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San Diego Beaches Running Out of Sand

California officials say beach tourism brings in about $61 billion a year to the state's economy. But some of San Diego County’s more popular beaches are running out of sand. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce h

San Diego Beaches Running Out of Sand

California officials say beach tourism brings in about $61 billion a year to the state's economy. But some of San Diego County’s more popular beaches are running out of sand. KPBS reporter Ed Joyce has more on the plan to fix that problem.

Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach has thinned so much cobblestones are showing through – it’s one of many county beaches losing sand. The natural processes that once brought the sand back have been blocked by development and dams.

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The San Diego Association of Governments wants to put sand back on the beaches, like a project in 2001. That project is one of three options SANDAG is considering.

It’s also the option Steve Aceti with the California Coastal Coalition says brings the most benefits.

Aceti : And that project showed that you could have recreational and benefits to the environment.

He says using the footprint of the original project would speed the approval process for the new plan since regulatory agencies are already familiar with the earlier project. SANDAG hopes to put sand back on county beaches by 2010 at an estimated cost of $22 million.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.