Zmudowski State Beach facts for kids

Zmudowski State Beach is a beautiful sandy beach found in Moss Landing, Monterey County, in northern California. It sits right on Monterey Bay. The California Department of Parks and Recreation takes care of this beach. Like many beaches in California, Zmudowski State Beach has been affected by the ocean slowly wearing away the land, which is called coastal erosion. It has also seen a lot of trash, known as marine debris, which can change the animals living there.

Fun Things to Do at Zmudowski State Beach

Zmudowski State Beach is a great spot for many outdoor activities and a popular place for visitors.

• Fishing: Many people love to fish here. You might catch fish like perch, kingfish, sole, flounder, halibut, jacksmelt, lingcod, cabezon, salmon, and steelhead.
• Picnics: Families often come to enjoy picnics on the sand.
• Nature Exploring: The beach has a special area called the Pajaro River estuary. This is a natural preserve where you can explore nature and watch wildlife.
• Bird Watching: Many different birds visit the sandy beach, making it a favorite place for bird watchers.
• Horse Riding: If you have a horse, you can ride it near the water's edge.

The beach is about 20 miles northwest of Monterey. You can get there from Highway 1 by taking Giberson Road. This road is about two miles long and goes through farm fields.

Important Safety Tip: Swimming and water sports like surfing can be dangerous here. There are strong currents in the water that can pull you out, so it's best to stay safe on the sand.

Who Was Mary Zmudowski?

The beach is named after a kind schoolteacher from Watsonville named Mary Zmudowski. She gave this land to the State of California in the 1950s. The name "Zmudowski" is pronounced "zhmud-UV-ski."

In 1950, Mary Zmudowski donated a large piece of land, about 155 acres, which included over 9,000 feet of oceanfront. To thank her family for their gift, the Park Commission changed the park's name from "Pajaro River" to Zmudowski in 1952. This beach has always been a bit of a hidden gem in the Monterey area, attracting people from all over to enjoy its natural beauty.

Ocean Upwelling and Why It Matters

Zmudowski State Beach is in Moss Landing, where a natural process called upwelling is very important, especially in spring and summer. Upwelling happens when winds from the north blow along the coast. These winds push the warm surface water away from the shore. When this happens, colder, nutrient-rich water from deep below the ocean rises to the surface to take its place.

This "upwelled" water is full of nutrients, which are like food for tiny ocean plants called plankton. Plankton are at the bottom of the food chain, so when they thrive, many fish come to eat them. This is why Zmudowski State Beach is such a great place for fishing. The ocean here is very productive, meaning it has a lot of life.

Over the past 20 years, upwelling has changed quite a bit. But strong upwelling in spring and summer still brings lots of plankton and many different kinds of fish to the area.

Wildlife and Fishing Rules

The upwelling of nutrient-rich water at Zmudowski State Beach helps a lot of ocean wildlife, especially fish. The high amount of nutrients, along with the saltiness and density of the water, makes this area very attractive to anglers (people who fish) all year round. Because of this, Zmudowski State Beach is known as a popular fishing spot.

To protect the fish population, there are rules about how many fish you can catch. Each day, you can catch a total of 20 fish from all species combined, but no more than 10 fish of any single species. These rules help make sure there are enough fish for the future.

Marine Debris and Littering

Unfortunately, marine debris has been found at Zmudowski State Beach. Marine debris is simply trash made by people that ends up in the ocean. This trash can get into the ocean from rivers, streams, drains, or other sources.

Most marine debris, about 80 percent, comes from land. This includes things like litter left by people, waste from factories, and general trash that isn't managed well. Only about 20 percent of ocean trash comes from ships like fishing boats or cruise ships.

This means that most of the trash on our beaches comes from us – pedestrians, drivers, and beach visitors. A beautiful beach where people come to relax can start to look like a trash zone. Trash in the water can add harmful chemicals and germs, making the water unhealthy. For example, sea turtles sometimes mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them, which can be deadly. Sadly, grey whales have even been found with plastic in their stomachs. Because of marine debris, the number of ocean animals in the Monterey Bay area is going down.

To help stop this problem, it is now against the law to throw plastic into the ocean. Anyone caught doing so at Zmudowski State Beach will have to pay a fine. This rule helps keep our oceans and beaches clean and safe for everyone, including the animals.

Coastal Erosion: The Shrinking Beach

Coastal erosion is a big problem at Zmudowski State Beach. It means the land along the coast is slowly being worn away by the ocean's waves and currents. This erosion can threaten the shape of the beach and the surrounding area.

The southern part of Monterey Bay, between Moss Landing and Monterey, has some of the fastest erosion rates in California. Sadly, Zmudowski State Beach is shrinking by about 2 feet each year. To help reduce the damage from coastal erosion, there are now rules about how buildings can be constructed near the beach.

The Pajaro River Estuary

Zmudowski State Beach is also home to the Pajaro River estuary, which is a special nature preserve. An estuary is a body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salty ocean water. Estuaries and tidal wetlands are some of the most productive and important natural areas on Earth.

This area around the beach is a tidal wetland today, but it wasn't always like this. About 10,000 years ago, rising sea levels flooded the valley. Over thousands of years, dirt and sand built up, turning this area into an estuary. The land began to change into wetlands and marshes after the California Gold Rush.

When people arrived during the Gold Rush, they cut down many trees. This caused more dirt to wash into the area, continuing to change the wetlands. Between 1870 and 1956, many walls called levees were built near Zmudowski Beach and the Pajaro Estuary. These levees caused the salt marsh areas to shrink by a lot. However, the loss of salt marsh led to an increase in other types of habitats.

By the early 1900s, many salt marshes were changed into man-made ponds and freshwater marshes. In the mid-1900s, the salt marshes continued to disappear and were replaced by muddy areas without plants. By the late 1950s, almost all the remaining salt marshes were drained and used for farming.

Almost Closed in 2014

In 2014, California had plans to close about 70 state parks to save money because of a large budget problem. Luckily, Zmudowski State Beach was saved from being closed. This was because it doesn't cost much money to keep it running.

Back in 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that provided $10 million for the State Park System. This money was very important for parks in Monterey County, like Zmudowski State Beach and Moss Landing State Beach, especially since they didn't receive many donations.