Editing Santa Cruz County, California (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|607|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|445|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|162|sqmi}} (27%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 4, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> It is the second-smallest county in California by land area and third-smallest by total area. Of California's counties, only [[San Francisco]] is smaller by land area.

The county is situated on a wide coastline with over {{convert|29|mi|km|adj=off}} of beaches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thingstodoinsantacruz.com/outdoor-activities/|title=Fun Outdoor Things To Do In Santa Cruz|website=www.thingstodoinsantacruz.com|date=December 12, 2011|access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref> It is a strip about {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=off}} wide between the coast and the crest of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]] at the northern end of the [[Monterey Bay]]. It can be divided roughly into four regions: the rugged "north coast"; the urban [[Santa Cruz, California|City of Santa Cruz]], [[Soquel]], [[Capitola, California|Capitola]], and [[Aptos, California|Aptos]]; mountainous [[Bonny Doon, California|Bonny Doon]], [[San Lorenzo River Valley]]; and the fertile "south county", including [[Watsonville, California|Watsonville]] and [[Corralitos, California|Corralitos]]. Agriculture is concentrated in the coastal lowlands of the county's northern and southern ends. Most of the north coastal land comprises relatively flat terraces that end at steep cliffs like those shown in the photo below.

{{Wide image|California coast, Santa Cruz, CA.jpg|600px|Santa Cruz County north coast}}

===Flora and fauna===
Santa Cruz County is home to the following [[threatened species|threatened]] or [[endangered species]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santacruzpl.org/endangered/7/|title=Endangered Species in Santa Cruz County – Santa Cruz Public Libraries|first=Santa Cruz Public|last=Libraries|website=www.santacruzpl.org|access-date=March 14, 2018}}</ref>
<!--* [[Brown Pelican]] this bird was delisted in 1988 -->
* [[Ridgway's rail|California clapper rail]] – endangered (1970)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=B04A |title=Species Profile California Clapper Rail |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[California red-legged frog]] – threatened (1996)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=D02D |title=Species Profile California red-legged frog |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[California tiger salamander]] – Central California DPS, threatened (2004)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=D01T |title=Species Profile California tiger salamander |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Coho salmon]] – Central California Coast [[Evolutionary significant unit|ESU]] is endangered (2005)<ref name=Calcoast>{{cite web |url=http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/multiple_species/2011_status_review_california_coastal_chinook_and_central_california_coast_coho.pdf |title=North-Central California Coast Recovery Program 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation of California Coastal Chinook Salmon ESU, Central California Coast Coho Salmon ESU |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |year=2011 |access-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215200835/http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/multiple_species/2011_status_review_california_coastal_chinook_and_central_california_coast_coho.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Marbled murrelet]] – threatened (1992)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=B08C |title=Species Profile Marbled murrelet |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Polyphylla barbata|Mount Hermon June beetle]] – endangered (1997)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=I0OV |title=Species Profile Mount Hermon June beetle |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Ohlone tiger beetle]] – endangered (2001)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=I0OW |title=Species Profile Ohlone tiger beetle |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[San Francisco garter snake]] – endangered (1967)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=C002 |title=Species Profile San Francisco garter snake |publisher= US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Santa Cruz long-toed salamander]] – endangered (1967)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=D000 |title=Species Profile Santa Cruz long-toed salamander |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Santa Cruz tarweed]] – threatened (2000)
* [[Smith's blue butterfly]] – endangered (1976)
* [[Sea otter|Southern sea otter]] – threatened (1977)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A0A7 |title=Species Profile Southern Sea Otter |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Rainbow trout|Steelhead]] – Central California Coast [[Distinct population segment|DPS]] is threatened (2011)<ref name=cccdps>{{cite web |url=http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/steelhead/2011_status_review_central_california_coastal_steelhead_northern_california_steelhead.pdf |title=North-Central California Coast Recovery Domain 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation of Central California Coastal Steelhead DPS Northern California Steelhead DPS |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |year=2011|access-date=December 3, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Tidewater goby]] – endangered (1994)
* [[Snowy plover|Western snowy plover]] – threatened (1993)
* [[Yellow-billed cuckoo]] – threatened (2014)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=B06R |title=Species Profile Yellow-billed cuckoo |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 30, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Zayante band-winged grasshopper]] – endangered (1997)<ref>{{cite web |title=Species Profile Zayante band-winged grasshopper |publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service }}</ref>

Historically, [[tule elk]] (''Cervus canadensis nannodes'') were native to the coastal grasslands of Santa Cruz County. Elk, sometimes confused with [[bison]], were initially described by [[Miguel Costansó]] in his diary of the 1769 [[Portola Expedition]] near the mouth of the [[Pajaro River]] both on the way north on October 6, and on the way south on November 25.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Portola Expedition of 1769-1770. Diary of Miguel Costanso |author=Miguel Costanso and Frederick J. Teggart  |journal=Publications of the Academy of Pacific Coast History |year=1911 |volume=2 |number=4 }}</ref> Later, elk were also described by nineteenth century American hunters.<ref>{{cite journal |title=An Attempt to Save California Elk |author=Evermann |date=April 1915  |journal=California Fish and Game |volume=1 |number=3 |page=89 }}</ref> They were also described in Santa Cruz County by Jlli tribelet [[Awaswas|Awaswas Ohlone people]], who utilized elk along with [[pronghorn]] (''Antilocapra americana'') and lived on the Jarro Coast (El Jarro Point is north of [[Davenport, California]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of Santa Cruz County |author=E. S. Harrison |year=1892 |publisher=Pacific Press Publishing Company |location=San Francisco, California |page=48 }}</ref><ref>{{cite gnis|223043|El Jarro Point}}</ref> Additionally, there is a "Cañada del Ciervo" (''ciervo'' is Spanish for ''elk'') close to the boundary between [[Rancho Los Corralitos|Rancho de los Corralitos]] and [[Rancho San Andrés]], near the present-day Larkin Valley Road. This "Elk Valley" place name was given by José Antonio Robles who rode down, roped, and killed elk there in 1831.<ref>{{cite book |title=Santa Cruz County Place Names |author=Donald Thomas Clark |publisher=Santa Cruz Historical Trust |year=1986 |page=61|isbn=9780940283008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite gnis|226878|Larkins Valley}}</ref> Lastly, elk remains dating from the Middle and Late Periods in Northern California were found in at least four late [[Holocene]] archeological sites in Santa Cruz County, all coastal: SCR-9 ([[Bonny Doon, California|Bonny Doon]] site) and SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope of [[Ben Lomond Mountain (California)|Ben Lomond Mountain]], SCR-93 (Sunflower site) a coastal terrace on the north shore of the [[San Lorenzo River]] in [[Santa Cruz, California|Santa Cruz]], and SCR-132 ([[Scott Creek (Santa Cruz County)|Scott Creek]] site) 4 miles inland.<ref name=Hylkema>{{cite thesis |title=Prehistoric native American adaptations along the central California coast of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties |author=Mark Gerald Hylkema |date=1991 |publisher=San Jose State University |url=https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/131/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 }}</ref>

[[Pronghorn|Pronghorn antelope]] (''Antilocapra americana'') remains were found at the SCR-20 (Brown site) on the western slope of Ben Lomond Mountain dating to about 1500 A.D.<ref name=Hylkema/>

[[Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area]], [[Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area]] and [[Natural Bridges State Marine Reserve]] are [[marine protected area]]s off the coast of Santa Cruz County. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

===Adjacent counties===

{{Annotated image | float=right
| image          = Santa Cruz County and surroundings.svg
| image-width    = 300 | width = 294 | height=240
| image-bg-color = #8080c0; font-size:smaller
| annotations    =
{{annotation|105|125|Santa Cruz}}
{{annotation|180|80|[[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]]}}
{{annotation|60|53|[[San Mateo County, California|San<br />Mateo]]}}
{{annotation|235|178|[[San Benito County, California|San<br />Benito]]}}
{{annotation|190|204|[[Monterey County, California|Monterey]]}}
{{annotation|40|143|[[Pacific Ocean|Pacific<br />Ocean]]}}
{{annotation|120|185|[[Monterey Bay|Monterey<br />Bay]]}}
| caption = Counties and bodies of water adjacent to Santa Cruz County, California
}}Santa Cruz County borders four other counties: [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo]] to the northwest, [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara]] to the north and east, [[Monterey County, California|Monterey]] to the south, and [[San Benito County, California|San Benito]] with a small border to the south.{{clear}}