Revetments are piles of rocks that protect the shoreline in Morro Bay. Harbor Director Chris Munson told KSBY News they were installed in the 1940s and haven’t seen any major updates since then.
There is more than a mile of revetments in the city, stretching from the State Park Marina up to Morro Rock. As rocks come off, soil behind them starts creeping out, affecting the shoreline and the platform behind it.
“A lot of that damage that you’re seeing down in Southern California where once the beach erodes, that next part that comes out is the revetment and then that’s when you start seeing houses and sidewalks hanging over the ocean," Munson said. "So, it’s very important.”
The price tag to repair damages is between $26 million and $55 million, but through the Water Resources and Development Act of 2026, Morro Bay could get federal help covering the cost. That would put the project under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alongside the harbor dredging work they already handle.
“While it doesn’t necessarily fund the project yet, it at least identifies it," Munson said. "So, we still have to get through Senate, and then we have to get through the funding as well, but this is a huge win.”
A recently approved federal bill means $66 million is coming to the Central Coast for water projects, and repairs to Morro Bay's sea wall could get funded.
Morro Bay resident and sea otter docent Sharon Iranpour spends lots of time near the seawall, and said she’s noticed a trend near it.
“Being out here as part of a data research team, we often see tourists who climb down these rocks and it’s risky. I’d like to see it improved,” Iranpour said.
“You can kind of see how this area has been patched up and is actually subsiding a bit," Munson said, pointing to fallen rocks. "So, once you start having the revetments wash away, it’ll start affecting the areas behind it."
Iranpour added she’s noticed that imbalance.
“We have to be careful when we set up because people are talking to us and are around us, so they can easily fall," Iranpour said.
The act still has to go through the Senate and finally the president’s desk. That’s not expected to happen until after the November elections.
