Erosion was visible Monday on the western side of Goleta Beach, where waves are encroaching on that portion of the parking lot. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

Santa Barbara County Parks Department staff walked the shoreline at Goleta Beach Park earlier this week to find that much of the work crews had done to protect the beach from coming El Niño storms had been washed away with high tides over the weekend.

Crews worked all last week to construct a 2,400-foot sand berm along Goleta Beach Park to protect the park and surrounding infrastructure — including sewer, electrical and water lines, recreational facilities, the Beachside Bar-Cafe restaurant and two restrooms — from expected heavy storms.

The California Coastal Commission approved an emergency permit for a winter sand berm to be constructed along the shoreline.

However, the sand may not be enough.

It was moved from the eastern side of Goleta Beach to the western side, where erosion is strongest and more infrastructure such as the parking lot sits, and earth movers were seen Monday working along the beach.

Earth movers work to build up a Goleta Beach Park sand berm that was largely washed away over the weekend.

Earth movers work to build up a Goleta Beach Park sand berm that was largely washed away over the weekend. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

Jill Van Wie, capital projects manager for the Parks Department, was one of those staffers out walking the beach, and said that the berm is doing its job, but that the county may need to explore more options to protect the park.

“A significant portion of their work was washed away,” she said of the berm.

Van Wie said she plans to call the California Coastal Commission to talk about other alternatives to the sand berm, which the commission has already approved as a temporary measure.

Because of the high tides, erosion is “happening a lot quicker.”

High tides are expected through most of December, so Van Wie was trying to set up a meeting with the commission “as soon as possible.”

Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

High tides washed away most of a sand berm which was placed to protect park infrastructure such as the parking lot.

High tides washed away most of a sand berm which was placed to protect park infrastructure such as the parking lot.  (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.