Recovery and adaptation in the climate change era at Seacliff and New Brighton state beaches

Even in a banner year for coastal storm damage, Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches stood out in 2022 and early 2023. A relentless flurry of atmospheric river storms slammed the popular seaside destinations, snapping the historic Seacliff pier in two, dramatically flooding the day-use area with sand and debris and striping away much of the park’s infill material to such a degree that the campground area remains offline to this day.

The indelible images even inspired a visit from then-President Joe Biden, who delivered a speech on the impacts of climate change right outside Seacliff’s Welcome Center.

Though many of the facilities have recovered in the past few years, climate experts have cautioned that Seacliff and New Brighton remain vulnerable to the supercharged storms that climate change will make more frequent in the years to come.

With that in mind, State Parks, in collaboration with local partners, has produced the Recovery and Resilience at Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches study and shared it with the public for the first time earlier this month. The report, which took more than two years to put together, reveals much about how these beloved parks remain vulnerable to climate change impacts and how local planners can continue the rebuilding effort in way that recognizes the realities of the future and puts resiliency at the forefront.

To help us better understand what this report has to offer, host PK Hattis was recently joined by Scott Rohlf, a staff recreation specialist with California State Parks who acted as the Santa Cruz District lead on this study.

NOTES

https://www.seacliffresilience.org/

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/09/29/new-study-reveals-adaptation-scenarios-at-seacliff-new-brighton-state-beaches/

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/03/20/its-really-sad-seacliff-pier-demolition-process-begins/

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/03/27/crews-demolish-historic-monterey-bay-pier-in-danger-of-collapse-after-january-storm-damage/