Difference between revisions of "The Carneros Watershed"
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== Land Cover and Land Use == | == Land Cover and Land Use == | ||
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The area of the Carneros Watershed exhibits mixed land use, including rural residential, grazed grasslands, cultivated areas, maritime chaparral, oak woodlands and riparian areas. Agricultural land use occupies approximately 10% of the watershed of which strawberries are the dominant crop. Other corps include, raspberries, flowers and vegetables <ref name = "Largay">Reference text http://hydro.csumb.edu/ALBA_CSUMB/ALBA_Triple_M_Conditions_Concepts.pdf </ref>. Agro-industrial activities in the watershed include a mushroom growing operation and a chicken ranch <ref name = "Holloway" />. | The area of the Carneros Watershed exhibits mixed land use, including rural residential, grazed grasslands, cultivated areas, maritime chaparral, oak woodlands and riparian areas. Agricultural land use occupies approximately 10% of the watershed of which strawberries are the dominant crop. Other corps include, raspberries, flowers and vegetables <ref name = "Largay">Reference text http://hydro.csumb.edu/ALBA_CSUMB/ALBA_Triple_M_Conditions_Concepts.pdf </ref>. Agro-industrial activities in the watershed include a mushroom growing operation and a chicken ranch <ref name = "Holloway" />. | ||
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| + | The natural vegetation within the watershed is dominated by native grasslands, oak woodlands, maritime chaparral and riparian areas. Given the short history of settlement, one can assume that these vegetation types were present historically. According to Largay <ref name = "Largay"> the Carneros Creek was then a steady moving stream that moved through numerous wetlands. Activities of settlement, including the reclamation efforts to drain the lower levels of the Carneros Creek, resulted in the loss of these wetlands. | ||
== Surface Water and Groundwater Hydrology == | == Surface Water and Groundwater Hydrology == | ||
Revision as of 17:19, 3 February 2011
The Carneros Creek Watershed is located in the Central Coast of California, in Monterey County. The Carneros Watershed is part of the larger Elkhorn Slough Watershed, and Carneros Creek (not to be confused with the Carneros Creek in Napa, California) is the main fresh water tributary to Elkhorn Slough.
Location, Size and Climate
The Carneros Creek Watershed is located within the limits of Monterey County in the California central coast. It comprises the towns of Aromas, Las Lomas, and parts of Prunedale, and it covers approximately 70 km². The area has a Mediterranean climate [2], with mild summers with temperatures in the 60's, and cool, mild, winters with temperatures in the 50's [3] . The warmest month of the year is September, and the coldest is December, with average maximum and minimum temperatures of 73.7°F and 38.1°F respectively. The winter months are wetter than the summer months, and the wettest month is January; the annual average precipitation is 23.25 Inches [3].
During the summer months, the flow in Carneros Creek can drop to zero, causing seawater from the Elkhorn Slough flow into the creek during high tides [4]. Because of this back flow from the slough into Carneros creek, some sources still consider Carneros Creek as part of Elkhorn Slough. The name Carneros Creek, although commonly used in the area, does not always appear in the maps and literature.
Land Cover and Land Use
The area of the Carneros Watershed exhibits mixed land use, including rural residential, grazed grasslands, cultivated areas, maritime chaparral, oak woodlands and riparian areas. Agricultural land use occupies approximately 10% of the watershed of which strawberries are the dominant crop. Other corps include, raspberries, flowers and vegetables [5]. Agro-industrial activities in the watershed include a mushroom growing operation and a chicken ranch [2].
The natural vegetation within the watershed is dominated by native grasslands, oak woodlands, maritime chaparral and riparian areas. Given the short history of settlement, one can assume that these vegetation types were present historically. According to Largay Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
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