Granite Bay residents, trying to preserve the tranquility of Folsom Lake's western shore, are blasting a plan to dig up a stretch of beach near their homes as part of a billion-dollar federal flood control project.

The excavation would provide soil to strengthen three earthen dikes and boost flood protection for Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom and Granite Bay -- a region identified by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as one of the nation's most at-risk communities.

But residents whose backyards tumble out onto the lake say dredging the beach will stir up dust, dirt and noise, and hamper access by people who use the popular lake for hiking, swimming, jogging and horseback riding.

They've formed a citizens group called Save Our Shores and have collected 1,500 signatures opposing the excavation near Mooney Ridge. They plan to ask the Board of Supervisors for its support.