2-mile section of state beach in Sonoma County around grounded fishing vessel closed amid storm

Ahead of the weekend’s storm and as high surf began to pound the coast, California State Parks officials closed a lengthy stretch of Salmon Creek Beach due to the grounded fishing vessel the Aleutian Storm.

The Sonoma Coast State Parks’ website announced a closure that stretched from Salmon Creek itself south to Mussel Point, a cliff-lined outcrop that ends the beach. The closed beach stretches around 2 miles. The northern point of the closure is the part of Salmon Creek most popular with surfers, and the grounded 57-ton fishing vessel is not visible from there.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office posted the closure to its social media pages on Friday afternoon, the same day the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response posted the notice online. The closure is "until further notice,“ according to the announcement.

State Parks’ announcement described the beach as closed due to the “ongoing salvage operation” of the Aleutian Storm. Heavy equipment operators need “a large safety buffer,” the announcement read. It was unclear if those operators intended to conduct salvage operations throughout the storm.

State Park officials did not immediately respond Saturday to a Press Democrat request for further information.

With gusting winds and waves that could get higher than 15 feet already hitting the coast by mid-morning Saturday and bad weather expected through the weekend, the closure is also in place for public safety, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.

Debris broken off the boat by waves was already strewn across a large section of beach on Friday, when an effort to save the boat and get it back offshore switched to an operation to dismantle the boat where it lay.

“It’s pretty much for public safety,” Lt. Junior Grade Jared Listek told The Press Democat. “The area does remain dangerous for the public as there is debris washing on shore.” Coast guard officials were not present at the shipwreck site on Saturday, as they have been throughout the week, due to the weather, Listek said.

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Graham at 707-526-8667 or andrew.graham@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) @AndrewGraham88