Monterey County has many aquifers to provide fresh, clean water, 80% of this is groundwater (Public Services, 2010). More groundwater pumping leads to localized over-drafting which in turn causes saltwater intrusion into any of its six water basins: Parajo Valley, Prunedale, Salinas Valley, Marina Fort Ord, Carmel, or El Toro (Public Services, 2010). Arguably the most important basin is the Salinas Valley because it is home to the Salinas River which not only supplies water for the surrounding agricultural fields, but also can also easily overflow and kill the crops if not properly maintained (Ceballos, 2015). Places like the salt marshes of Elkhorn Slough are susceptible to land and mudslides due to the lack of plants and their roots on
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Carmel Valley and Big Sure are also prone to land and mudslides due to the abundance of shale rock in their soil (Rosenburg, 1993; Urton, 2014). Thus, Monterey County is at risk for flooding, landslides, and mudslides—both in general and especially during this predicted El Nino year which could cause millions of dollars in damages (Ceballos, 2015).
Monterey County has a long history of flooding (Adami, 2015). Rain poured for 45 days all over California in 1862, and the state went bankrupt due to the financial stress the flooding damage caused (Adami, 2015). In 1995 a flood occurred more localized in Monterey County; the Salinas River flooded to 30.29 feet-- that is about four feet deeper than during the flood of 1862, and in 1997 Monterey County received thirty inches of rain in 12 days, this flooded the Salinas River to 24.54 feet (Adami, 2015). Because of the recent drought, levels of sediment and plant build up have caused the current of the Salinas River to be lower than many previous years (Adami, 2015) thus, if heavier rains fall this year the river will overflow that much quicker. In order to clean the river, farmers need to submit permit applications, but due to the last …show more content…
A vegetative buffer strip is the introduction of plants—in Rein’s study they were a mix of annuals, perennials, native, and nonnative species—in between land and water that is meant to hinder human activity in a sensitive natural area (Connecticut, 2004). Both studies take place in Elkhorn Slough in Monterey County (Huertos & Holl, 2009; Rein 1999). Elkhorn Slough is an important wetland located on California’s coast and it drains into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Rein, 1999). Its steep slopes are composed mostly of sandy loam top soil and is therefore very prone to erosion, which in turn leads to land and mudslides (Huertos & Holl, 2009). This area is used to grow strawberries, a particularly high maintenance crop that causes eighty percent of the area’s erosion (Rein, 1999). In Felicia Rein’s study in 1999 she evaluated the costs and economic benefits as well as the environmental benefits of implementing a VBS. She came to the conclusion that it produced a ten percent erosion decrease at a minimal cost to farmers, and Marc Los Huertos and his partner Karen Holl came to approximately the same conclusion in 2009. However, while VBS is not always considered economically viable (Rein, 2009) the fact remains that Elkhorn Slough and
Carmel Valley and Big Sure are also prone to land and mudslides due to the abundance of shale rock in their soil (Rosenburg, 1993; Urton, 2014). Thus, Monterey County is at risk for flooding, landslides, and mudslides—both in general and especially during this predicted El Nino year which could cause millions of dollars in damages (Ceballos, 2015).
Monterey County has a long history of flooding (Adami, 2015). Rain poured for 45 days all over California in 1862, and the state went bankrupt due to the financial stress the flooding damage caused (Adami, 2015). In 1995 a flood occurred more localized in Monterey County; the Salinas River flooded to 30.29 feet-- that is about four feet deeper than during the flood of 1862, and in 1997 Monterey County received thirty inches of rain in 12 days, this flooded the Salinas River to 24.54 feet (Adami, 2015). Because of the recent drought, levels of sediment and plant build up have caused the current of the Salinas River to be lower than many previous years (Adami, 2015) thus, if heavier rains fall this year the river will overflow that much quicker. In order to clean the river, farmers need to submit permit applications, but due to the last …show more content…
A vegetative buffer strip is the introduction of plants—in Rein’s study they were a mix of annuals, perennials, native, and nonnative species—in between land and water that is meant to hinder human activity in a sensitive natural area (Connecticut, 2004). Both studies take place in Elkhorn Slough in Monterey County (Huertos & Holl, 2009; Rein 1999). Elkhorn Slough is an important wetland located on California’s coast and it drains into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Rein, 1999). Its steep slopes are composed mostly of sandy loam top soil and is therefore very prone to erosion, which in turn leads to land and mudslides (Huertos & Holl, 2009). This area is used to grow strawberries, a particularly high maintenance crop that causes eighty percent of the area’s erosion (Rein, 1999). In Felicia Rein’s study in 1999 she evaluated the costs and economic benefits as well as the environmental benefits of implementing a VBS. She came to the conclusion that it produced a ten percent erosion decrease at a minimal cost to farmers, and Marc Los Huertos and his partner Karen Holl came to approximately the same conclusion in 2009. However, while VBS is not always considered economically viable (Rein, 2009) the fact remains that Elkhorn Slough and