The destructive storm trains have abated. We can still expect winter weather to continue but hopefully not of the disaster variety. In addition to the wreckage caused by huge waves and tidal push during those storms, a massive amount of sand and silt was moved during those storm events. Because of prevailing nearshore currents, the sand tends to be dug away from North or West facing points, and deposited on the East or South lying areas. Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz is now sporting a new beach on the corner near indicators, a result of the massive sandbar there. Surfers are also enjoying the sandbars near San Lorenzo Rivermouth, one of the best waves in town when it’s working. 

 

Another great surf spot brings more mixed emotions for those who enjoy fishing and boating as well as surfing. The Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor entrance is dreadfully shoaled now, and has been so ever since the big storms in January. Great for surfing barrels, but not so great for big commercial crab boats. Though wind and rain have been lessened dramatically, the north and west swells have continued unabated. It seems the waves have not dropped significantly below six feet for the past month. Of course, this keeps the sand moving, digging out of some areas and depositing on others. Latest sounding map shows a narrow channel at the harbormouth about 10 feet wide and only five feet deep. Some boats continue coming in and out of the harbor, but pay very close attention to the tides and waves. Higher tide gives a little more leeway for boats beneath their keels, but harbor officials still reccommend against transiting the harbor mouth at this time.

 

Bought for 20 million dollars back in 2014, the dredge “Twin Lakes” has been operating every day as possible since the storms. Harbormaster Blake Anderson is extremely complimetary in his description of the dredge crew efforts. “It’s getting better every day that they dredge,” Anderson said on Wednesday. “They are working their butts off. Most people don’t see them but they really are the reason that we are a harbor instead of a lagoon. We couldn’t do it without them.” The dredge crew and other harbor staff are committed to getting the entrance fully cleared as soon as possible. They’re not able to predict a specific date when this will be accomplished, but it will be soon. “We’re gonna punch through,” how Anderson describes it.

 

Anderson described the progress and process of dredging efforts at the harbor right now saying, “The giant storms not only brought in all this sand, but also included tons of debris mixed with the deposits at the harbormouth. It’s a grueling process for the crew with all the logs and branches impacted within the sandbar. Pump cleanup takes a lot of time. They have to shut down the pump, take it apart, clean out the debris and put it all back together to keep things operating correctly and avoid pump failure. There’s also safety issues for both personnel and equipment. We’re dealing with big swells in shallow water every day.” Currently, the dredge is digging deep holes insie of the harbor entrance. this gives the sand blocking the entrance “a place to go,” and serves to encourage a natural channel at the entrance. As that immediate area gains depth, the dredge can move out to the entrance itself, widening and deepening the channel as they progress.