Cowell Beach owes its existence to San Lorenzo Point and the harbor’s west jetty, both just east of here. These natural and man-made structures effectively dam the sand that would otherwise keep traveling down the coast due to littoral drift.
Lime’s Legacy
The name comes from Henry Cowell, who made lime in Santa Cruz from 1865 until 1946. In 1865 he bought one half ownership of the wharf that extended out from the end of Bay Street. First built by Elihu Anthony in 1849, the wharf began to be called Cowell Wharf; it collapsed in 1907 during a storm.
Apparently the half ownership situation did not go so well. The California Powder Works was also using the same wharf. A rift developed with Cowell, who was known to play hardball when it came to protecting his financial interests. Rather than deal with Cowell they bought one of the other three wharves in Santa Cruz.
Cowell also owned the beachfront. It was donated to the people of Santa Cruz by the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement Company in 1954.
Storm Drains
Every once in a while you might see water coming out of a cement structure at the northeast side of the beach. This is a storm drain operated by the City of Santa Cruz. There are two pipes; one is a normal storm drain and one is a “force main.” The force main is used in winter to pump water out of Neary’s Lagoon if it is too high and might flood the surrounding homes.
Beach Monitoring
Bacterial counts are often higher at Cowell Beach than at surrounding beaches. The reasons are poorly understood. The City council is actively trying to solve the problemby looking for any possible leaks in the sewage system, cleaning the beach more frequently and has engaged researchers from Stanford to study the problem. The County is responsible for monitoring beach safety. See websites below for current bacterial count information and related articles.
Further Information
Sources Used
- Living With the Changing California Coast. Gary B. Griggs, Kiki Patsch, Lauret E. Savoy. University of California Press; 2005.
- Cowell Beach contamination: Researchers offer causes, solutions to water quality problems at popular beach. J.M. Brown. Santa Cruz Sentinel. April 4, 2013. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_22975357/cowell-contamination-researchers-offer-causes-solutions-water-quality
- O’Neill Sea Odyssey Website. February 28, 2012. http://oneillseaodyssey.org/.
- Our Ocean Backyard: Santa Cruz, wharves have long history. Gary Griggs. Santa Cruz Sentinel. December 30, 2011. Santa Cruz, wharves have long history.
- Personal Communication with Frank Perry, Historian, Santa Cruz County, February 2012.
- Personal Communication with Gary Griggs, Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, February 2012.
- Personal Communication with Suzanne Healy, Public Works, City of Santa Cruz, 11/28/2011.
- Steamer Lane History. Ben Marcus. Surfline.com Website. http://www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/steamer-lane-history_911.
