Another cliff collapse at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane raises erosion concerns
A second cliff collapse this summer at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz has sparked concerns among surfers and coastal experts about erosion and its impact on the waves.
For the second time this summer, a section of the cliff at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz has fallen into the ocean, raising concerns about erosion at the popular surf spot.
Surfers are paying close attention to the changes and their potential effects on the waves.
“I want kids to be able to surf the same waves that I got to surf growing up. But there’s a lot of changes happening right in front of our face,” said Shaun Burns, a surfer and member of Save the Waves Coalition.
Video captured by Surfline shows the moment another piece of the cliff broke off and fell into the ocean. Surfers familiar with the area have noticed changes in the wave patterns.
“There’s certain parts of the wave where you can’t really take off, where you used to be able to on certain tides and certain swells,” said Nat Young, another surfer.
The Save the Waves Coalition has been gathering input from surfers, with 39% reporting that the takeoff zone has shifted due to the cliff erosion.
Other surfers have observed different changes.
“I’ve seen people get barrels out here that I’ve never seen people get barrels like that at the Lane,” said Emmett Balassone, another surfer and member of Save the Waves.
While the impact on the waves remains a topic of debate, the erosion itself is clearly visible.
Waves continue to strike the cliff, and coastal experts warn that this constant pounding is accelerating the erosion process.
“A lot of the failures here are along what we call joints and in lines in the rock. And the waves kind of penetrate those and start to slowly crack them apart,” said Dave Revell, a coastal geomorphologist.
Experts also suggest that this could be the beginning of more significant erosion along the coast.
“With this El Niño coming, it’s quite possible that we’re going to see, you know, substantial erosion, not just here, but up and down the coast,” Revell added.
The city is evaluating what can be done along West Cliff Drive to address the erosion, while Save the Waves continues to monitor the changes.
“With climate change and sea level rise and the erosion happening right behind us, we’re just trying to better understand what’s happening to the waves, and so we can present that and offer that to the city in their planning efforts,” said Burns.
The timeline for further cliff collapses remains uncertain, but the city has committed to continued monitoring of the area.