Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf Incident

Incident Details

On December 23, 2024, the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, where the Dolphin Restaurant and Restroom #3 were located, collapsed into the ocean along with two workers. The collapsed section was approximately 180 ft. in length on the southernmost end of the Wharf. The collapsed area had been damaged in the Winter 2023-24 storms and was under construction at the time of the collapse. Two workers were rescued by Santa Cruz Lifeguard Unit 3166 and sustained only minor injuries. 

In February 2025, the Santa Cruz City Council formed an ad hoc sub-committee to work with City staff on a near-term proposal to address the damaged end of the Wharf. The proposal(s) will be presented to City Council in late Spring 2025. This work will parallel the City’s timing and implementation of the Wharf Master Plan. Prior to the Wharf partial collapse, the City received a grant for approximately $7 million through the California Coastal Conservancy to advance Wharf Master Plan projects on the Wharf. More information on the Wharf Master Plan can be found here. The City Council and staff will prioritize Wharf recovery efforts while also planning for implementation of the grant funding. The City is continuing to work with the State in regards to disaster reimbursement from the December incident. More information will be forthcoming this spring.

Safety Information

The Wharf reopened to the public on January 4, 2025. Please follow all posted signage and warnings to ensure public safety.

The area of the Wharf that was closed for construction will remain closed to the public. The affected Wharf section has been closed since January 2024 due to damage from intense storms in late 2023 and early 2024. Construction began in fall 2024 to reinforce the area, including the demolition of the Dolphin Restaurant, necessary to effect the repairs.

The workers who were on the wharf at the time of the collapse were the project managers/leads for the site conducting a routine inspection on the construction project. 

The Wharf is over 100 years old and requires regular maintenance and repair to ensure its safety. The Wharf has a dedicated team of 12 full-time staff and multiple temporary and seasonal staff who maintenance the structure as well as Main and Cowell Beaches and the beach area public restrooms. To comply with the requirements of various regulatory agencies, the Wharf construction season is between September and March each year. Only limited construction and maintenance projects can be completed outside of this timeframe, as nesting bird season tales place between March and September.

Debris Removal

Debris clean-up continues following the December 23rd partial collapse of the end of the Wharf. Debris removal continues to be a major multi-agency effort. The City is working with Graniterock to finalize the collection and removal of damaged pilings and other structural material lost in the incident. Debris migrated to nearby beach areas and as far down coast as Monterey Harbor. Thanks to the exceptional collaboration of the Wharf crew, Fire Department, and the debris management taskforce, a coalition including multiple agencies, the materials will be collected and environmental impacts mitigated.

City staff continue to finalize plans related to removal of the heavy equipment on the seafloor. The City’s EOC is working closely with US Coast Guard, Power Engineering, and numerous federal and state regulators through this planning process. It is worth noting that while the equipment remains on the seafloor, US Coast Guard confirmed that it is not leaking fluids or fuels. The extrication plan will including environmental protection measures to minimize impacts to the marine sanctuary.

If you find any debris, please email reportdebris@santacruzca.gov to report it.

If you find any wharf commemorations, memorial benches, or other memorabilia that was on the wharf please contact Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation at recreationevents@santacruzca.gov or 831-420-5270. 

Support Wharf Businesses

The City of Santa Cruz encourages all locals and tourist to visit and support the Santa Cruz Wharf Business daily! The Wharf is open to the public from 5AM to 2AM Daily. The restaurants open to the public between 8AM – 12PM Daily and Merchants open their doors between 9AM - 10AM Daily.

To view restaurants on the Santa Cruz Wharf, Click Here and to view merchants Click Here!

To view upcoming events on the Wharf, Click Here!

If you would like to support Wharf Events and Educational Programming Click Here to donate to FOPAR.

Thank you for your support!

Climate Impacts

As climate change brings more intense storms coupled with rising sea levels, the City continues to face growing challenges that threaten Santa Cruz’s infrastructure such as the wharf. The City is proactively reinforcing infrastructure with preventative maintenance to withstand future storms.

Community Resources
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Media Resources