City officials transformed Santa Monica Beach into a wide, sandy tourist haven in the early 20th century by trucking in millions of cubic meters of sand, turning a rocky coastline into one of LA's iconic beaches.
Lucy Sherriff reports for BBC.
In short:
- In the early 1900s, Santa Monica's natural beaches were rocky and narrow, prompting officials to artificially expand them with imported sand.
- Decades of beach grooming have reduced biodiversity, but efforts to restore natural sand dunes are showing success in protecting the coastline.
- The Bay Foundation's dune restoration project has seen the return of native plants and threatened wildlife, such as the western snowy plover.
Key quote:
"The plants have really taken off, perhaps better than we could have hoped. The bigger question was how was the wildlife going to respond to that habitat and that beach, while there's still such a dramatic human presence there. Fortunately, the answer came very quickly."
— Tom Ford, president of The Bay Foundation
Why this matters:
Artificial beaches may look pristine, but they disrupt natural ecosystems. Restoring dunes can provide crucial protection against erosion, storm surges and rising sea levels while reviving local biodiversity.
Related: Homeowners face hefty fines for unauthorized erosion control
