Zmudowski State Beach on Monterey Bay near Moss Landing became state property after Watsonville schoolteacher Mary Zmudowski donated oceanfront land in 1950, and the park was renamed in 1952 to honor her family. Shaped by the Pajaro River estuary and seasonal coastal upwelling, the area supports productive fishing and attracts anglers, bird watchers, picnickers, and equestrians, though strong rip currents make swimming and surfing hazardous. The estuary also reflects major environmental change, from ancient sea-level rise to levee building, wetland drainage, and recent marine debris. Despite severe erosion along this fast-wearing shoreline, the beach remained open during proposed California park closures in 2014.