildlife habitat.