The San Lorenzo River flows through downtown Santa Cruz as seen in a recent drone photo. Flowing from its headwaters near Castle Rock State Park to the river mouth along Main Beach at the Monterey Bay, the San Lorenzo provides 100,000 people with drinking water and provides critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. The river is 29 miles long and its watershed is 137 square miles, which includes the cities of Santa Cruz, Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton and Scotts Valley. After the devastating Christmas Flood of 1955, levees were built along the lower San Lorenzo River to prevent downtown Santa Cruz from flooding. Coastal Watershed Council, a local nonprofit, is working to transform the lower San Lorenzo River into a community destination by inspiring people to explore, enhance and protect this critical natural resource.
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