COASTAL RESILIENCE

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The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (DBH) operates and maintains 18 public beaches along the Pacific Ocean coastline, mostly in the Santa Monica Bay, between the City of Malibu and San Pedro, a coastal community within the City of Los Angeles. The unique urban setting of Los Angeles County’s shoreline makes it one of the most valuable coastal resources in California. Its regional beaches provide recreation and enjoyment for more than 70 million visitors annually.

Due to forecasts of rising sea levels caused by climate change, L.A. County initiated a process of proactive preparedness by assessing the potential threat that its public beach assets may face through the year 2100. The 2016 Sea-level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and 2023 L.A. County Coastal Resilience Study documented and evaluated the vulnerability of existing coastal public infrastructure, including access roads, parking lots, coastal access points, beaches, restrooms, bike paths, maintenance yards, lifeguard stations, and other recreational amenities (volleyball courts, picnic tables, etc.), to sea level rise and coastal flooding.

DBH has initiated collaborative efforts with other agencies and aims to include a public information education effort as we advance towards implementation of adaptation strategies that will protect and enhance access to and management of our coastal resources.