Rio Del Mar State Beach Living Shoreline Project – Santa Cruz, CA

Project Summary

Protecting critical infrastructure through innovative nature-based coastal resilience.

When rapid coastal erosion threatened to undermine critical wastewater infrastructure and a public restroom facility at Rio Del Mar State Beach, California State Parks faced a complex challenge requiring immediate action while avoiding traditional hard armoring solutions. The project involved developing an innovative living shoreline approach that combined naturally occurring materials with historical ecological understanding to protect endangered species habitat, tourism infrastructure, and community assets in a highly regulated coastal environment.

Location: Santa Cruz, California

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Integral Nature-Based Living Shoreline Solutions

How would our coastlines function if humans hadn’t gotten there? Our team fortifies Rio Del Mar State Beach by recreating what it would look like if nature had run its course.

Key Personnel

David L. Revell, Ph.D. Principal, Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience

Bio

The Challenge

When creek dynamics meet ocean forces, critical infrastructure hangs in the balance.

Aptos Creek flows interacting with Pacific Ocean waves triggered rapid coastal changes that eroded beach elevations and undermined essential public infrastructure. Critical wastewater infrastructure serving an entire community was at immediate risk of failure, creating an emergency situation that demanded immediate action.

The challenge was compounded by regulatory constraints and State Parks’ commitment to avoiding engineered armoring solutions, which limited traditional options. This highly utilized location supports endangered species, a tourism-based economy, and serves as habitat for sensitive fish species including steelhead. Previous emergency riprap placement had faced public outcry and regulatory pushback, requiring removal and an alternative approach that would satisfy both environmental protection and infrastructure needs.

Aptos Creek, 2021

Our Role

Integral broke down complex coastal processes to engineer an innovative solution that works with nature, not against it.

Integral’s team approached this complex challenge by first applying systematic geomorphic analysis to identify the root physical processes causing erosion and infrastructure threats. Our coastal experts conducted comprehensive historical ecological research to understand how the natural system functioned before human alterations, revealing key insights about seasonal lagoon formation and natural material flows.

Building on this foundation, we designed a living shoreline approach that combined available driftwood with recreated sand dune systems. The team developed a conceptual restoration design that mimicked historical creek meander patterns while providing emergency permitting support and regulatory navigation expertise. Throughout the process, Integral managed the compressed four-day construction timeline working directly with State Parks staff.

Conceptual Design

What We Delivered

A living shoreline solution that transforms available natural materials into robust coastal protection.

Integral engineered a log jam structure using strategically placed drift logs with pins and cross-bracing that follows historical creek meander patterns. This approach created a protective sand dune system by burying the log structure to provide storm surge and erosion protection while preserving the natural character of the coastline.

The design implementation preserved beach access while protecting critical infrastructure, establishing monitoring protocols to track long-term performance and structural integrity. The solution required only an emergency permit, with the full permit later waived by the Coastal Commission.

The Result

The living shoreline successfully protected infrastructure through multiple major storm events, including a 50-year storm, while earning public support.

Infrastructure protection was achieved through multiple major storm events, including the January 2023 storm with 59-foot waves and Category 1 hurricane winds. The log core structure maintained its integrity while the dune volume shifted inland as designed, demonstrating the resilience of the nature-based approach.

A survey of 96 park visitors showed 81% approval for the nature-based approach, reflecting strong community support. The project now serves as a pilot for future coastal protection projects that must balance infrastructure needs with natural processes.