Another cliff collapse closes access to popular surf spot in Pismo Beach
A landslide in Pismo Beach has closed access to a popular surf spot, and it’s the third in the area within recent weeks.
A bluff collapsed at Ebb Tide Park in northern Pismo Beach and partially covered the bottom of the staircase leading to the beach below. The city has posted signs discouraging people to access the area.
The slide happened some time before 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to Matt Downing, Pismo Beach’s community development director.
The stairs are owned by the Cliffs Hotel and Shell Beach Estates homeowners association, which are responsible for maintenance and public beach access.
Downing wrote in an email to The Tribune that the city will be monitoring the bluff over the coming days just in case more of the soil should slide.
Because of the bluff’s instability, there’s no estimate on how long the beach closure signs will be posted, Downing said.
The Ebb Tide Park slide is one of three that has impacted public infrastructure in Pismo Beach.
Two benches — one in Eldwayen Ocean Park and another in Margo Dodd Park — could fall into the ocean as the bluffs below them erode.
“This is a natural process that can occur in episodic events,” Downing wrote in his email to The Tribune. “The city is aware of some areas that are showing signs of increased erosion, including the benches currently roped off. At this time, it appears that other areas pose no threat to public health and safety.
“However, as with any natural resource, conditions can change by the moment, and we encourage the public to act with caution when near the bluffs, both from above and from the beach below.”
Downing noted that the city estimates the restoration of the impacted areas could cost about $5 million, but “that number could increase as events such as these occur.”
