Where does the Salinas River begin and end?
From its headwaters in the Garcia Mountains near Santa Margarita in San Luis Obispo County, CA, the Salinas River flows northwestward through the Salinas Valley known as the “Salad Bowl of the World” and empties into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Monterey County.
What are the problems with the Salinas River?
Landowners and wildlife along the Salinas River are threatened by two major, interconnected problems: Proliferation of the invasive weed Arundo donax, and the high risk of the river flooding valuable land in wet years.
Is there a watershed management plan for the Salinas River?
Although there have been successful restoration projects along the river, there currently is no joint San Luis Obispo County and Monterey County Salinas River watershed management plan.
Who was the first person to see the Salinas River?
The Chalon and Esselen peoples also lived in the general area near the Salinas River. The Salinas river was first sighted by European settlers on 27 September 1769. This first European contact with the river was recorded by the Spanish „colonizing expedition“ of Gaspar de Portolà.
It flows north-northwest and drains the Salinas Valley that slices through the central California Coast Ranges south of Monterey Bay. The river begins in southern San Luis Obispo County, originating in the Los Machos Hills of the Los Padres National Forest.
Why is the Salinas River important to Monterey County?
This intensively farmed region along 100 miles of the Salinas River is the cornerstone of the local economy. Besides providing aquifer recharge for the irrigation water for Monterey County’s $4.5 billion thriving agricultural industry, the river provides valuable fish and wildlife habitat.
What was the Salinas River like in east of Eden?
As described by John Steinbeck in ‘East of Eden’, the Salinas River is mostly experienced as a dry, sandy wash that can rage and flood intensely in big winters, which has posed a challenge for those who have settled in and tried to make a living in the valley.