Study: Rising Sea Levels Could Cost Millions

If sea levels rise by one meter, Redondo Beach stands to lose not only its sandy beaches but also about $10 million in annual revenue, according to a new study published in the journal Climatic Change and funded by the California Energy Commission and the California Department of Boating and Waterways.

Cities along the California coast would see their sand beaches narrowing as sea levels rise. Smaller beaches—like Redondo's—may see their sandy strips disappear altogether. Larger beaches like Manhattan Beach would see an increase in annual revenue as people head to less crowded areas.

According to the Los Angeles Times, it costs Los Angeles and Orange counties about $436 million per year to save their beaches as sea levels rise.

Already, the county is spending money to replenish Redondo's beaches. A planned project will dredge more than 160,000 cubic yards of clean sediment from the north entry of Marina del Rey and store it in a pit south-southwest of Topaz Groin, according to Carol Baker, a representative of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

About 75,000 cubic yards of that sand will be pumped onto the beach between Topaz and Ruby groins, Baker said.

• Full story: California Beach Towns: Who Wins, Who Loses as Sea Levels Rise [Los Angeles Times]

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