A San Clemente-based environmental group warned Tuesday that emergency seawalls are contributing to beach erosion nationwide, while most coastal states lack safeguards to prevent temporary barriers from becoming permanent. The Surfrider Foundation's 2026 State of the Beach Report specifically cited emergency construction along a railroad corridor in San Clemente.
Since 2021, approximately 27,000 tons of large rocks, known as riprap, have been placed along the coast under a series of emergency permits in this local area. According to Surfrider, these barriers have made a stretch of beach connecting the Trestles surfing area to the rest of San Clemente impassable. The organization warned that such projects can protect infrastructure in the short term, but they contribute to long-term beach erosion and the loss of public access.
The report found that 27 of 30 coastal and Great Lakes states evaluated received grades of C or lower for their laws governing emergency shoreline protection projects. California received a C grade in the report. No state earned an A, while only Connecticut, Oregon, and Texas received B grades. Five states — Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Wisconsin — received failing grades. Surfrider also found that 40% of states lack minimum legal safeguards against unnecessary permanent shoreline armoring.
These findings come as coastal communities, including those in San Clemente, face increasing erosion and flooding threats from storms, elevated tides, and rising sea levels. Surfrider describes what it calls an "Emergency to Permanent Permit Pipeline," in which property owners or government agencies install seawalls, rocks, or other barriers under emergency permits, only for these structures to remain in place or eventually receive permanent authorization.
Surfrider contends that shoreline armoring can prevent sand from naturally replenishing beaches, restrict the movement of the shoreline, and accelerate erosion on neighboring properties. The organization evaluated state laws using seven criteria, including how emergencies are defined, whether written authorization is required, whether temporary structures must be removed, and whether enforcement procedures are established. The grades reflect state laws rather than how consistently those laws are enforced, according to the report.
Emma Haydocy, Surfrider's senior manager for its Coasts and Climate Initiative, stated that recurring and predictable coastal hazards, such as storms and elevated tides, should not automatically justify emergency construction that may permanently alter shorelines. Haydocy said, "An emergency permit should buy time for meaningful adaptation -- not become a poor substitute for it."
Examples from other states highlight the issue. In Hawaii, sandbags authorized as a temporary measure at a West Maui condominium complex in 2007 remain in place nearly two decades later. In Oregon, 20 of 29 emergency shoreline armoring permits issued over the past decade were granted during a single erosion event in 2021, according to the report.
Surfrider recommended that states narrow their definitions of coastal emergencies, require written authorization before emergency construction, establish removal deadlines, and develop long-term responses to erosion. The organization proposed limiting emergency shoreline structures to a maximum of two years and prioritizing alternatives such as dune restoration, natural shoreline protection, and planned relocation. Surfrider also cited recent policy developments in Florida, Hawaii, and Oregon as examples of states reconsidering their approaches to emergency coastal protection.
The Surfrider Foundation, established in Malibu in 1984, advocates for the protection of oceans, waves, and beaches through a national network of volunteer chapters and student clubs.
