Hanging out in the river may not be dangerous at all. Photo by Jacob Pierce.
Just a stone’s the throw from downtown, 50 people went canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding last Saturday. Okay, but how many reported queasiness from the muddy muck we call the San Lorenzo River?
Wait, zero?
Huh. Well, Santa Cruzans really dodged a hypodermic needle there—amiright?
“People had lots of fun, saw lots of wildlife. People on the levee were excited,” says Laurie Egan of the Coastal Watershed Council, which organized Saturday’s event.
Santa Cruz City Council waived rules that prohibit boating on the river for last weekend’s River Paddle Tour. City councilmember Don Lane showed up—as did councilmember Micah Posner and Mayor Hilary Bryant, who both paddled a couple laps. County Resources Director John Ricker came and said studies have shown the water, while not as healthy as Brita-filtered drinking water, is not dangerous.
Greg Pepping, executive director The Coastal Watershed Council, says the event was just one step toward getting the council to approve recreation on the river all the time. “Other people love having a river by their downtown,” he says. “We can have that too, and we have way too many creative people for it to continue this way.”
