Much-needed sand is piling up on Oceanside beaches this week as the Army Corps of Engineers wraps up its annual dredging of the city harbor.

Enough sand was pulled out of the harbor this year to spread on the beach as far south as a playground near the Oceanside Municipal Pier.

That's a big improvement over last year, when winter storms had so eroded the beach that all of the harbor sand had to go to build up the portion of the beach north of the pier.

In all, more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand will be taken from the harbor for beach renourishment, harbor and beaches director Frank Quan said.

As part of the dredging, the Army Corps removed a sandbar that had built up at the mouth of the harbor, creating a hazard to boaters who had to fight their way through rough surf that was churned up as waves crashed over the sandbar.

"It's pretty much gone," Quan said.

In October, the Coast Guard issued a warning to mariners to be wary of the sandbar. An Army Corps of Engineers survey showed that the sandbar extended up to a third of the way across the harbor entrance, with water as shallow as 10 feet in some spots.

When the dredging is finished, Quan said the depth of the water will be 22 feet at the harbor entrance at zero tide, so boaters should have clear sailing entering and leaving the harbor.

Beachgoers should also notice a wider beach, with more room to spread out.

Even so, lifelong city resident John Daley said beach erosion "just seems to get worse each year, year after year."

Originally posted here:

OCEANSIDE: Harbor dredging puts sand on city beaches