While walking on the path by East Beach, my wife and I were curious about how much longer this giant pipe, which I assume is for the dredging in the harbor, is going to be along the coastline. —S.
The city’s Waterfront Director, Mike Wiltshire, was kind enough to explain:
The large black pipe running along East Beach is for the Army Corps of Engineers dredging process that typically occurs twice a year. It transports sand from the harbor down along East Beach. They are gearing up to dredge within the next couple weeks, and the process usually takes around a week.
The reason the pipe is now located up on the berm and plants is because the last few years of storms and king high tides have scoured the beach all the way back to the bike path in areas. Historically, the Army Corps would bury the pipe in the sand along East Beach above the high tide line, which was much less noticeable and obtrusive. Unfortunately, current beach conditions don’t allow for that, as the current high tide line is all the way up to the edge of the bike path.
Once this upcoming dredging cycle is complete, the piping will be removed. But it will be replaced again, likely in the same place, next fall/winter to dredge again.
Is there a question you’d like investigated? Email [email protected] or text 917-209-6473.
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Previous Burning Questions:
••• Is Cabrillo Boulevard going to be widened under Highway 101?
••• Was there a Fisherman Inn in downtown Santa Barbara?
••• What are those old buildings at the corner of Castillo and Montecito streets?
••• What’s this scaffold structure on Las Positas Road?
••• Why does street striping take so long to happen?
••• Why do rocket launches look the way they do?
••• How is the San Ysidro Debris Basin designed to work?
••• What’s this building on Helena Avenue?
••• What are those old pilings in Arroyo Burro Creek?
••• What’s this building under construction in Toro Canyon?
••• What’s the story behind the seal of the City of Santa Barbara?
↓↓↓ Butterfly Beach steps, green power lines, SBAG license plates, and more
••• What’s this pole with a flashing blue light?
••• What are these sculptures on the Riviera?
••• What’s the origin story of this fence on Hot Springs Road?
••• Why is part of this West Beach mosaic covered in concrete?
••• What was the Weeping Willow Inn?
••• What does the “S” on certain chimneys stand for?
••• What’s the status of the decommissioning of Rincon Island?
••• What happened to the gas flame on Highway 101?
••• What do we know about the proposed apartment complex at 1 Hot Springs Road?
••• What’s the history of this tower on Ortega Ridge?
••• What’s up with these sculptures on a hillside in Summerland?
••• Is there a master plan for the new walking paths in Montecito?
••• Why are the Thousand Steps still wet?
••• What’s happening with Sola Street?
••• Why is this lot on Milpas Street still vacant?
••• Where else do cruise ships that visit here go?
••• What is this large memorial in Ennisbrook?
••• Who bought the former St. Mary’s seminary—and why?
••• What will happen to the SBPD building when the new building is completed?
••• What’s the story with this house on W. Cota Street?
••• What are those little houses on Santa Barbara Street?
••• What’s the point of this light pole near the freeway?
••• What’s inside Paseo Nuevo’s State Street tower?
••• What’s the point of these markings on Laguna Street?
••• Why is there a giant red shoe off Highway 101?
••• What’s up with the “no e-bike” signs on local trails?
••• Why is Franceschi House in a holding pattern?
••• What’s happening with this derelict house in Summerland?
••• Can you explain how sundowner winds work?
••• Why is there a pressure cooker attached to this utility pole?
••• What’s this concrete ramp thing on East Beach?
••• Why does “USA” get written on the street?
••• What are those poles in the ocean near the Ritz-Carlton Bacara?
••• Are people really allowed to set fires in the middle of Montecito?
••• What’s the story with the half-finished lot next to the Montecito Country Mart?
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So, the ugly pipe has already been there several months. Maybe it will eventually disappear for a short time before it returns again? Is this really the best we can do? It totally trashed the aesthetic of the beachfront area
Totally agree. There is approximately 1.5 miles of shoreline that should be kept pristine, and instead we have that ugly pipe, the area around Sterns Warf that looks terrible (giant equipment marked “oil spill” in plain sight), the baby pool that has been abandoned with barbed wire fence around it. I could go on. How hard is it for a town that depends on tourists to keep that small strip of land attractive?
The big black pipe has never bothered me. Maybe because I’ve loved the SB harbor since the first time I saw it, that was the first week of October, 1977. I was in high school in Scottsdale, AZ and with some friends of mine we drove over to visit friends going to Westmont. Coming from AZ the drive though Montecito was magical. Then driving under the 101 and railroad crossing. . . . that was my first view of Santa Barbara. The bird refuge followed shortly by turning to the right and seeing the ocean. By the time we got down the harbor I was smitten. We parked where the bike path is today, and walked to John Dory’s (Brophy Bros.). I can still smell the warm wet smell of the ocean. It was hot that week, kind of like it is today. Ever since that day I’ve loved the Santa Barbara harbor. So I don’t mind the big black beautiful pipe. It functions to carry the sand (that is about to block the harbor entrance) down the coast. The beaches down the coast get sand, it’s good all around.
Thank you I was wondering this the other day when it was so beautiful out, standing over it while it stunk like creosote and tar. It’s been there for 3+ months, It’s just not OK it’s so ugly thank you for the information. I mean they spend all this money to relandscape the area and then throw a nasty pipe up along the bank where you can’t even see the ocean from the grass. It’s just so subpar.
They remove the pipe and it looks so good. The view is so beautiful from the lawn area. I get that I need to have to do it, but to install it and leave it for five months to use it for two weeks is ridiculous. I get that there was probably permitting or budgeting issues, hopefully they don’t do it again because it is such a difference without that Honking creosote pipe blocking the beautiful view from most all of the beach on the east side. I’d love to see em route that down to butterfly Beach see how that goes over