SAN DIEGO - The San Diego City Council today postponed until Sept. 14 a discussion on whether to dredge the Children's Pool in La Jolla so that people and seals could use the beach.

The Children's Pool breakwater was built in 1931 - with a grant from Ellen Browning Scripps - as a sheltered swimming area for children. In recent years, it has been occupied by a colony of federally protected harbor seals.

The county's Environmental Health Department closed the beach to the public in 1997 because of fecal contamination from the seals.

The proposal calls for 3,000 cubic yards of sand to be dredged from the beach, which would allow tidal flow to flush the area and improve water quality, according to a city manager's report.

Environmentalists claim that dredging the pool would violate the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it unlawful to harass seals.

Proponents argue that the Children's Pool is one of only a few beaches that people can safely swim at in La Jolla.

The city estimates the project would cost between $250,000 to $500,000.