Having a home with a view comes with a cost. That’s what the residents of homes on a bluff overlooking Rio del Mar Beach are beginning to realize, and the cost is more than just hefty mortgages. They are worried about Aptos Creek, which runs beneath the bluff. If the creeks swells in another storm, it could cause the bluff to crumble and send their homes tumbling down.
Having a home with a view comes with a cost. That’s what the residents of homes on a bluff overlooking Rio del Mar Beach are beginning to realize, and the cost is more than just hefty mortgages. They are worried about Aptos Creek, which runs beneath the bluff. If the creeks swells in another storm, it could cause the bluff to crumble and send their homes tumbling down.
It’s a real threat, they say. This year may have seen plenty of rain, but scientists are still worried about the “Other Big One,” a torrential downpour that could cause as much damage to the state as a major earthquake. It happened at least once before in recorded history. In 1861-1862, it rained nonstop for 45 days, five more than the legendary Flood of the Bible, and left the state bankrupt. They worry that the flood could repeat itself, but this time California has many millions more people who will be directly affected by flooding and landslides. The entire Central Valley could become a temporary lake, 200 miles long and 30 miles wide. Entire streets could slip down hillsides and into oblivion.
That doesn’t bode well for the residents of the bluff overlooking Rio del Mar Beach. They want the state to cut a trench so that the creek empties directly into the lagoon, rather than meandering beneath their homes.
The state is less than eager to comply. For one thing, it doesn’t have the money for such a massive construction project, and it could have a crushing impact on the local steelhead trout and coho salmon populations. Officially, the authorities say that the homes are not in imminent danger … at least not yet.
This leaves the homeowners pondering what to do. They may not have found a solution yet, but with more rain predicted for the week, they have reason to be concerned. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel and KSBW.
