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Compilation of Existing Data for Sand Resource Studies in Federal and California State Waters of the San Francisco, Oceanside, and Silver Strand Littoral Cell Study Areas along the Continental Shelf of California—Strategy for Field Studies and Sand Resource Assessment

Open-File Report 2022-1094
Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the State of California Ocean Protection Council
By: , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20221094

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Executive Summary

The Sand Resources Project was established through collaborative agreements between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) with the purpose of evaluating sand and gravel resources in Federal and California State Waters for potential use in future beach-nourishment projects. Project partners worked in collaboration with California Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup (CSMW) members to define priority study areas for this work based on the potential for finding sand within the broader region and the needs for this sand as shown by beach erosion areas of concern in the adjacent littoral cells. The final study areas were defined to be (1) the San Francisco Littoral Cell, (2) the Oceanside Littoral Cell, and (3) the Silver Strand Littoral Cell.

A two-stage approach was used to assess the study areas. This report addresses the initial stage, which is a synthesis of the existing geophysical and sediment-sampling data in each area. This allowed for evaluations of the data availability, data gaps, and general patterns of sediment thickness and grain size. This report provides a description of the methods and results of this synthesis. The findings from this work were used to refine study area boundaries and develop sampling plans for stage two of the project.

Stage two of the project, the results of which will be published separately, will be the collection, processing, and synthesis of new data, including high-resolution geophysical surveys and sediment cores within the three study areas. The data collected will provide new information about the three study areas including sediment thickness, grain-size distributions, and total organic carbon. The description and results of stage two of the work is included in another USGS report (Warrick and others, 2022).

Suggested Citation

Warrick, J.A., Conrad, J.E., Papesh, A., Lorenson, T., and Sliter, R.W., 2022, Compilation of existing data for sand resource studies in Federal and California State Waters of the San Francisco, Oceanside, and Silver Strand littoral cell study areas along the continental shelf of California—Strategy for field studies and sand resource assessment: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2022–1094, 21 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20221094.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Results
  • Conclusions
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Compilation of existing data for sand resource studies in Federal and California State Waters of the San Francisco, Oceanside, and Silver Strand littoral cell study areas along the continental shelf of California—Strategy for field studies and sand resource assessment
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2022-1094
DOI 10.3133/ofr20221094
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description vii, 21 p.
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial San Francisco, Oceanside, and Silver Strand littoral cell study areas
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details