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The
County of Santa Cruz, Environmental Health Services
monitors approximately 31 shoreline locations, of which
14 are monitored year-round and 17 are monitored biweekly
during dry weather from April through October, from
as far upcoast as Waddell Creek Beach at Waddell Creek
near Big Basin Redwood Park to a downcoast location
at Palm Beach, near the Pajaro River. Most samples are
collected at the wave wash (where runoff meets surf),
or 25 yards north or south of the mouth of a storm drain
or creek.
Dry
weather water quality at most beaches in Santa Cruz
County was very good. Of the 27 water quality monitoring
locations, 85% (see Table 6 and Table 7) of the locations
received very-good-to-excellent water quality marks.
For the second straight year some of the cleanest beaches
were at Natural Bridges State Beach, Cowell Beach, Santa
Cruz Main Beach at the Boardwalk, Seabright Beach, Twin
Lakes Beach, and Palm Beach. Capitola Beach had two
monitoring locations, east and west of the jetty, which
received fair-to-poor water quality marks.
Unfortunately, wet weather water quality in Santa Cruz
County was poor. This year, 12 of the 13 locations with
wet weather data received an F. With some of the largest
waves occurring during wet weather, the 92% beach failure
rate should serve as a warning to surfers who enter
the water during or within three days of a rainstorm.
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Clean
Beach Initiative Summary
The City of Capitola will receive a $100,000 CBI grant
to divert storm drain flows from Capitola Beach to the
sewage system, where it will be treated. The City of
Santa Cruz will spend approximately $1.5 million in
CBI grant funds to improve wastewater infrastructure
and install dry weather diversions for Main Beach, Cowell
Beach, and Seabright Beach.
Sewage
Spill Summary
There were three reported sewage spills in Santa Cruz
County that led to beach closures. All three spills
were located at Capitola Beach. Two of the three spills
had unknown volumes, and the most recent spill, March
4, 2003, was 1,000 gallons.
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