The unusual ship operating in the ocean off San Dieguito Lagoon near Del Mar is mining sand to replenish beaches in Solana Beach and Encinitas.
The 303-foot-long Bayport is a “split-hull” dredge that is expected to operate in the area for over 100 days, collecting 700,000 cubic yards of sand from deposits less than a mile offshore .
The sand will be pumped ashore via a pipeline and then graded by earthmoving equipment over 7,200 feet of beach in Solana Beach and 7,800 feet in Encinitas.
The project will extend the current the beach in both cities by approximately 150 feet, and beaches in Del Mar and farther south may also benefit from the shifting shoreline.
Owned by Seattle-based Manson Construction Co., the Bayport is under contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and City of Solana Beach.
Funding for the $30.5 million project was secured by Rep. Mike Levin under the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
