UCI student team outlines multimodal options — pipeline, electric trucks, rail — for San Clemente sand replenishment

A team of UC Irvine Master of Engineering students presented the results of a city‑commissioned study on coastal sand replenishment to the San Clemente Coastal Advisory Committee on May 15, describing candidate inland sand sources and several transportation methods intended to reduce environmental and community impacts from repeat trucking.

The students said they began the project in January and evaluated receiver (discharge) beaches at North Beach, Pier area and South San Clemente; inland supply options including Prado Dam, San Juan Quarry, Santa Ana River and San Diego Creek; and transport methods ranging from conventional diesel trucking to electric trucks, slurry pipelines, conveyor belts and rail. The presentation aimed to identify “more sustainable and environmentally friendly” approaches than last year’s diesel‑trucked nourishment, the students said.

Why it matters: San Clemente’s beaches have required recurring nourishment; the city and regional partners repeatedly move sand to widen beaches that protect infrastructure, recreation and habitat. The students’ work mapped supply, cost and permitting trade‑offs and highlighted where the city might pursue pilots or multimodal approaches to reduce long‑term cost and emissions.

The team narrowed inland sources to Prado Dam and the San Juan Quarry as…