COLUMN 3

Climate Change Will Impact Public Access to and along the Coast

Eroded beach Photo © Lesley Ewing

Climate change and global warming have the potential to greatly affect public access to and along the coast of California. In general, under the California Constitution, the public owns all of the coastline seaward of what is known as “the mean high tide line,” an ambulatory line that moves regularly as waves and currents move beach sand and readjust the beach slope. In addition, in many areas of the coast, the Coastal Commission has worked to ensure additional public access, through a variety of means such as vertical accessways (from inland areas out to the water) and lateral easements (providing additional areas of public recreation or access) over a wider area of beach. These beach areas are widely used by the public, both those who live near the coast and the millions of visitors annually who visit the coast of California from inland portions of the state, other states or other nations.

Although it is difficult to evaluate all the potential future impacts global warming and related sea level rise may have on the coast and on public access, it certainly will result in the loss (e.g. inundation) of some of these beach areas: as global warming occurs and the sea level rises, it means that portions of what used to be sandy beach area used by the public will be covered with water and no longer useable for recreation such as sunbathing, picniking, tidepooling, beach strolling and the like. Moreover, along the more developed portions of the coast, as coastal erosion and flooding (both of which will increase due to rising sea level) threaten existing development, private owners often request installation of seawalls and other “hard armoring” of the coast. These seawalls can have the effect of increasing and even accelerating the loss of sandy beach area, adding to the ongoing losses that will result from climate change and sea level rise. This eventually will result in the loss of any public trust sandy beach areas located below the mean high tide line, as well as inundation of what used to be upland beach open to the public via public access lateral easements. Seawalls and other armoring are often installed directly on former dry sandy beach previously used for general public recreational uses, so these structures can also often have the effect of physically blocking public access to and along the coast.

Maximizing public access to and along the coast is one of the primary goals of the Coastal Act, and a major focus of the work of the California Coastal Commission as well as other related organizations such as the State Coastal Conservancy. California Coastal Act, Section 30001.5 states:

“The legislature further finds and declares that the basic goals of the state for the coastal zone are to: . . .
(c) Maximize public access to and along the coast and maximize public recreational opportunities in the coastal zone consistent with sound resources conservation principles and constitutionally protected rights of private property owners.”

For more information:

• Coastal Commission Shoreline Public Access Program