State Parks preparing for post-Christmas high tides, closing some park areas

Santa Cruz County is forecast to see large swells and higher than normal tides this week, prompting California State Parks to close several areas of Seacliff State Beach and New Brighton State Beach on Wednesday and Thursday.

State Parks Santa Cruz District Superintendent Chris Spohrer said the forecast shows swells reaching as high as 18 feet, which could flood lower areas of Seacliff State Beach and New Brighton Beach on Wednesday and Thursday. He said the swells won’t be quite as high as the 25-foot waves that pummeled the coastline back in January’s torrent of storms, but they are driven by a similar phenomenon.

“Those swells are coming in at a time when the tides are quite high,” he said. “High enough to where there could be an overtopping event.”

Spohrer said that State Parks plans to close the lower day-use area and the former campground of Seacliff State Beach, as well as the day use ramp that leads from the New Brighton Beach parking lot to the beach itself, along with the lower restroom near the beach. He added that Blacks Beach at the end of 14th Avenue in Live Oak could see some high tides, too, but nothing dangerous enough to require a closure. Instead, there will be some additional signage informing people of the risks.

Although the tides are much higher than normal, they do not qualify as king tides — unusually low and high tides that occur when the gravitational pull of the sun and moon are in alignment — according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rick Canepa. However, this week’s high tides could reach close to 7 feet.

Because of this, Canepa said the weather service will issue coastal flood advisories during the mornings on Wednesday and Thursday.

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