State Parks Seeks More Public Input on Central Oregon Coast Riprap Permit

Published 10/19/2026 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Gleneden Beach, Oregon) – In recent decades, the intensity of ocean storms along the Oregon coast has risen, thanks to rising oceans and climate change. That, in turn, has taken out more chunks than ever of foredunes and cliffs that many oceanfront homes sit upon. (Riprap at Salishan)

For many such places – like Rockaway Beach, Neskowin or the Salishan Spit – an answer has been riprap: those large boulders placed below to hold back the marching tides. The Salishan and Gleneden Beach areas have been hit especially hard during some winters, and emergency riprap has gone up in at least two different places there, with longer term installations in the works or already in place.

Among the latest and most dramatic events happened in 2021. Now, there's more riprap revetments on the way, and it's snagged a lot of attention by locals on both sides of the issue.

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will hold a virtual public hearing on Nov. 18, 2026, at 2 p.m. to take testimony on an Ocean Shore Alteration Application seeking permission to build a 150-foot riprap revetment at the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area in Gleneden Beach, west of Beach Grass Lane.

Rockaway Beach / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

“OPRD received over 10 requests for a hearing during the public comment period that ended Oct. 9, 2026,” OPRD said. “This hearing is an information gathering session and provides an opportunity for OPRD to hear directly from the public on the submitted application materials.”

Staff will open the meeting before public testimony begins. Anyone wishing to speak must register in advance, and each participant will have up to three minutes to testify in the order they signed up. OPRD will issue a permit decision within 45 days of the hearing, taking into account comments submitted earlier and those provided during the session.

Application materials can be reviewed online under “Pending Applications,” listed as permit application 3128.

Virtual hearing details
Date: Nov. 18, 2026
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Zoom

Registration to testify closes at noon on Monday, Nov. 16. The registration form will ask whether you intend to submit a public comment.

Requesting accommodations
OPRD programs and services fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Anyone needing accommodations to participate should contact Allison Mangini at 541-220-3786 or allison.mangini@oprd.oregon.gov by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13.

Opponents to such measures say it is a harmful method, and there are other means to achieve this.

As the Surfrider Foundation's Charlie Plybon wrote in recent years:

“Over time, this will be a deadly combination. Hardened structures lead to increased erosion, both by deflecting waves onto adjoining shoreland and by causing scour at the front of the structure. At the same time, they deprive beaches of their natural sand supply. Higher seas and stronger storms pull sand offshore, but if nature is allowed to take its course, they replenish the beach by mobilizing sand from bluffs and dunes as they move upslope.”

Plybon and other experts say that once an area is deprived of a fresh sand supply, beaches will narrow, becoming inaccessible to people first at high tide, and then at lower and lower tide levels.

Photo CoastWatch: section of Gleneden Beach that is problematic at high tides

That is exactly what has happened to one section of Gleneden Beach where riprap was installed in the 2020s. CoastWatch reports show an area of beach no longer traversable at high tides.

Hotels in Lincoln City - Where to eat - Lincoln City Maps and Virtual Tours

Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

 

 

Oregon Coast's Rogue Ales Abruptly Closes All Operations - Newport, Portland,...
Over 60 people now unemployed. Company owed 100s of thousands in taxes, rent. Salem, Monmouth, restaurant reviews

Views to an Oregon Coast Thrill: Lincoln City's Diverse D River and the Rooms...
Whole new layers abound, including stunning hotel. Lodging reviews, Lincoln City hotel reviews, Shearwater Inn

Amanda Mansfield recommends Keystone Vacation Rentals, Depoe Bay, Lincoln Cit...
3 Sep 2026 at 6:22pm
Very clean, friendly staff. Had a fantastic time. Spacious rooms. Near casino, D Sands, Roads End, Fogarty Beach, Spouting Horn, Whale Watch Center, SW 15th ramp

Summer's Surprise Rate Drops in July On Oregon Coast Include Lincoln City Bea...
20 percent some vacation rentals in the heat of July's highest rates. Lincoln City lodging specials, Lincoln City hotel reviews

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Washington Coast / Oregon Coast Articles (stories are random: hit reload to see different articles)

South Oregon Coast Ice Skating Tradition Returns: That's Right, Ice Skating
28 Sep 2026 at 7:37am
Ice Skating rink in North Bend starts again Nov 21. Coos Bay events

N. Oregon Coast's Deeper, More Rugged Parks Could Use Some Help: Tillamook County Parks Foundation
15 Sep 2026 at 8:11am
County's push to elevate parks gaining major momentum, but seeking donations. Netarts, Oceanside, Nehalem, Rockaway Beach, Barview, Bayocean, Cape Meares, Pacific City

Beach Advisories Lifted in Three Oregon Coast Accesses: Lincoln City, Brookings, Oceanside
5 Sep 2026 at 9:30pm
Lincoln City's Siletz Bay, Mill Beach in Curry County. Oceanside. Safety

Oregon Coast Fave is Back Open After Almost a Year: Hug Point Near Cannon Beach
3 Sep 2026 at 6:22pm
Only phase 1 but at least the landmark with weird caves has returned. Manzanita, safety, traffic

Fire Restrictions Rescinded on Oregon Coast Federal Forestland - Inland State Parks Vary
21 Sep 2026 at 9:02pm
No more campfire restrictions on Siuslaw areas, state parks still in place inland. Florence, Yachats, Reedsport, Tillamook, Waldport, Pacific City, Roosevelt Beach, Lane County, Tillamook, Manzanita, Lincoln City

Yachats Mushroom Fest Unlocks the Fun with Oregon Coast Fungi
6 Oct 2026 at 5:49pm
Ocotober 16 - 18, three days of talks, walks, workshops. Yachats events. Cape Perpetua

Seaside Event Digs Deep Into History of Oregon Coast's Highway 101
16 Oct 2026 at 9:24am
101 at 100 ? The History of Oregon?s Most Iconic Highway at Seaside Brewing on October 29

Two Deadly Crashes This Weekend Near Oregon Coast, Including 4-Month-Old Girl
23 Sep 2026 at 9:11am
One happened near Florence and the other outside of Myrtle Point near Bandon. Traffic, rescue

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on Oregon Coast Beach Connection
All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright © Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted