Riverside, CA Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

The California Coastal Act (Public Resources Code Division 20, §30000 et seq.) establishes the Coastal Zone as extending seaward to the state's outer limit of jurisdiction and inland generally 1,000 yards from the mean high tide line — extending inland up to 5 miles in significant estuarine, habitat, and recreational areas, or less than 1,000 yards in developed urban areas. The City of Riverside lies in the Inland Empire, approximately 50 miles east of the Pacific coastline, entirely outside the statutorily defined Coastal Zone. Accordingly, Riverside has no Local Coastal Program (LCP) and issues no Coastal Development Permits — the California Coastal Commission has no jurisdiction over development within the city. Coastal-related environmental review for inland projects with downstream effects on coastal resources (large water-treatment facilities, major Santa Ana River diversions) may still trigger Coastal Commission consultation, but ordinary land development in Riverside is governed by the city's standard zoning, building, and CEQA processes — not the Coastal Act.