Oregon beach lovers and local residents celebrate big wins for the public beach this month through two decisions to deny riprap applications on the central and north coast. Surfrider and local beach advocates regularly oppose such projects given their negative impacts to the public beach.
In Cannon Beach, an application to replace an existing riprap wall (with a new one) was denied, appealed, and upheld through the City’s Planning Commission and Council process. And, in the Lincoln Beach area just north of Depoe Bay, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) denied an application for a 600-foot protective structure for a condominium complex. In both cases, decision makers cited impacts to the public resource as key considerations in weighing a final determination on the applications. In a state where eligible properties are rarely denied permits, the decisions to deny these cases demonstrates a more thoughtful direction of local and state agencies that are grappling with adapting management of public beaches to a changing climate.
Cannon Beach Stephanie Inn, pictured above, was seeking to replace their existing rip rap structure. Beach advocates and local decision makers called for more beach-friendly alternatives.
As Oregon’s public beaches erode under rising seas and a changing climate, decision makers must more often confront a challenging tradeoff between the future of public beaches and the right of beachfront property owners to protect their property. Traditional approaches to control erosion and protect properties have relied heavily on hard armoring - rock boulders (riprap) or sea walls which have an inverse impact of eroding beaches.
But as the cumulative impact of these decisions to permit such activities is putting the greater squeeze and narrowing Oregon’s treasured public beaches, decision makers must also carefully weigh their responsibility to protect the public and cultural resources of the ocean shore. For regulating agencies and local municipalities governing ocean shore development, permitting for projects along our beaches needs a greater scrutiny and eye towards the future of protecting both private and public interests in our beaches. These two recent decisions demonstrate that's exactly what's beginning to happen.
"There is no doubt that the applicant faces significant potential erosion and that some level of protection is appropriate; however, the Council must remain conscious that shoreline protective structures require the sacrifice of portions of the public beach that the Council must steward for future generations."
-excerpt from City of Cannon Beach recent decision
Surfrider congratulates our local advocates and partners that continue to fight these battles at the local level. Both decisions represent significant victories and establish important local findings for the Oregon Beaches Forever campaign. Here's a little more information on each case:
Lincoln Beach: Going, Going, Gone?
Surfrider volunteer Chanel Hason and Oregon Shores volunteer Rena Olson teamed up with LightHawk pilot Lane Gormley in May of this year to capture aerial shots of our narrowing beaches. This sequence starting at Searidge condominiums, the site of the recent application and working north along Lincoln Beach, demonstrates how riprap is narrowing and stealing the public beach in this area. All photos were shot within minutes of each other at the same tide.
At left is the Searidge condominium at southern end of Lincoln Beach, note the width of the beach
Moving north, note the house and rip rap at right protruding out onto the ocean shore
Continuing north along Lincoln Beach, note the extent of rip rap and the comparatively narrow beach. The condominiums at left in photo have have no beach left.
And just a bit further north along Lincoln Beach the entire shore has been armored with rip rap and there is little to nothing left of the dry sandy beach.
Searidge Condos
Surfrider's Newport Chapter has been tracking development and beach erosion north of Depoe Bay in Lincoln Beach for nearly two decades. Much of this stretch of coast has slowly suffered the fate of armoring, narrowing the beach, and compromising recreational and cultural resources of the ocean shore. The beach and surf zone here is generally distinguished by locals as Fishing Rock, the closest State Recreation site.
In a unique case, the Searidge Condominiums, which originally were not eligible under Oregon land use law to apply for riprap or other shoreline protective structures, received a special land use exception (Goal 18) in 2021 that enabled them to apply for riprap. The exception wasn't a rubber stamp however, as late last month OPRD denied the development's application and proposal for 600-foot rock revetment. The decision followed a hearing in August where Surfrider volunteers and the community of beach users and neighbors rallied testimony and comments - read more about the case, staff report, and our campaign and comments here.
Cannon Beach
Local citizens and advocates from Friends of Dunes have been fighting riprap structures and advocating for more nature-based solutions in Cannon Beach for nearly a decade now. Surfrider's North Coast Chapter recently joined one of these efforts to oppose an extensive riprap proposal in the Tolovana Beach area of town. Following an unanimous decision to deny the proposal by the Planning Commission, the City Council recently upheld that decision in an appeal by the applicant, Stephanie Inn LLC. The property, already with some riprap, had experienced failures and was proposing to install a new, more robust, riprap revetment. The City, learning from past projects, was wary of the impacts to the public resource. The decision marks a significant victory for local beach advocates and helps pave the way for a more nature-based solution to erosion. Read more about the City's findings, our comments, and the campaign here.
"This is a big win for Cannon Beach, our community, and the many who care deeply about preserving our wide, walkable beach for its scenic beauty, biodiversity, and recreation. Nature-based solutions, while lesser known, are inarguably effective with competent planning and maintenance."
- Dianna Turner, Friends of Dunes