L.A. County gets $5.1M to advance living shoreline projects

Projects to restore and protect Dockweiler, Zuma and Redondo beaches for future generations are moving ahead, thanks to $5.1 million in Measure A funds, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) said.

“We’re working with nature to protect what matters most: the beaches that connect us, support our ecosystems, and serve our communities,” DBH Director Gary Jones said. “These projects reflect our commitment to resilience, preservation, and equity.”

The grant from the Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) will fund the next phase of planning and design of “living shoreline” projects at each of the three beaches. DBH launched the projects in 2024 and is close to finishing a feasibility study that helped shape their design.

RPOSD approved over $5 million in Measure A funding for the planning and design phases of three projects:

– Redondo Beach Living Shoreline Project, Redondo Beach: $1.7 million

(Widen the beach between the Redondo Beach Pier and Topaz groin and create new dune habitat)

– Dockweiler State Beach Living Shoreline Project, Playa del Rey: $230,000

(Add low sand barrier along the bike path to keep sand out of parking lots and restore and enhance existing dune habitat by installing sand fencing, removing non-native species, seeding with native plants, and building new access paths)

– Zuma Beach Living Shoreline Project, Malibu: $3.1 million

(Widen the beach, create new dune habitat, and enhance existing dune habitat. Sand placed at Zuma Beach is expected to naturally migrate downcoast and widen Point Dume Beach)

According to DBH, each project will now move into design development and environmental review, with an aim to start construction in the coming years.