March 14, 2024

Wagner Grove Trail Restoration

Local parks are the crown jewel of Santa Cruz, and we’re proud to announce new trail improvements happening in Harvey West this month! 

In partnership with the City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation team, the local nonprofit Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) will restore the Wagner Grove Trail in Harvey West Park. Wagner Grove provides a dirt connection between the recreational facilities at Harvey West and the City of Santa Cruz’s Upper Westside neighborhood. It’s popular with hikers and trail runners but recently suffered extreme storm damage that left the trail hazardous to use.

The SCMTS team is spearheading the construction of bridge and staircase improvements at the top of the trail, plus signage updates and brush removal throughout the trail corridor so more folks can get outside and use the trail with confidence.  

Join in on the fun and give back to Wagner Grove Trail!

In addition to construction support from SCMTS’ professional trails staff, public volunteers are welcome to join in on the restoration project in March. No experience is required–SCMTS provides all the tools and knowledge needed for a day in the dirt. Join us on March 15, 2024 to continue the work on Wagner Grove Trail.

Opening Day for Santa Cruz Little League

Santa Cruz Little League held its opening day on Saturday, March 9. Huge kudos to Steve, Ubaldo, DC, Nick, and the Parks & Rec team that made Harvey West Park shine and set the stage for a great day to kick-off the spring youth sports season! Also, a big thanks to Chief Escalante and Mayor Keeley for their leadership and for taking part in the opening ceremonies. Let's play ball!

City Median Team Cleans Up Water Street

A shout out to the small but mighty medians crew — Alex Lopez and Mike Godsy, a subset of the Neighborhood Parks team — for their great work along Water Street between Ocean and Branciforte. The team of two is tasked with maintaining 13 miles of City medians. Thanks to Alex and Mike for the extra support and team effort!

Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant Updates

The Santa Cruz Water Department is prioritizing critical, climate-resilient projects to upgrade aging infrastructure and improve our resilience against climate change.

In 2021, staff and contractors began replacing the 60-year-old concrete tanks at the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant. The filtered water, reclaim, and residuals storage tanks were deteriorating as they approached the end of their service life and needed to be replaced to continue providing clean, safe, and reliable drinking water.

These tanks are huge, each storing 0.7 to 1 million gallons of water in various treatment phases. Replacing them has not been easy and we’ve continued to operate the plant seamlessly when tanks were offline. Kudos to the staff and contractors working on the project daily!

Two of the three tanks have been replaced and are back in operation. Work is in progress to rebuild the third tank and bring it online. See the photos below for a glimpse of the progress being made!

2020:

Before construction

2022:

Mid-construction

2024:

City Manager Matt Huffaker is tall at 6’3’’ — these tanks tower over him!



Don't Miss Out — Attend the Transportation and Public Works Project Open House on March 18!

The Santa Cruz Public Works Project Open House is coming up next Monday, March 18, at Santa Cruz Bible Church (440 Frederick Street) from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

Connect with Transportation and Public Works Commissioners along with Public Works engineers about essential City projects. Learn more about the seismic retrofit of the Murray Street Bridge, West Cliff reconstruction, developments in the Coastal Rail Trail, and more.

This special meeting of the Transportation and Public Works Commission is your chance to stay in the loop and gain insights into the vital projects shaping the future of our city. Don't miss out—spread the word and be a part of this informative event!

For additional information about the Transportation and Public Works Commission, please visit the City's website. Find comprehensive details on major Public Works projects at www.cityofsantacruz.com/publicworksprojects.

Join Us for the Ninth Annual State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium on April 13

Join State Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and local experts as they discuss the intersection of Federal, State and local environmental protection policies in relation to our fisheries, forests, and water resources.

The Symposium will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2024 from 9:00 AM – 12:45 PM. The doors will open at 8:30 AM. The event will be held at Felton Community Hall, 6191 Highway 9 in Felton, CA, 95018. A tour of the Fall Creek Fish Ladder will take place from 1:30 – 2:00 PM The event is free and refreshments will be provided.

Topics include:

• State of California environmental protection policies
• Cultural history of the San Lorenzo River Watershed
• Anadromous salmonid habitat conservation planning
• San Lorenzo River barriers
• Branciforte Creek flood control channel fish passage
• San Lorenzo River flood ecology
• Western Pond Turtle recovery



City of Santa Cruz

City Manager's Office

809 Center Street

Santa Cruz CA 95060

santacruzca.gov

831-420-5010