What’s new in San Lorenzo River news?
Art + Science = Our Environment: A Discussion at Radius Gallery
This year, the Ebb & Flow River Arts Festival is coming to you, providing unique and interesting ways to engage with arts and science content about the San Lorenzo River and local ecosystems. Artist Yolande Harris explored the theme of interconnection in her Ebb...
San Lorenzo River Scavenger Hunts
Perfect for a walk or an exciting stop-and-go bike ride along the San Lorenzo River, these new scavenger hunts provide a great opportunity to see and hear the beauty and life surrounding the Santa Cruz Riverwalk. Fun for all ages, each interactive search is about 1.5 miles and takes at least 30 minutes. Have fun out there!
Riverwalk Tour with Executive Director Greg Pepping
Join the Santa Cruz Warriors and Kaiser Permanente for a virtual river walk with Executive Director of the Coastal Watershed Council, Greg Pepping. Greg will lead you on a stroll through the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, show you certain flowers...
CWC Stands With Black Lives Matter
The Coastal Watershed Council stands with Black Lives Matter, condemns hate, racism and violence against Black people and commits to practicing anti-racism, allyship and intersectional environmentalism. As a leader of a mostly white organization, I will start with listening and learning, which matches our organization’s strategy or “theory of change,” to transform the San Lorenzo River into a community destination that Santa Cruz is proud of and drawn to…
San Lorenzo River Action Projects Guide
You can help protect our San Lorenzo River! This Action Projects Guide provides fun opportunities and creative ways to learn about and protect the San Lorenzo River, our main source of drinking water and habitat to hundreds of animal and plant species.
Chinatown Bridge Update
Not all experiences should be remembered. If we recall our struggles too crisply, the burden may be heavy. On the other hand, forgotten memories cost us the warmth and appreciation from special moments in our lives. Ideally, we have full recall of the highlights and...
Celebrating Snapshot Day Together While Apart
Although we can’t gather together for Snapshot Day this year, learn about the variety of online resources we have for you to investigate water quality at home! Also learn about a new water quality trend report developed by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and based on 20 years of Snapshot Day data.
Santa Cruz Riverwalk Re-Opens
The Santa Cruz Riverwalk has re-opened. If you live within walking or biking distance, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and visit the lower San Lorenzo River. Check out CWC's newly published activities for you and your family to enjoy while abiding by the...
Video Storytime: San Lorenzo River Stories of Grandma Steel
Curl up and get cozy, it’s story time! Join a reading of the Coastal Watershed Council’s San Lorenzo River Stories of Grandma Steel, a story about of a spawner steelhead trout named Grandma Steel telling young steelhead trout alevin about the history of the San Lorenzo River and the unique life cycle of the steelhead trout. The video concludes with an opportunity for youth to write down or share with someone else what they learned from the story.
Interactive Virtual Tour: Native Plants of the San Lorenzo River
Native plants are an important part of the San Lorenzo River. Join CWC staff Whitney Reynier and Mollie Behn on this interactive virtual tour to learn more about the local plants that call the San Lorenzo River home and why they are so important to protecting the health of the San Lorenzo River.
Interactive Virtual Tour: What Makes a River Healthy?
The San Lorenzo River is an important part of the Santa Cruz community for wildlife, plants and humans. A healthy San Lorenzo River is important for the well-being of our entire community. Join CWC staff Whitney Reynier and Mollie Behn on this interactive virtual tour to learn what makes the San Lorenzo River healthy. You’ll have a chance to learn a bit about the history of the river, observe important features of the river that help make it healthy, and share your ideas either in writing or by drawing.
Interactive Virtual Tour: Exploring the San Lorenzo River
Explore the San Lorenzo River from your home with CWC staff Mollie Behn, Sam Adelson and Whitney Reynier with this interactive virtual tour. Listen to the sounds of the river and observe the plants and animals that call the San Lorenzo River home. You’ll be surprised what you might see and hear.
Interactive Virtual Tour: Steelhead Trout Habitat in the San Lorenzo River
Steelhead trout are unique fish that spend part of their life in the San Lorenzo River and part of their life in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Get to know steelhead trout and their habitat in the San Lorenzo River by joining Educators Mollie Behn and Sam Adelson on this interactive virtual tour.
Santa Cruz Riverwalk Temporarily Closed
Over the last few weeks, we've all experienced a tremendous amount of rapid change as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter in place and protect the most vulnerable in our community. As of midnight on April 8, the Santa Cruz Riverwalk park and all Santa Cruz...
Spring Has Sprung at the San Lorenzo River
For CWC Executive Director Greg Pepping spring is a time of hope, renewal and growth. With the dry winter we've had, CWC is hoping for rain to replenish our river and nourish all the native seedlings volunteers just like you have planted....
Why Flags?
As you meander along the east side of the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, you have likely noticed the sea of blue, pink and white landscaping flags covering the riverbank between the Soquel Avenue and Laurel Street bridges. You may have wondered, "What are these flags for?" or...
The CWC Team Welcomes Educator Meg DeCoite
Currently a senior at UCSC studying marine biology, Meg DeCoite is thrilled to come onboard as CWC’s After-School Educator leading the Watershed Rangers programs at Westlake and DeLaveaga elementary schools. This environmental education program connects, inspires and...
What Does Greg Pepping Love Most?
The San Lorenzo River not only provides drinking water to our community but also the opportunity to connect with nature right in the heart of town. Hear CWC's Executive Director, Greg Pepping, share what he most loves about our river and...
Falling in Love with the San Lorenzo River
Watershed Rangers wave goodbye to the San Lorenzo River at the end of a CWC field tripIf you’ve ever fallen in love with a special someone, there are some telltale signs you may recognize: The way your eyes widen when you see them from afar, the smile and giggles that...
Growing Love for the River
Here at CWC, we have a motto: "Healthy Watersheds, Thriving Communities". We believe that when people care for the San Lorenzo River, learn about its significance and build a connection to nature, it benefits not only the river but the broader Santa Cruz community....
The Impact of Watershed Rangers in Action
When students finish CWC's Watershed Rangers environmental education program, they raise their hand and take a pledge: “As a Watershed Ranger, I promise to protect and care for our community and the San Lorenzo River. I promise to continue to explore the San Lorenzo...
2020: A Milestone Year for the Coastal Watershed Council
Executive Director Greg Pepping talks about the past, present and future for Coastal Watershed Council, including an exciting new public art project commemorating Santa Cruz's Chinatowns.
Celebrating CWC’s 2019 Accomplishments
Thanks to all of the hundreds of volunteers, donors and supporters like you, 2019 was a great year for the Coastal Watershed Council! It's because of you that: CWC advocated for the commemoration of Santa Cruz's historic Chinese neighborhoods with the naming of the...
Coastal Bush Lupine
Every second Saturday of the month, CWC leads River Health Days where volunteers help plant and care for a variety of native plant species to increase biodiversity and habitat complexity and support a healthy river ecosystem. Coastal Bush Lupine (Lupinus arboreus) is...
End of the Year Marks a New Beginning for Watershed Rangers
"As a Watershed Ranger, I promise to protect and care for our community and the San Lorenzo River. I promise to continue to explore the San Lorenzo River, ask what I can do to help out and share what I know with others." --Watershed Ranger Pledge As 2019 comes to a...
Celebrating 2019 Volunteers of the Year
Pictured above: Carol, Pedro and Felker Street neighbors celebrate a successful storm drain mural design workshop.Taking care of the San Lorenzo River really does take a village. And oh, what a village the San Lorenzo River is blessed with! 2019 experienced a record...
Donate to the Coastal Watershed Council
As the season turns and we begin to consider gift-giving, many of us realize we don’t want to give more “stuff.” Instead, you can make a gift that helps transform the San Lorenzo River - and you can share the river with...
CWC Embarks On the Next Phase of San Lorenzo River Improvements
Thank you for being part of the movement to transform the lower San Lorenzo River into a community destination that Santa Cruz is proud of and drawn to. Thanks to you, CWC is exceeding our goals of inspiring more youth and their families...
“Can We Say ‘Thank You’ Again?”
Throughout any Coastal Watershed Council field trip to the San Lorenzo River, to the Montery Bay Sanctuary Exploration Center, to Loch Lomond or any of the locations that CWC's Watershed Rangers K-8th grade students visit, you'll hear CWC educators Sam Adelson and...
Habitat Highlights from the Dry Season
During the dry season in summer and fall, the banks of the San Lorenzo River turn from green to gold. Native plants finish flowering and go dormant, conserving their resources until wet weather returns and their cycle beings anew. While native plants wait patiently...
Are You Ready for Rain?
Are you ready for rain? Pollution affecting the San Lorenzo River comes from many, disperse sources known as nonpoint source pollution. When it rains, pollutants from all across the watershed are transported into the San Lorenzo River and...
CWC Presents at Regional Convening on Homelessness and Water Quality
On Thursday, October 3, 2019, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board convened a solution-focused collaborative forum on the water quality impacts of homelessness. The goal of the forum was to identify and promote actions that reduce homelessness as...
Watershed Rangers Play with Hydrology
A second-grade after-school student at Bay View Elementary School whips her hair in a circle, flinging water drops all over her fellow Watershed Rangers classmates as they squeal in a fit of laughter. Although the rainy season has not yet arrived in Santa Cruz and...
How Do You Get Ready for Rain?
Before the winter rains come, how will you get ready for rain? The first significant rainfall of the year scours your streets and neighborhoods and will move everything in its path into local waterways. Heavy rain picks up and moves bacteria, oil and grease, sediment,...
Common Rush: A Defensive Line Along the River
In the spirit of learning, the Coastal Watershed Council invites you to explore and learn more about native plants growing along the lower San Lorenzo River. Every second Saturday of the month, CWC leads River Health Days where volunteers help plant, water and care...
Connecting 2,700 Youth to Nature
For CWC and the 2,700 K-8th grade students who will participate in CWC's Watershed Rangers program this year, back to school means back to the San Lorenzo River. Each year, CWC collaborates with over 25 schools, clubs and community centers...
CWC’s Environmental Leaders Fellowship
Written by: Anna Maldonado CWC Environmental Leaders Fellow Growing up in Santa Cruz, I was always aware of the San Lorenzo River running through town. After finishing my second year at UC San Diego studying Earth Sciences, I was...
Watershed Rangers Head Back to School
Although the weather in Santa Cruz still indicates summer break, it's time to sharpen pencils and put on that backpack. Back to school season is here and it influences almost all of us in one way or another. Maybe you have gone shopping to make sure your kids have...
Santa Cruz Paints Its First Storm Drain Murals
Photos Courtesy of Jake J. Thomas Photo and Coastal Watershed Council staff. Storm drain murals beautify and increase public art in local neighborhoods, a priority for river neighbors, and help people visualize how their local storm drain is connected to...
20th Annual Snapshot Day Results and Storymap
The results of the 20th Annual Snapshot Day are here!During Snapshot Day 2019, 60 volunteers collected field measurements and water samples from rivers, streams and sloughs across Santa Cruz County. To determine the health of waterbodies sampled during...
Teaching the Importance of Water Quality Through the Eyes of a Steelhead
The Coastal Watershed Council’s commitment to preserve and protect the San Lorenzo River watershed includes providing watershed science education to over 2,500 Santa Cruz County youth annually. Be it a series of classroom visits and field trips, after-school programs,...
Celebrating River Health Day Success
The Coastal Watershed Council's River Health Day program engages corporate teams, community volunteers and youth groups to remove invasive species, plant native plants and improve ecosystem health along lower San Lorenzo River. In addition to...
Watershed Rangers Summer Programs Explore the San Lorenzo River
CWC's Watershed Rangers summer programs are an incredible opportunity to connect youth to the San Lorenzo River Watershed. Through several field trips, students recognize the scope of the San Lorenzo River's existence in their own backyard and beyond the city limits...
Pick up Pet Waste to Protect the San Lorenzo River!
On average, a dog produces 3/4 pounds, around 340 grams, of waste a day. In each gram of poop there are 23 million coliform bacteria. That means every time you pick up after your pet, you stop millions of billions of harmful bacteria from infecting people and dogs swimming downstream.
20th Annual Snapshot Day Success
Thank you to all of the community scientists and other volunteers who attended the 20th Annual Snapshot Day on Saturday, May 4! Snapshot Day is the largest and longest running single-day water quality monitoring event in California. Every year, trained...
Beach Flats Community Co-Designs Park Storm Drain Art
Thank you to all the Beach Flats community members who gathered on May 3rd to help design storm drain art at Beach Flats Park! Beach Flats is one of three riverside neighborhoods that will be collaborating with the Coastal Watershed Council, the City of Santa Cruz,...
State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium Marks 40 Years of Santa Cruz Conservation
Article originally published by FISHBIO in their weekly e-newsletter, the Fish Report. View Original Article on the...
Volunteer and Celebrate 20 Years of Community Action for Central Coast Water Quality
On May 4, 2019, the Coastal Watershed Council will celebrate the 20th Annual Snapshot Day. Snapshot Day is the largest and longest running single-day water quality monitoring event in California. What makes Snapshot Day an exceptional event and a long-standing...
Environmental Leaders Fellowship 2019 Application Open
Do you like working with others to benefit the environment and the community? Do you want to help inspire the next generation of environmental leaders? If you (or someone you know) wants to spend the summer honing leadership skills and improving the San Lorenzo River,...
The Smartest Heron on the San Lorenzo River
Contributing Author By Katherine Dale, PhD student, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz Herons and egrets are some of the most commonly spotted birds on the San Lorenzo River, thanks to their large size and...
Youth Encourage River Stewardship at Downtown Businesses
“I am a Watershed Ranger and 4th-grader at Bay View Elementary School. I’d like your permission to post my flyer up in your store. The flyer shares how you can help to protect steelhead trout habitat.”If you have visited a business in downtown Santa Cruz...
How Former Governor Jerry Brown Supports the San Lorenzo River
People protect what they know and love. Even kids. CWC helps to cultivate this love for the San Lorenzo River for youth in grades K-8 through experiences, through knowledge, through little moments that make you wonder about how the river interacts with you and with...
Uniting Art and Science for Cleaner Water
This spring a storm drain near you is getting a makeover. Thanks to the partnership between the Coastal Watershed Council, neighbors in the Beach Flats and Ocean’s 11 communities, Environmental Projects Analyst Suzanne Healy and City Arts Manager Beth Tobey, local...
Introducing Youth River Health Days
Participating in habitat restoration projects such as CWC’s River Health Days is a tactile experience for youth. Imagine... the crunchy soil tickles your hands, the clack of the shovel hits a rock reverberates in your ears, the sight of an earthworm inching by...
Celebrating CWC’s 2018 Accomplishments
Thank you so much for making 2018 great! Yes, you. People like you who follow CWC's work, who participate, act and advocate for your river are generating positive change for your San Lorenzo River. You've accomplished a lot in 2018 and, as a result, your river is...
Enjoy 2019 at the San Lorenzo River!
What does 2019 have in store for the Coastal Watershed Council? We are looking forward to more walks along the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, blooming native plants along the San Lorenzo River and getting to know Santa Cruz’s network of river lovers and...
DeLaveaga Kindergarteners Become Watershed Rangers
On behalf of the Coastal Watershed Council, I want to congratulate each of the brilliant students in Ms. Zúñiga’s dual-language kindergarten class at DeLaveaga Elementary for achieving the highly coveted status of Watershed Ranger! These amazing youngsters...
Vrinda Quintero Transforms the San Lorenzo River with People and Food
For many of us, the holiday season is a time of coming together with family and friends, old and new. We gather and connect. We eat, tell stories and maybe even find time to bicker about politics. Within our communities, there is often someone who convenes...
Announcing 2018 Volunteer of the Year
As we wrap 2018, we reflect on what we have accomplished over the past year. We recognize the youth and the adults, the corporate teams and community groups that took action to enhance the San Lorenzo River, the Santa Cruz Riverwalk and riverfront...
San Lorenzo Trestle Bridge Slated for Upgrade By Memorial Day 2019
If you've ever crossed the San Lorenzo River at the Trestle Bridge in the peak of summer, you know it can be a harrowing experience. There are bikers, dog walkers and beachgoers bumping past one another to get to the opposite bank. Next summer, that will change. On...
Your Support Matters
Your support drives each and every accomplishment of the Coastal Watershed Council from engaging 500 volunteers and helping to empower 2,500 youth each year for a cleaner and healthier San Lorenzo River. The impact that CWC and these volunteers and youth create...
Thank you to the Santa Cruz Fly Fishermen!
Do you remember the first time you put on waders and stepped into a river? Walking forward, you watched your boots disappear as the water deepened. You felt a cold pressure wrap around each leg, and maybe you wondered, is there a hole where the water is seeping in? If...
Illuminated River
Contributing AuthorArticle originally published by the City of Santa Cruz Economic Development Office. Written by: Joel Hersch View Original...
After School Programs Teach Fly Fishing Along the San Lorenzo River
This school year the Coastal Watershed Council will bring 600 students to see, touch and explore the San Lorenzo River ecosystem. During these field trips, students learn about steelhead trout, native plants that create river habitat, and the bugs that...
Growing along the River: Yarrow
This winter, the Coastal Watershed Council will lead volunteers in planting almost 2,000 plants on the banks of the San Lorenzo River during River Health Day habitat restoration events. Yarrow is one beneficial plant that you might spot growing along the river. What's...
CWC’s Environmental Leaders Fellowship
The Coastal Watershed Council is committed to fostering the leadership of the next generation of environmental leaders and is proud to do through our summer fellowship program. This year, Francisca Fazzio spent her summer working with the Coastal Watershed Council as...
Watershed Rangers Head Back to School
No matter your age, you can make a difference. This school year, CWC will teach over 2,500 youth through scientific investigation and study of the San Lorenzo River watershed, increasing their awareness of environmental issues and how they can be part of...
Snapshot Day 2018 Monitoring Suggests Increases in Common Pollutants
The 19th Annual Snapshot Day took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Led by the Coastal Watershed Council, volunteers from Santa Cruz joined volunteers across the Central Coast in studying water quality in local streams running to the Monterey Bay and nearby...
Why Santa Cruz CORE Donates to the Coastal Watershed Council
Article originally published by Santa Cruz CORE Fitness + Rehab. At Santa...
Trees Planted along the Santa Cruz Riverwalk
Did you know that the City of Santa Cruz received a grant to plant 500 trees throughout Santa Cruz this year? Thanks to volunteers and staff from the Coastal Watershed Council, Patagonia Santa Cruz Outlet and City of Santa Cruz Parks and...
San Lorenzo Summer Camp
Nearly 100 youth explored the San Lorenzo River this summer. Youth from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, Nueva Vista Community Resources and the downtown Boys and Girls Club explored, investigated and examined the lower San Lorenzo River as part of their...
Describe the Santa Cruz Riverwalk of your Dreams
The year is 2025 and you have created the Santa Cruz Riverwalk of your dreams. You decided what activities you can do there, what features to add, how to connect the Riverwalk with the San Lorenzo River and how the Riverwalk makes you feel. Maybe your...
Into Being – The River Revisited
Written By: Diana Hobson Diana is an English born artist, now living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Northern California. Diana's work has evolved through glass/mixed media, sculpture, installation and photography to include video and sound installation. The...
Unique Collaboration Inspires Wonder and Curiosity for Watershed Rangers
When educators inspire wonder and curiosity in their students, the students learn differently. They build an interest in observing more, in research and in understanding what they see. Students seek to develop their own explanation of how, why or what...
Honoring Santa Cruz’s Chinese-American History
Santa Cruz's Chinatown once stood along the lower San Lorenzo River, built on "China Lane" between the city's downtown business district east of Front Street, where today stands Regal Riverfront Cinemas. As the Coastal Watershed Council looks to the river's future, we...
New City of Santa Cruz Rebate Program for Sewer Lateral Repairs
Repair your sewer lateral. Save money. Protect the San Lorenzo River. On June 12 the City of Santa Cruz launched an incentive program to support Santa Cruz homeowners and business owners in completing repairs on their sewer laterals. The incentive program includes a...
June is San Lorenzo River Month
Did you know that June is San Lorenzo River month in the City of Santa Cruz? How will you be celebrating and getting to know your river? At CWC, we believe that when you care for your river, learn about its significance and build a...
Volunteers Fuel River Habitat Enhancement
By Alexandra Baldwin, CWC Restoration Ecology Intern Have you noticed the hundreds of pink flags along the lower San Lorenzo River between the Laurel and Soquel Avenue Bridges? Each flag marks a young beneficial plant that was planted by a community...
Rally ho! Lessons Learned at River Rally
This May, hundreds of river advocates from nonprofits, federal and state agencies and local municipalities gathered at the Truckee River in Tahoe, CA, for the 2018 River Rally conference. Among the advocates were Greg, Laurie, Mollie and Alev from the Coastal...
Student Solutions to Prevent Impacts of Human Development
How does the San Lorenzo River change as it flows towards the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary? This is the very question students participating in the Watershed Rangers after-school program at San Lorenzo Valley Middle School investigated at three sites along...
Are there plague minnows in the San Lorenzo River?
Gambusia affinis is one of the most widely introduced species across the globe. When they are destructive in their non-native ecosystems, they’re deemed an invasive species, yet in other contexts they may cause little to no harm. Read on to find out...
Connecting Youth to Their River
“Bugs! There are bugs in the water!” Kindergartners from Tierra Pacifica Charter School stand side by side peering through magnifying lenses into the San Lorenzo River just next to Mike Fox Skate Park to get a glimpse at the aquatic bugs that call the San Lorenzo...
Tannery Residents Enhance San Lorenzo River Habitat
Tannery Arts Center residents gathered on a beautiful Sunday in March to care for their neighbor, the San Lorenzo River. Youth and adults planted a mix of native plants on the banks of the San Lorenzo River. Among them were gumweed, blackberry, primrose,...
CWC’s Big Move
The Coastal Watershed Council (CWC) is moving our office to the lower San Lorenzo River so that we can more easily care for the river on a daily basis, see what’s happening at the river from our desks and more easily host events that bring you to the river. CWC's...
Community Science Matters
Community science is important. Learn why from CWC Executive Director Greg Pepping. You too can be a scientist by signing up for the 19th Annual Central Coast Snapshot Day on Saturday, May 5th, 2018.
Santa Cruz Warriors and Partners Team Up in River Restoration
On Saturday, March 17, volunteers from the Santa Cruz Warriors and Big Brothers Big Sisters worked together to plant over 400 plants along the San Lorenzo River. The crew of 80 river stewards included staff, players, coaches, season ticket holders and Big Brother Big...
Community Foundation CEO Susan True Becomes a Sworn Watershed Ranger
How do you take action for the lower San Lorenzo River and the Santa Cruz Riverwalk? There are so many ways to make a difference! Hear from Community Foundation CEO Susan True about how she takes action to transform the lower San Lorenzo River into a community...
Coho Salmon: Rooting for a Comeback
By: Katie Kobayashi PhD Student, UC Santa Cruz Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Talk to a long-time resident of the San Lorenzo Valley, and they might recall the days when Santa Cruz winters brought rain, a raging river and swarms...
Willows: Stewards of the San Lorenzo River
Willows are an essential component of river or marsh habitats. Thriving in saturated riparian soil, willows grow extensive root systems that stabilize river banks, by holding sediment and soil in place and protecting the bank during high flow events. Willows support water quality by preventing sediment from entering the stream …
Youth Find Fish in the San Lorenzo River
Imagine living along the lower San Lorenzo River all your life, but never getting to see what lives in the river. That recently changed for students who live in the Lower Ocean and Beach Flats neighborhoods who attend the after-school program at Nueva...
Rainbow Trout: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Article originally published by FISHBIO in their weekly e-newsletter, the Fish Report. Written by fisheries biologist Michael Hellmair of FISHBIO View...
City Leaders Announce Plan for River Street Camp
Over one hundred people just like you asked local leaders to publicly communicate their plan for their encampment located at the benchlands of San Lorenzo Park along the lower San Lorenzo River. You asked them to share who is in charge, what the next steps were and...
Youth Investigate How Water Consumption Impacts Fish
“It can’t swim anymore!” Swarming around a tupperware container filled with water representing the San Lorenzo River, youth at the Boys and Girls Club excitingly use a turkey baster to remove water from the creek representing the extraction of water from
Environmental Leaders Fellowship Application Open
Are you interested in spearheading change for the San Lorenzo River?Are you ready to practice your leadership? Do you like working with others to benefit the environment and the community? If you (or someone you know) wants to spend their summer honing their...
San Lorenzo River Water Quality Update
The San Lorenzo River is cleaner than you might think. Still, there are a number of challenges to a healthy San Lorenzo River, including pollution from bacteria, sediment and nutrients. A unique partnership, consisting of water quality experts and stormwater...
Mysterious Visitors to Coastal Lagoons
By Megan Sabal, UCSC, Graduate Student, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are anadromous fish that spawn in freshwater and travel to productive ocean waters to reach impressive sizes. Within this...
American Public Works Association Awards Honor City’s Work on the Santa Cruz Riverwalk
The Santa Cruz Riverwalk's 5 mile loop was completed in 2017 with the construction of the Branciforte Creek Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge. On January 24, this project and its engineer -City Engineer/Assistant Public Works Director Chris Schneiter (pictured here, left) -...
American Coots: Seriously, Not a Duck!
By Katherine Dale, PhD student, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz Take a walk along the San Lorenzo River and you’ll almost certainly see black, football-shaped birds speedily swimming around. They might be...
Main Street Elementary Watershed Rangers Design Tools to Reduce Stormwater Runoff
"There's a pencil in the storm drain! We need to get it out!" exclaimed 4th grade students at Main Street Elementary after they found several objects in a school storm drain they knew would eventually make its way to a local creek. Over the course of four...