By Jorge Casuso

February 25_2026 -- Work began Tuesday on a row of dunes at Santa Monica Beach that will stretch from the Pier to the sands along the Venice border, City officials announced.

A joint effort by the City and The Bay Foundation (TBF), the 30-acre project will nearly double the area of dunes in active restoration at local beaches, officials said.

The latest restoration marks Phase III of "a robust resilience plan that will see dunes built along the entirety of Santa Monica Beach," according to a press release issued by the City.

"The Santa Monica Beach Dunes provide natural defenses against impending sea-level rise, enhance wildlife habitat and beautify the developed coastline," officials said.

The public will continue to have access to the ocean and beach facilities, including recreational space for volleyball and other uses, and small blue signs will direct beachgoers to open areas.

"Teams of biologists, landscape crews, volunteers, and schoolchildren are staking out and establishing the borders of the Santa Monica Beach Dunes and then placing seeds in the sand," City officials said.

"Over the coming months, teams will weed and clean the dune sites to help the native plants and wildlife thrive and keep the beach looking beautiful."

It will take several years for the dunes to reach some three feet in height as the wind-blown sand becomes compacted and held together by the roots and branches of the vegetation.

While the plants take hold, the dune's boundaries will be protected with "thin metal posts and natural fiber rope" directing visitors around the sites.

"Migrating birds, butterflies and other wildlife will use the dune habitat to rest, feed, nest, and mate," officials said.

The dunes will help protect local beaches from sea-level rise estimated to range from 1.6 feet to 3.1 feet by 2100, according to the State.

California has experienced about 8 inches of sea level rise over the past century, and the pace is expected to accelerate after 2050.

"Even a couple of feet of sea-level rise -- on top of normal tides, seasonal variations, and storm surges -- could significantly reduce the usable width of the beach over time," City officials said.

The Public Policy Institute of California notes that "working with nature will be an important ingredient" in countering the effects.

"Nature-based solutions like marshes, reefs, and beaches are good long-term investments in sheltered areas -- buffering shorelines against waves, providing habitat, and sequestering carbon," the Institute said.

Approximately $3.5 million funded through the Santa Monica Bay Coastal Habitat Restoration Program will be invested to establish, maintain and monitor the restored dunes.

Volunteers can attend a dune restoration event this coming Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. along the Santa Monica shoreline. No experience or special equipment is required. To register and for more information, click here