San Clemente has long been celebrated for its iconic beaches and world-class surf breaks. But this cherished stretch of sand is in jeopardy due to Orange County Transportation Authority's (OCTA) ongoing placement of large boulders, referred to as riprap, on the beach to buffer the rail line. With the chronic threat of erosion and accelerating sea level rise, Surfrider has been urging OCTA to move the tracks off this stretch of coastline for over two decades, but our plea has fallen on deaf ears. As we predicted, OCTA’s failure to move these tracks is now devastating San Clemente’s sandy beaches, coastal access, and iconic surf breaks.
Take Action: Tell OCTA and the California Coastal Commission to get the boulders off our beach!
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Image: Cotton's Point in 2023 with an unpassable beach and expanded riprap armoring
Since 2021, OCTA has evaded environmental review and placed over 26,000 tons of boulders along the shoreline, stretching from the northern end of Trestles to the southern end of San Clemente State Beach, shown above. The agency claimed that this was an emergency response to safeguard the railway, even though they had been on notice for decades that this stretch of rail line was in peril. Instead of proactively planning for relocation of the rail line, OCTA has chosen to ignore the science and dump more rocks. This approach buries the public beach, making the stretch impassable for beachgoers, destroying an iconic surf break, and cutting off access to San Onofre State Park, one of California’s most beloved coastal areas. The boulders have significantly degraded Cotton’s Point, the northernmost break of world-famous Trestles, and are putting surfers and beachgoers at risk of injury from loose boulders in the surf zone.
The byproduct of buffering the tracks continues to make coastal erosion worse and puts San Clemente’s beaches and waves at risk. We know that coastal armoring and seawalls of any kind disrupt natural sand processes and make erosion worse. Armoring the coastline to buffer the rail perpetuates a cycle of erosion and beach loss, creating an ever-worsening situation.
Remove the Boulders, Protect the Beach
Surfrider’s position is clear: We need to get the rocks off the beach, prevent further armoring, and work toward getting the rail line off the sand and restoring our waves and beaches. We are urging the local, state, and federal government to collaborate on transportation solutions that won’t destroy our beaches in the process. We have an opportunity now to choose to save our coast.
In 2024, OCTA filed a permit application to make the emergency armoring permanent. While alarming, this presents an opportunity for the California Coastal Commission and local stakeholders to stand up for public resources and rethink how we protect transportation infrastructure without sacrificing the beach. This is a critical moment to advocate for not just short-term mitigation measures but long-term sustainable solutions that enhance public access, restore natural coastal dynamics, and protect San Clemente’s waves and beaches for all to enjoy.
We are asking for your support in demanding OCTA to remove the boulders from the beach as soon as possible and present alternatives to armoring the beach for the long-term.
Take Action: Tell OCTA and the California Coastal Commission to get the boulders off our beach!
As if this wasn’t enough, a particularly alarming development is OCTA’s recent additional permit application to expand armoring further north. The latest proposal includes constructing a 2/3 mile-long seawall that would further bury San Clemente State Beach, exacerbating the damage that the boulders have already caused and wiping out a stable, healthy beach. The pattern is obvious – seawalls make erosion worse and lead to more and more armoring. Eventually all of our beaches will be buried in riprap if we don’t put an end to this senseless practice.
San Clemente State Beach is not just another stretch of coastline; it is a beloved beach for surfers and campers, offering 168 low-cost camping sites and easy access to the waves and a stable healthy beach. By extending armoring here, we will lose public access, irreplaceable ecosystems, and recreational opportunities; not only that, we will exacerbate the already dire erosion problem unnecessarily.
Image: San Clemente State Beach with coastal dunes that OCTA is planning to remove and cover with a riprap boulder seawall.
The beach in front of the existing riprap at Cyprus Shore has disappeared and expanding armoring will cause a similar problem along San Clemente State Beach. It will also wipe out precious dunes, an important habitat for sensitive coastal and marine wildlife. Once these armoring structures are in place, it becomes nearly impossible to restore the natural shoreline unless they are removed.
Moving Forward: Coastal Protection, Not More Rocks
It is vital to recognize that coastal armoring is not a viable long-term solution. Replacing natural shoreline processes with rocks and other hard structures is a shortsighted approach that causes lasting harm. Rather than doubling down on hard defenses, Surfrider is advocating for solutions that restore rather than destroy the beach. This means:
- Removing existing riprap along the shoreline to allow sand to naturally replenish the beach.
- Preventing new riprap and seawalls that will further degrade coastal areas.
- Implementing nature-based solutions that promote coastal resiliency, such as dune restoration, living shorelines, and relocation of infrastructure or alternate public transportation options.
We know that nature-based solutions can work in California. Surfer’s Point in Ventura is a prime example of removing structures in harm’s way and making space for the coast. Coastal erosion will only get worse as seas rise over the coming decades. Planning for that reality now will save California’s precious coast. The below image, taken in 2023, shows Surfer’s Point after Phase 1 of the restoration project was complete.
Image: Surfer’s Point in Ventura after managed retreat and coastal restoration from historic armoring.
The image below shows the state of Surfer’s Point before managed retreat and restoration. With careful coastal planning and management, we can restore San Clemente’s beaches too.
San Clemente’s beaches are part of the public trust –meaning they belong to all of us –and must not be sacrificed in the name of protecting infrastructure that has no business on our beach. We are calling for an approach that preserves the integrity of the coastline while addressing transportation needs. Coastal resilience does not have to come at the expense of our beaches, and it’s up to the local community, policymakers, and agencies like OCTA to find innovative alternatives.
Read our full position statement on OCTA railroad armoring.
Lessons from Del Mar: Realigning the Rail to Save the Beach
Relocation may be one option to help save the beach, though not the only. Del Mar offers an important case study. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is currently pursuing inland realignment for a section of the same rail corridor. The stretch of track that runs through Del Mar is facing similar threats from coastal erosion and bluff collapses. SANDAG has committed to relocating roughly a mile-long portion of the railway inland by 2035—a decision spurred by years of erosion that has made maintaining the tracks increasingly untenable.
Click here to join us and tell OCTA and the Coastal Commission to get the boulders off our beach!