The lower San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, California 1960s

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm-i48cER_M&app=desktop

[Bkane]

I feel a deep void watching this video of another fishery dying. The silver salmon run has been extinct for years. We've done a terrible job protecting fisheries. I guess that's progress for the greater good.

[STEELIES/26c3]

I feel a deep void watching this video of another fishery dying. The silver salmon run has been extinct for years. We've done a terrible job protecting fisheries. I guess that's progress for the greater good.

Sad indeed...

The 'greater good' just like the 'moral majority'

is usually, neither...

[John Sv]

Wow! I definitely don't think about wetting a line in that area when I'm there.
Serious question, forgive the ignorance please:
Seems like Santa Cruz is an area that would have a ton of support for restoration of these runs. How is the river different now than it was then? Seems like a mucky bottom now but can't that move through the system? No structure either, but can't that be added? Is the water diverted? Is it too warm?

[gitt]

It looks like any other flood control system in place- a big ditch with rip-rap protecting the levy. With the number of people in the area, it is a sad situation.

Drove along the river on East Cliff Dr on Friday afternoon under the only patch of blue all day. Any muck that was there is definitely gone now. The water was just over a foot below the vehicular bridge at Riverside Ave. A big sand bar has developed out from the mouth of the river. There was plenty of moving water. We continued on into Capitola where Soquel Creek dumps into the salt. You can see the highwater mark everywhere on the beaches with a new crop of drift wood and trees. Earlier, Steamer's Lane had big choppy surf and only a single surfer paddling out to ride the waves. Most were working lower Cowell Beach along the cliff. The wind and air temps kept us from sticking around to watch the brave soul in the water. My wife spotted something in the water, but wasn't quite certain what it was. The wetsuit was a dead give away just outside edge of the wash. We got through the Santa Cruz mountains without a hitch. A solo driver was up tight along the divider around Redwood Estates. Folks in the fast lane just took part of the slow lane and maintained their speed. We called it in via 911 as the car was smoking. Wife told the dispatch it was an accident waiting to become a bigger problem. By the time we made to the Cats, an ambulance and firetruck were headed up the hill. Heard later a downed tree played havoc on 17 with commuters by the time we got home.

It is nice to see documentation of the by gone era.

A young guy through my daughter jonsing to get into fly fishing talked me into fishing Soquel Creek last winter for steelhead. His wife worked with the game warden's wife claiming they were catching fresh steelhead in the creek. I told him it was too good to be true, but if he was dead set on it, I would meet up with him. We found a pool with steelhead in the 30" plus range trapped in only big hole. With no follow up rain, they were just stuck there. You could see they were nervous, wary fish. They would follow the fly's retrieve just so far before veering off. While my companion attempted to clear his cast from the overgrowth along the rivers edge, I chatted with the homeless eating or drinking breakfast and doing drugs. They were a friendly bunch and alerted us to the rough part of the river just under Highway 1 as the unsavory spot on the river. We thanked them and checked it for ourselves. The creek possessed the smell of affluent. I was embarrassed to be harrassing steelhead in an urban ditch and readily called it a day. I promised I would show him where to fish without the subtle distractions.