Community Environment Government

How to build a beach: An illustrated guide in eight not-so-easy steps

Posted on October 7th, 2026 By: Chapin Day

A new beach is taking shape along the Gig Harbor waterfront, between the city’s Maritime Pier and the Tides Tavern.

The project aims to solve an erosion problem that’s been building for years, caused by a city storm drain that empties there. It’s all part of mitigation work for the city’s $3.6 million Commercial Fishing Homeport project.

Here’s what crews have been doing the past couple weeks:

Step 1

Photo by Chapin Day

Find a shoreline in need of a beach. Like, for instance, the seawall tideland between Tides Tavern and the city’s Maritime Pier on Harborview Drive. The beach there is badly eroded by years of outflow from a city storm drain.

Step 2

Have contractors bring in a whole bunch of hefty construction gear to temporarily block about half the city parking spaces adjacent to the restaurant and pier.

Step 3

Orchestrate a day-and-a-half (Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 5 and 6) parade of hefty trucks hauling in tons of beach mix — a blend of sand and pea gravel officially referred to as “beach nourishment.”

Step 4

Send the mix onto two lengthy linked conveyor belts, the second mounted on a mobile adjustable crane capable of swinging in wide arcs over the area of damaged tideland between the Tides and Maritime piers.

Step 5

Hurl the far edges of the new beach into place, then use a dangling hose-like device for more precise placement of the mix closer to shore.

Step 6

During Tuesday morning’s low tide, use an excavator to shape the new shore.

Step 7

Voila. New beach — not one for umbrellas, coolers and over-size towels, but a protective, restored tideland.

Step 8

Finally, keep reshaping as long as the tide allows.

Still to come this week: placement of an array of large rocks intended to shatter and scatter the formerly forceful and erosive drain flows.

If all goes as scheduled, city Public Works predicts that most of the job will be complete by at least by the weekend. That’s good news for anyone hunting for a parking place while hungering for fish and chips or a scenic waterfront stroll.