Beachscape: documenting our coastal environmental resources
A joint venture of the Santa Cruz Chapter
of the Surfrider Foundation,
Lighthhawk,
photographer Boots McGhee and our
previous web designer Kim McLeod
 Westside |
 Eastside |
 Capitola |
 Beaches of south Santa Cruz County |
Tom Dittmar was our pilot. We took off in his Cessna
from Watsonville Airport. Nathan Pierce, Santa Cruz chapter's chairperson,
organized this trip to open relations between the different agencies and
environmental groups. The idea was to brainstorm alternatives to coastal
armoring. The Redevelopment Agency of Santa Cruz, who is working
on the proposed seawall at Pleasure Point, declined to come due to scheduling
conflicts. It’s too
bad because the scene from aloft was epic.
Surfers Environmental Alliance (S.E.A.); Surfrider Foundation, Santa Cruz Chapter; Community Television; and KSBW, our NBC affiliate; joined the 2 flight day. We picked a glorious day. Sunny, and a high surf advisory added to the excitement.
Our flight was prompted by the proposed
seawall construction at Pleasure Point. It’s called a cliff
stabilization project with the term “soil nail wall” as the
type of fastening system to the steep slope. A drainage system, promenade,
and access, according to the Redevelopment Agency, would “enhance”
the area. Like many other coastal communities, seawall construction is
a growing concern in Santa Cruz County.
Thirty percent of our coastline here in Santa Cruz County is armored in one form or other (concrete walls, rip rap boulders, jetties). It is a growing reality especially with the extremely high cost of land and housing here in this county. However, there are many concerns that go with coastal armoring such as: the effects on the quality of the surf, loss of beach and beach access, disruption of natural processes, further armoring due to increased erosion at the edges. Alternatives must be practiced.
Erosion is the ultimate inevitability. Wearing away at the coastline is what waves do. And thank goodnessfor that. Surfers call it juice. Realtors call it "magnificent ocean vistas". Redevelopment Agencies need their jobs. However, can we afford to cement in the entire coast? Will a coastline of concrete be our legecy?
There are many reasons for this coastal armoring crisis: upstream dams block sand flow, construction is permitted too close to the edge, existing seawalls create erosion at the edges, jetties hold sand at one location while depriving it from another. Perhaps dam removal from rivers that used to dump all that wonderful sand into the ocean would help; or native grasses; or drainage systems to get the high water table to flow in a controlled manner. We hope this seawall and coastal tour, will help the public see that coastal armoring are totally temporary and that many other solutions are possible. Concrete is not the answer.
beachscape | westside | eastside | capitola | beaches of south scc