Cleanup of wooden debris like driftwood recently took place at Cayucos State Beach.
“There’s a lot of driftwood and once it comes along the pier here and comes back in,” said Denis Mucciacito, Atascadero resident. "This is its resting spot."
The driftwood mostly comes from the nearby Cayucos Creek.
According to Supervisor Bruce Gibson, a cleanup was needed due to several reasons including restricted beach access because the driftwood covered much of the beach. Public safety issues because people used the wood to build unstable structures and used it for fires. Lastly, larger pieces of wood could cause damage to the pier, playground, and seawall.
“The waves would suck out the wood and hit the pylons on the pier,” said Jeremy Sizemore, a Cayucos resident.
“We’ve seen big piles of driftwood here that people build into all kinds of forts and things,” said Mucciacito.
Gibson reached out to the Coastal Commission staff a few months ago to address these issues.
“I see a lot of dogs out here and they like to run, and they can’t see what is in front of them a lot of the time, so a clean beach would be perfect,” Mucciacito said.
Gibson says the Coastal Commission issued a waiver last month to allow for cleanup as needed to protect public safety and promote beach access.
Jeremy Sizemore, owner of Pie in the Sky, noticed the driftwood was gone.
“A little easier to navigate and a little easier to hang out when the water is not all the way up too,” Sizemore said.
The cleanup of winter debris along Cayucos State Beach will occur as needed for the next five years.
“Five years,” Mucciacito said. "I think a lot of people would say let’s keep that going."
