San Diego County Beaches Show Positive Recovery Post El Niño

SAN DIEGO, California – New research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography reveals promising developments for beaches in San Diego County.

The findings are part of the 2025 San Diego County Beach Report, which William O’Reilly from Scripps discussed during a recent announcement. “We reported that our beaches have widened since last year, which we were expecting after the El Niño,” he said.

This annual report surveyed nine beaches, from Oceanside to the U.S.-Mexico border. O’Reilly noted, “We have a cycle of beach loss during El Niño winters and then a slow progressive recovery over the next few 3-4 years before the next El Niño. So we’re in that phase, and the beaches are a little wider than they were last year. So that’s good.”

Widening beaches indicate more sand on the shoreline, while narrowing beaches signal a loss of sand. Scripps uses satellite and laser imaging technology to measure beach dimensions in detail, capturing changes down to the water line. “We have this amazing data set, showing how our beaches evolve from week to week and from year to year,” O’Reilly added.

Additionally, Scripps’ recent studies show the state’s average beach width remains stable. O’Reilly explained, “Some beaches have been getting narrower over the last 20 to 25 years. But what we didn’t realize is the other half of the beaches are actually getting wider as the sand moves up and down the coast rather than leaving the system altogether.”

While the widening is encouraging, experts warn against complacency regarding long-term threats. Mark Merrifield from Scripps pointed out, “For the moment, the width of the beach seems to be fairly stable, but over time, we expect to see much more vulnerability in terms of the beaches along the coast here.”

These findings underscore the need for continuous monitoring amid concerns over shoreline erosion and rising sea levels.