SANTA MONICA, CA — Weeks after Hurricane Marie dramatically reshaped portions of Santa Monica's shoreline, hundreds of volunteers will return to the sand Saturday — and some will head beneath the waves — to remove trash before future storms can carry it farther into the ocean.
The 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, with four cleanup sites along Santa Monica State Beach and an underwater cleanup beneath Santa Monica Pier. The events are part of a Los Angeles County effort spanning more than 60 locations, including beaches, rivers, parks, trails, neighborhoods and underwater sites.
The cleanup comes at an unusual moment for Santa Monica's coastline. Hurricane Marie stripped sand from the beach south of the pier over Labor Day weekend and pushed the high-tide water line 96 feet inland of the planned fire lane for the Ocean Way Festival, helping force the event's cancellation.
City crews began repairing the beach this week, moving and regrading sand and building a protective berm as Santa Monica prepares its shoreline for winter and several major events over the next two years.
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