Story and all photos Copyright (C) Fred Watson, 2001.
| November 2001: Waves have been spilling into the Carmel lagoon
from the ocean for a few weeks. The lagoon is filling up. Hagar and Associates
are studying the steelhead smolts, and the CCoWS team measures the water
quality. |
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Monday morning December 3rd 2001: Ron Lundquist from Monterey County Public
Works tracked a flood peak down the river late Sunday. A manual breach is
planned for sunrise Monday. Thor Anderson and Don Kozlowski grab the Watershed
Institute kayak and head out for a last chance to get pre-breach water quality
data. |
| Monday morning: A first breach is completed over by the rock shelf at
the southern end of the sand-bar. Its a small breach, flowing at perhaps
50 cfs. |
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Another view of the small breach, flowing toward huge surf. |
| By mid-Monday morning, high surf combined with high tide at 11:30 am forced
seawater and sand back up into the lagoon. A breach closure is feared. |
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As Public Works packs the dozer back onto the low-boy, and ocean waves
spill into the lagoon, Thor and Don continue to sample salinity, temperature,
and oxygen at seven key sites within the lagoon. |
| Waves spilling from the ocean (right) into the lagoon (left). |
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The flood peak in the Carmel River continues to subside from a high point
during Sunday night. |
| Julie Hager and Joel Casagrande measure discharge, suspended sediment
concentration, and nutrient inflow to the lagoon at the Highway 1 bridge. |
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Around midday Monday, the breach closes. A low point remains with ocean
wash gradually rolling in. |
| Thor and Don are still out there. Must be getting hungry. A burrito run
is ordered over the 2-way radio. |
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Off they go up the river to the two sampling sites up there. |
| Following the breach closure, the contued streamflow inputs, and high-tide
surf still crashing in, the lagoon water level rises perilously close to
nearby homes. |
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Waves spill into the parking lot. Cars are moved. The dozer is coming
back. |
| Thor and Don seize a rare opportunity to ride an ocean wave throuh the
lagoon and into the parking lot! |
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