Dozens come out for 40th annual state of San Lorenzo River symposium

The San Lorenzo River running through Santa Cruz County is one of the most treasured natural resources in the county.

Today, dozens of organizations and community members gathered to talk about the past, present and future of the river.

Chris Berry with the City of Santa Cruz Water Department says it’s a time to bring awareness to the issues the waterway faces. One of those being illegal camping along the river.

Berry said by holding this symposium they can show how important this resource is to the residents of Santa Cruz. “The the San Lorenzo River, which we are talking about today, is the drinking water supply for over 100,000 people. It’s also one of the biggest steelhead and Coho watersheds south of the Golden Gate (bridge), it’s considered a primary coho salmon recovery watershed. Coho are on the brink of extinction, so that’s kind of a big deal for us.”