San Clemente's beaches have experienced a rapid rate of erosion. Of our five miles of coastline, the northern and southern half-miles (Capo Shores and Cyprus Shores) have experienced complete erosion. That's 20% of our beaches GONE. Shorecliffs and North Beach are rapidly narrowing and reduced to cobble every winter. Lost Winds and State Beach are also rapidly narrowing and eroding. Several surf breaks, including one of our most iconic surf breaks -- Cottons -- are declining due to lack of sand. Only Pier Bowl and T Street beaches appear to be relatively stable, and they are the only beaches that have a guaranteed source of new sand. Scientific studies suggest that the new sand will not be shared with any other beaches.
The following sections provide a detailed background for each stretch of our beaches, including before/after photographs, historical aerial photographs, trends of beach profiles, and beach width and beach quality changes through time.
