Sunset Beach is located in San Diego.

Waves and currents provide energy necessary to move sand along the coast. This is called littoral drift. Littoral drift may occur at rapid or slow rates, and is the cause of beach erosion and accretion (build up). Development often occurs without much regard for the rate and direction of littoral drift. Landowners resort to many different measures to protect their property. Two kinds of barrier protection measures can be seen in the following pages.

A groin is a structure built to stabilize the beach by trapping littoral drift. It is built perpendicular to the shore and may extend up to 150 ft into the sea. Groins can be constructed from concrete, pilings, steel, or even rock. They are often built in groups called groin fields along a long stretch of coastline. Groins are effective in forming or stabilizing a beach upcoast, where the littoral drift is trapped and builds up. However, erosion occurs downcoast because the beaches cannot be replenished.

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La Jolla | Scripps | Sunset Beach | Torrey Pines

San Diego Area | Santa Barbara to Malibu | San Francisco to Monterey