On Feb. 18, hundreds of people showed up at Seacliff State Beach to help with cleanup after epic storms that caused epic damage in January.
The weather was enticing, unlike the rain and snow that arrived later in the month, and many people thought this would be their last opportunity to say good-bye to the landmark pier that served as a walkway to the Cement Ship for so many decades cut in half with the remainder at risk of imminent collapse. State Parks hosted a farewell event after the cleanup.
Mike Ross’s picture of Aptos’ “Cement Ship” the SS Palo Alto, moored at the end of the pier which is now gone.
Eric Taylor, who visited Feb. 11, posted on Facebook, “My kids jumped off the pier as Seacliff Junior Guards, I grew up here on the water, and my grandparents Manuel and Nadine Travers were laid to rest here in a ceremony from the stern of the Chardonnay Sailing Charters as they were regulars at the campground for decades.”
He added, “I hope they rebuild. It’s a special place.”
The Seacliff State Beach Recovery Fund started by Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, has raised over $45,000 so far and donations can still be made at https://thatsmypark.org/donate/
State Parks deputy superintendent for the Santa Cruz district Jordan Burgess said the date for the demolition has not been finalized, pending available of crews by Watsonville’s Granite Construction, the contractor, and permits approved.
Sections of the pier standing in ocean water will be accessed from a barge and removed by a subcontractor, according to Erin Kuhlman, Granite Construction’s chief marketing and communications officer.
Granite Construction is also working with State Parks in Half Moon Bay; the projects are funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The upper area of Seacliff State Beach is open to people on foot and bicycle – no cars.
The popular beachfront campground area, a unique experience on the Central Coast, will be closed through the end of 2023 due to the loss of facilities.
The pier, the campground and the seawall suffered the most damage.
State Parks leaders acknowledged the historical significance of the pier, which was built in 1930 to access the Cement Ship, launched in 1919 then towed a decade later to Seacliff State Beach, where it was an amusement venue until the partners went bankrupt in the Great Depression.
“State Parks is engaged in ongoing discussions regardinaag interpretation of the pier for visitors, as well as creative ways to highlight the significance of the structure,” said Superintendent Gabe McKenna.
He said there will be a public process to determine what amenities are possible in the future.
Climate change, sea level rise and extreme weather are concerns for State Parks leaders as they look to restore services for visitors.
The next step in the land cleanup is removing hazardous debris from the campground.
The storms destroyed nearly all of the seawall and much of the fill material on which the campground was built. Parking lot pavement and much of the underground utilities were lost to the sea.
Not everything is hazardous. Some of the driftwood is being marked and saved by State Parks for their use.
Along with cleanup, State Parks staff is focusing on options to restore limited public access.
“The local community, including individual community members, local businesses, community organizations, and the co-management partner Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, has stepped up in amazing ways to support Seacliff State Beach,” McKenna said. “The department looks forward to the continued collaboration with these partners and the public.”
For information on the state beach, visit www.parks.ca.gov/SeacliffStateBeach. To view more photos and a video of the damage, see http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31226
•••
Top Photo: Many people take advantage of the opportunity to say farewell to the fishing pier at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos. • Photo courtesy of Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks