Capitola Wharf reopens to public following storms

(KRON) — After powerful winter storms and waves sliced the Capitola Wharf in two, the beloved landmark officially reopened to the public on Wednesday.

Beach-goers can now walk the full length of the repaired wharf and soak in views of Santa Cruz County’s coastline. A grand opening ceremony will be held Wednesday afternoon to celebrate “the newly reinvigorated Capitola Wharf,” city officials said.

Visitors will find new benches dotted along the wharf thanks to community volunteers who assembled and installed places for sitting. A popular restaurant that was previously perched at the end was torn down. Capitola Boat and Bait, a small family-run shop, is still going strong and serving fishermen, boaters, and kayakers.

On January 5, huge 35-foot waves and tidal surges ripped pillars from the sand. Splintered wooden pieces of the wharf were swept into the Monterey Bay. An atmospheric river-powered rainstorm thrashed beaches for days.

Construction crews equipped with heavy machinery worked for several months this year rebuilding pillars beneath the Capitola Wharf. State and federal grant money covered the $7.9 million construction effort.

A few beaches away, Aptos residents have learned to live without their iconic pier. January’s storms battered Seacliff State Beach’s historic pier beyond repair, and state park officials demolished the pier before it collapsed completely.

Parks officials wrote, “The historic storms that impacted California’s communities this winter and damaged Seacliff State Beach are evidence of a new reality the state’s shoreline faces as a result of climate change, especially due to sea-level rise and extreme weather.”

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