The San Elijo Lagoon inlet near Solana Beach could close this fall after the nonprofit that manages it spent its 2026 maintenance fund on a single sand-clearing project in March.
Nature Collective said in a Tuesday, Sept. 1, post that the March project cleared more than 22,000 cubic yards of sand west of the railroad bridge, keeping the inlet open through the summer. But the work drained the organization's entire partial endowment for 2026 maintenance, and more sand has since piled up in the channel, extending beneath the bridge toward the Nature Center.
The money is gone. Any future sand removal depends entirely on outside funding, the organization said.
A closed inlet would mean declining water quality and rising floodwaters that could damage vegetation, according to Nature Collective. The 979-acre lagoon in Encinitas hosts more than 700 species of plants and wildlife, including the endangered Ridgway's Rail, according to SANDAG.
SANDAG-funded excavation planned
Nature Collective has developed a plan to use land-based equipment to clear sand east of the railroad bridge for the first time. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has approved funding for the work as part of the adaptive management strategy for the San Elijo Lagoon Restoration Project. A San Diego County Environmental Health Facebook post on Aug. 18 referenced $2.7 million in SANDAG project funding, though Nature Collective's own post did not specify a dollar amount.
The excavation would take about two months. Nature Collective's preferred window is April and May 2027, after the stormy season ends. But if the inlet closes entirely in September, the organization said it would shift the work to October and November 2026.
El Niño forecast adds uncertainty
A forecasted El Niño complicates the picture. The Los Angeles Times reported Aug. 24 that a super El Niño is 95% likely to develop this year, with the highest king tides expected on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve.
Nature Collective called El Niño the biggest unknown in its Tuesday, Sept. 1, post. Heavy winter rains could generate flows strong enough to keep the inlet open, the organization said, but massive ocean swells could also push more sand into the channel without delivering the inland rain needed to flush it back out.
If a closure happens in fall or mid-winter, Nature Collective said it may need to carry out a one- to two-day emergency clearing, funding permitting.
The inlet had closed before the March project as well. A February 2026 winter storm created a temporary natural breach, but the channel mostly re-blocked before the seven-day excavation began March 19. Sand removed in that project was used to rebuild part of the Cardiff Living Shoreline dunes south of the Charthouse Restaurant.
Upcoming community events
- Friday, Sept. 18: SDUHSD facilities survey closes as the district considers a bond measure.
- Saturday, Oct. 3: Solana Beach Library hosts a free Clean Air Day event.
