Big Sur River
| Big Sur River | |
|---|---|
Pacific ocean | |
• coordinates | 36°16′49.87″N 121°51′35.84″W / 36.2805194°N 121.8599556°W |
• elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Length | 15.7 mi (25.3 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Ventana Creek, Lion Creek, Cienaga Creek |
| • right | Post Creek, Terrace Creek, Logwood Creek, Delores Creek, Mocho Creek |
| Type | Wild |
| Designated | June 19, 1992 |
The Big Sur River is a 15.7-mile-long (25.3 km)
Most of the river's 60-square-mile (160 km2)
Etymology
While exploring Alta California, the Portolá expedition arrived at San Carpóforo Canyon near present-day San Simeon on September 13, 1769. After two days of attempts, they decided they could not proceed up the inaccessible coast. Instead, they cut a trail inland through the San Antonio and Salinas Valleys before arriving at Monterey Bay, where they founded Monterey and named it their capital.[4]
The Spanish referred to the vast, relatively unexplored, coastal region to the south as el país grande del sur, meaning "the big country of the south". This was often shortened to el sur grande.[5][6] The two major rivers were named El Rio Grande del Sur (Big Sur River) and El Rio Chiquito del Sur (Little Sur River) .[7]: 7 The first recorded use of the name "el Sud" (meaning "the South") was in the map of the Rancho El Sur land grant given by Governor José Figueroa to Juan Bautista Alvarado on July 30, 1834. The first American use of the name "Sur" was by the U.S. Coast Survey in 1851, which renamed a point of land that looked like an island and was shaped like a trumpet, formerly known as "Morro de la Trompa" and "Punta que Parece Isla" during Spanish times, to Point Sur.[8]
Water flow
In 1977, the US Forest Service measured the maximum run off in February at 41,860 acre-feet (51,630,000 m3), and the minimum at 1,050 acre-feet (1,300,000 m3). The total runoff was 126,200 acre-feet (155,700,000 m3).[9]
Dam planned
In the late 1800s, the Ventana Power Company operated a sawmill near present-day Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. They began planning to build a dam on the Big Sur River just downstream of the confluence of Ventana Creek and the Big Sur River. They hoped to sell the electricity to the City of Monterey. They built a diversion channel along the Big Sur River, but the 1906 San Francisco earthquake bankrupted the company and they abandoned the project. The stonework from the diversion channel is still visible.[10]
Wild and Scenic River designation
A 19.5 miles (31.4 km) stretch of the river is designated as a
Vegetation
The vegetation of the watershed is diverse. Along the main river canyon and many side tributaries grow riparian species such as
Recreation
The popular 26 miles (42 km) Pine Ridge Trail follows the Big Sur River for several miles inland. Several backcountry camps are located along the river, including Ventana Camp, Barlow Flat Camp, and Sykes Camp. Near Sykes Camp, approximately 10 miles (16 km) inland, there is a hot springs. Small pools were built to impound the water above the riverbank but these were destroyed by floods in 2017–18. The USFS stated that the man-made tubs were illegal impoundments that are inconsistent with the intention of a wilderness experience and will not allow them to be rebuilt.[12]
From Sykes, the trail crosses the river, and 3 miles (4.8 km) later reaches Redwood Camp, situated along the tributary Redwood Creek. From here, the trail climbs over 3,000 feet (910 m) to Pine Ridge, and enters the Carmel River watershed, eventually exiting the wilderness at China Camp. As of January 2017[update], the trail is closed due to damage caused by the Soberanes Fire, the result of an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park.[13]
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed March 15, 2011
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Big Sur River
- ^ Big Sur River Watershed Management Plan
- ^ Bolton, Herbert E. (1927). Fray Juan Crespi: Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769–1774. HathiTrust Digital Library. Archived from the original on 2014-03-22.
- ^ "History of Big Sur California". bigsurcalifornia.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
- ^ Jensen, Jamie Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways Archived 2016-11-30 at the Wayback Machine page 146
- ISBN 0-7385-2913-3
- from the original on 2018-01-09.
- ^ "Los Padres National Forest (N.F.), Big Sur Coastal Unit Plan: Environmental Impact Statement". United States. Forest Service. 1977. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ Williamson, Phil. "DCQ Summer Solstice 2002 - PAST TIMES". ventanawild.org. Archived from the original on 2012-05-31. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers" (PDF). Trust for Public Land. 16 November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2005. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ "Sykes Camp | Sykes Hot Springs In The Ventana Wilderness". www.ventanawild.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- ^ Larson, Amy (2 August 2016). "Soberanes Fire caused by illegal unattended campfire, Cal Fire says". Retrieved 2 August 2016.
External links
- Big Sur River Watershed Management Plan Resource Conservation District of Monterey County
- Big Sur and Little Sur Rivers The Trust for Public Land