Weather conditions are always a factor to consider when making plans for fishing. Anglers on the Monterey Bay continue to deal with conditions that make fishing almost impossible at this time.

A series of large west swells continue to hit the coast in conjunction with El Nino spawned storm fronts. The situation remains consistent with an additional storm heading in over the coming weekend, bringing rain and more big waves. The waves and treacherous currents filled in the Santa Cruz Harbor entrance a few weeks ago, and the channel is still shoaled up and impassable. Harbor crews continue to dredge the entrance channel area, as well as dredging the upper harbor area of Arana Creek silt brought downstream by recent rains.

Information available at santacruzharbor.org includes more details regarding dredge operations, including. “Disposal of material from the federal entrance channel is currently being accomplished under the Emergency Beach Discharge provisions of the Santa Cruz Port District's permit with the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District. Emergency operations are necessary to address safety of the federal navigation channel, which is currently shoaled. Emergency discharge will continue until safety of the navigation channel can be restored and the offshore pipeline can be safely re-established. Emergency disposal operations curtail hydrogen sulfide emissions to a rolling one hour average of less than 30 ppb (parts per billion).” The emergency permissions facilitate dredging five days a week rather than only four, and also allow more aggressive digging and pumping with relaxed air quality mandates.

The current Federal Entrance Channel Sounding indicates depths as shallow as one foot at the harbor entrance. Dredging has created a channel as deep as 29 feet inside the harbor, but each series of storm and waves deposits additional sand and material at the harbor entrance.

Harbormaster Latisha Marshall’s December 31 warning is still in effect. “The harbor entrance remains shoaled. Depths in the federal entrance channel are extremely shallow, and there is dangerous breaking surf in the entrance. Mariners are advised not to transit the entrance at this time.” In the past two weeks, a few boats have attempted a transit of the harbor entrance, and at least two, a small Zodiac and a two-person rowing shell were overturned and damaged. All operators were rescued successfully.

The Harbor Patrol is keeping a close eye for safety on the jetties, entrance and adjacent beaches. Despite the lack of any boat traffic in or out of the Harbor, officials remind us that surfing in the channel is still illegal, and enforcement of that regulation remains in effect.