Debris-covered beaches still attract crowds

Plenty were out and about enjoying the sunshine and breeze at beaches along the Central Coast on Wednesday.

There was still trees and branches covering the sands at Capitola Beach, all from the past winter storms the area saw.

“The state parks, we are in the process of removing and pushing a lot of logs into certain areas,” said Eddie Rhee-Pizano, a lifeguard supervisor at state beaches. “We have plans for heavy equipment to come in and basically try to clean up the beach as best as possible.”

At Capitola Beach, the city started to move all the wood around a couple weeks ago. They pile debris along different parts of the beach and wait for the next storm to take it all away. All the wood at Capitola Beach comes from Soquel Creek, which drains into the ocean.

“Yeah we’ve been coming for years, and there’s a lot of wood all over the beach,” said Casey Tate, a visitor. “It’s been fun for the kids to play, I mean kids are building forts, building all kinds of stuff. We built a soccer goal.”

“The ocean has such soothing properties to it, it’s just a magnificent place,” said Todd Jacobsen, an Aptos resident. “You don’t see too many stressed out people at the beach or along the cliffs here.”

Capitola Public works says they will totally remove any remaining wood from the beach come May. At state beaches, the debris is usually gone by summer because beach-goers use the wood for bonfires.

Seeing all the debris is pretty typical after winters in the area. Officials we spoke to say these past winter storms did not bring in more wood than usual.

If you plan on going anywhere close to the water along the Monterey Bay, it is important to stay safe.

Expect large waves in the ocean with strong rip currents. Lifeguard stations are going up for the spring. Spring break is nearly here and officials are getting ready for more people showing up at the beach.

Remember to never turn your back to the ocean and always watch the water.