The Pier Bowl represents the heart of San Clemente and fortunately it is one of the most stable beaches. The beach is currently being replenished under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project, receiving 251,000 cubic yards of sand to rebuild an additional 50 feet of beach width from Linda Lane to T-Street. 

SEDIMENT CHARACTERISTICS:  Pier Bowl is characterized by medium-grained sand with occasional cobble/gravel; Linda Lane is generally somewhat finer-grained sand.  

INFRASTRUCTURE: This is the major location of most of the City's infrastructure, including the pier, restrooms, concession stands, restaurants, swing-sets, lifeguard towers, and the Marine Safety headquarters. 

ARMORING:  Very little sand separates the Marine Safety Building from the sea. In 2019, the City constructed an additional seawall in front of the Marine Safety building, approximately 200 feet long and ten feet above MSL (height above sand dependent on berm height), along with a concrete armor mat to shield the building from being undermined during storms. The City also pushes up sand in front of its infrastructure in the fall, to protect them from winter storms. 

At the Pier Bowl, the railroad is mostly separated by the ocean by a wide sandy beach and/or City-owned infrastructure so there is no need for significant revetments. However, at Linda Lane, OCTA has installed significant rock revetments and it continues to add to that revetment and to enlarge the revetment northward into Mariposa Point. 

UNIQUE CHALLENGES: Preservation of this beach and its associated infrastructure is obviously a priority for the City. The current sand replenishment project is scheduled to continue every six years for the next 50 years. Future replenishments will require the City to pay half (either directly or with assistance from grants) so funding of the future projects is the most significant issue here. 

PUBLIC ACCESS: This is the most popular beach in San Clemente, with ample vertical and lateral public access, parking, and local public transit opportunities. 

SURF RESOURCES:  What do we say here?  There are reefs in front of pier, and I think they help keep the beach stable.