Historic Carmel Valley

Among the first European immigrants to settle and farm the fertile valleys of the Central Coast were Englishmen James Meadows and Edward Berwick, the Irishman William Hatton, and the Scottish William Martin. Hatton became a dairy manager for the Carmel Valley operations supporting the Hotel Del Monte and rose to become manager of the extensive Pacific Improvement Company operations in Carmel Valley, with his headquarters at a rebuilt Los Laureles ranch house. Chinese labor ditched and piped water from an early dam at Los Padres to the Hotel Del Monte and Monterey Peninsula cities.

From: The Guide to Historic Carmel Valley
http://www.thehistorycompany.com/carmelvalleydiningguide/guide_toc.html

Eschscholzia californica

The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a perennial and annual plant, native to the United States, and the official state flower of California.

Eschscholzia californica was the first named member of the genus Eschscholzia, which was named by the German botanist Adelbert von Chamisso after the Baltic German botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, his friend and colleague on Otto von Kotzebue’s scientific expedition to California and the greater Pacific in mid-1810s aboard the Russian ship Rurik.
From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_poppy

the "Chinese Dam" constructed ca. 1880

The oldest dam on the river, which was used as a turnout for a water pipeline, is located approximately 2,000 feet downstream of San Clemente Dam. This first dam and associated pipeline was constructed ca. 1880 by Charles Crocker and the Pacific Improvement Company with a labor force that included approximately 700 Chinese workers. This small dam, which has been referred to as the "Chinese Dam" and "Old Carmel River Dam," was built using hewn and mortared granite blocks.
From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmel_River
Picture from San Clemente Dam Removal http://www.sanclementedamremoval.org/

the Penutian language family

The Ohlone languages comprise one branch of the hypothesized Penutian language family, within which they form a subgroup with the Miwokan languages (Central Sierra Miwok, Coast Miwok, Lake Miwok, Northern Sierra Miwok, Plains Miwok, Saclan, and Southern Sierra Miwok). Penutian also includes Klamath-Modoc, the Maiduan languages (Konkow, Maidu, and Nisenan), the Wintuan languages (Nomlaki, Patwin, and Wintu), and the Yokuts languages.

The Rumsen language was spoken on the Monterey Peninsula and along the lower Carmel River, around Salinas and Fort Ord, near Castroville, and from Carmel Valley to Point Sur. During the mission period, it was spoken at Mission San Carlos de Borroméo in Carmel.

http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~survey/languages/rumsen.php

when large-scale pumping actually began, the river started running dry

Back in 1973, Cal-Am asked the PUC for permission to increase its pumping in Carmel Valley, from a rate of about 4,500 acre-feet per year, to 6,000 acre-feet per year. The PUC refused. After reviewing the available evidence, they found that the aquifer could only sustain pumping of 4,500 acre-feet of water per year.

This wasn't the answer that developers or the political leadership of the Monterey Peninsula wanted. They wanted enough water for unconstrained growth, and pumping it out of Carmel Valley was the easiest and cheapest way to get it. They needed help and, less than a year later, the State Department of Water Resources came riding to the rescue. Water Resources released a scientifically dubious report contradicting the PUC's finding and estimating that a whopping 15,000 acre-feet of water per year could be sustainably pumped from Carmel Valley. The PUC quickly capitulated and granted Cal-Am permission to pump more than 11,000 acre-feet per year.

But when large-scale pumping actually began, the river, embarrassingly for Cal-Am, started running dry right next to the pumps. This wasn't just an environmental problem; it was also a legal problem. It demonstrated that Cal-Am was capturing river water which they did not have a legal right to divert.

From: http://ventana.sierraclub.org/conservation/carmel_river/index.shtml

Picture from: GusC.A's photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/38029403@N03/

Los Padres Dam

Drive up Carmel Valley Road, turn right onto Cachagua Road. Climb steeply over Tularcitos Ridge, then descend steeply to the Carmel River and Cachagua Creek valley. Near the bottom of the hill after 5.9 miles, turn sharp right onto Nason Road. Cross several speed bumps to County Park on the right, where the good pavement ends. Continue uphill past the ranger station and park in a dirt lot where there is a fence with locked vehicle gate. Enter the unlocked hiker's gate and walk on a dirt road .5 mile to Los Padres Dam.

From Rafting the Upper Carmel River: http://cacreeks.com/carmel3.htm
Photo of Los Padres Dam Spillway from tsallam's photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/annevoi/with/4855467583/

Carmel Valley Ranch School

Nestled among the Sierra del Salinas of the upper Carmel Valley, is the site of the former Carmel Valley Ranch School, founded by Helen Lisle and Celinea "Bunny" Wells. Miss Wells and Miss Lisle were school teachers from New England, with an innovative approach to teaching. Their ideas was to start an eastern private school on a western ranch.

The plan was for the school to run from October to May, with the teachers accompanying the student by train from the east to California and back, allowing for special stops along the way, with their routes varying through the northern and southern United States. The parents liked this program because of the travel education it provided the children.

The first school sites was located near the present-day Carmel Valley Manor. In 1929, a new location was found. Mr. Russell Hastings had just purchased a ranch in upper Carmel Valley.

From: Hastings http://www.hastingsreserve.org/HistoryWebHNHR/CVRHistSun.html

Rumsen Ohlone

Rumsen is a member of the Costanoan, or Ohlonean, language family. Recognized as a distinct language family by the linguist Albert Gatschet in 1877, the Costanoan
languages are considered part of the broad Penutian family, which also includes Miwok.

Rumsen, now dormant, was one of eight distinct but related Costanoan languages spoken in north-central California in the region of the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas.
Rumsen was spoken in the Monterey-Carmel region down the coast to Big Sur in the south and Soledad in the east. The last known native speaker of Rumsen, Isabelle Meadows, died in 1939.

From: Some Observations of Rumsen Ohlone Grammar http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/handle/1808/5719

Picture of Rumsen Indian mortar hole from: tsallam's photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/annevoi/

The Boronda Adobe

Following the general trend after secularization, during the large Cattle Ranch Era, the José Manuel Boronda family acquired the 6, 625-acre Rancho Los Laureles in Carmel Valley.
The Borondas were not the first grantees. The tract had first been bestowed on José Antonio Romero in 1835.
But, four years later, in 1839, it was re-granted to José Manuel Boronda and Vicente Blas Martinez, along with José Manuel’s son, Juan de Mata Boronda, who was about age 18 or 19 at the time.

The Boronda family, including José Manuel, his wife, Juana, and their 15 children, came to settle on the rancho. Thus, the Boronda family became the first permanent settlers in Carmel Valley.

From: www.nelshenderson.com

"The Boronda Adobe" -Carmel Valley- By Percy Gray (1869-1952)
http://www.trottergalleries.com/soldinventory.asp?new=&At=PercyGray&InvNo=451

Rancho Tularcitos

Rancho Tularcitos was a 26,581-acre Mexican land grant in present day Monterey County, California given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Rafael Gomez. Tularcitos means "place of the little Tule thickets". The grant was in the upper Carmel Valley, along Tularcitos Creek, and was bounded on the west by Rancho Los Laureles.

http://en.wikipedia.org

Picture from: www.cavette.net
/wiki/Rancho_Tularcitos_28Gomez29

Rosie's Cracker Barrel

"Life in the Valley was a blast. I don't think I wore shoes. I'd spend a lot of time at Rosie's Cracker Barrel. We'd come in to buy breakfast and wipe the dust off the cereal box. We'd sit on the bench with Rosie; he was blind, so we told him what we were buying and how much money we were handing him.

"Sometimes we'd pull lemons from my mother's tree and then buy sugar and cups from Rosie on my mother's account, so we could set up a lemonade stand. It was the perfect upbringing."

It was built in 1927 as the real estate office for Robles Del Rio, the first subdivision in the valley. Rosie bought the structure in 1939, sold crackers out of the barrel, beans out of sacks, posted neighbors' mail between the shoestrings and pocket knives, stocked comics for kids, and ran a 6-stool bar in a back room for their parents.

From: http://montereypeninsula.blogspot.com/2008/11/rosies-cracker-barrel.html

From: http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_18903094?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com

Robles Del Rio Lodge 1928 - 2010

80-year-old Robles Del Rio Lodge in California's Carmel Valley Destroyed by Early Morning Fire

May 24, 2010--The landmark Robles Del Rio Lodge that had stood on its oak-shaded hilltop in Carmel Valley for more than 80 years burned to the ground early Sunday morning.

The lodge was built in 1928 by Frank Porter and had been the center of the community -- Carmel Valley Village was then called Robles del Rio -- and was the first lodge in Monterey County to feature a heated swimming pool, golf course and liquor license.

Bill Wood, a world-renowned hotelier, bought the lodge in 1939 and made it more exclusive. Visitors included Arthur Murray, Red Skelton, Doris Day and Tippi Hedren.

The Gurries family purchased the lodge in 1985 from Wood. In 1997 they won county approval to add 24 units. Financing fell apart, however, and the lodge was closed in February 2000.

Monterey County Herald http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2010_2nd/May10_Robles.html

Photo from: mas'sma1's photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/36826169@N06/

Los Robles

Quercus lobata, commonly called the Valley Oak, grows into the largest of North American oaks. It is endemic to California, growing in the hot interior valleys and foothills. Mature specimens may attain an age of up to 600 years

Photo from Dry Crik Journal: http://www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/dofflemyer/2009/03/valley_oak.html

Rumsen Ohlone from San Francisco to Carmel to Pomona

In 1776, life changed drastically when the Hispanic Empire established the Mission in San Francisco. Within six weeks, all of the Ohlone that were living in what is now San Francisco were decimated, scattered, or brought into service at the Mission. The approximately 20,000 Ohlone people who had been living in the Bay Area at this time were reduced to less than 2,000 by 1810.

Their numbers continued to decline and in 1834, Mexico ended the Mission system and most of the remaining native people in San Francisco, including ancestors of the Rumsen Ohlone Tribe, moved south to Carmel.

When the United States defeated Mexico in 1848 and took control of California, the Ohlone were never recognized by the government. At that time, the murdering of native people was common and the Rumsen Ohlone fled to Southern California.

From Civic Center Blog: http://sfciviccenter.blogspot.com/2011/06/ohlone-tribe-returns-to-san-francisco.html

Scott Cabin & Scott Barn on Hastings Ranch

Historically a cattle ranch, much of the land was donated by the Hastings family. Most of the present buildings still in use were built between the 1860s and 1950s.

Hastings is a part of the UC Natural Reserve System... and has been a biological field station of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), University of California Berkeley since 1937.

Located about 26 river miles upstream of the Pacific on the Carmel River watershed, Hastings includes the confluence of three seasonal creeks that feed into Finch Creek, and then the Carmel River. Immediately adjacent to Hastings are a complex of vernal pools and springs that support the endangered Red-legged Frog and one of the few coastal populations of the federally listed, endemic California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) that have not hybridized with tiger salamanders introduced from Texas and other western states to much of the Sierra de Salinas. Most of Hastings has not been grazed for 60 years, and the reserve is home to several rare, unplowed native perennial grasslands. This area is of high conservation interest focused on the vernal pools and oak woodlands.

The Tack Room and Scott Cabin are historic buildings, dating from the 1860's and continue to be used for storing historic ranch items and field equipment.

From: Hastings Natural History Reservation http://www.hastingsreserve.org/HistoryWebHNHR/OverviewHNHR.html

The Lambert Ranchhouse

Born Joleen Lambert, she is part of one of the oldest ranching families in East Carmel Valley. As in any charismatic dynasty, being born a Lambert has a certain built-in prestige about it, not because they have airs or pretensions but because they are respectable folk who have made a name for themselves in horsemanship and hospitality and have that familial strain of uniqueness that draws people to them.

The Lambert ranchhouse on Tassajara was her childhood home. I only know it as it is now--quaint, but forlorn and lonely. In its heyday, it teemed with friends and family. Set in an oak- and madrone-lined valley beside a creek, it''s a white and green farmhouse that faces the road and the pastures beyond it. It''s an unpretentious and charming set-up that out-of-town vehicles take notice of as they pass on through to hunt or hike in the Ventana Wilderness or soak in the Tassajara hot springs.

Owned by the Lamberts for a good part of the 20th century, the ranchhouse was the social center for Jamesburg.

From: Monterey County Weekly http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/2001/apr/12/true-daughter-of-the-golden-west/

Missions of New Spain

Map of the route, Juan Bautista de Anza traveled in 1775-76 from Mexico to today's San Francisco, where he founded the Presidio of San Francisco.

The California Missions, after they were all established, were located about one day's horseback ride apart for easier communication and linked by the El Camino Real trail. These Missions were typically manned by two-three friars and three to ten soldiers. Virtually all the physical work was done by Indians coerced into joining the missions.
The padres provided instructions for making adobe bricks, building mission buildings, planting fields, digging irrigation ditches, growing new grains and vegetables, herding cattle and horses, singing, speaking Spanish, and understanding the Catholic faith—all that was thought to be necessary to bring the Indians up to be able to support themselves and their new church.
The soldiers supervised the construction of the Presidios (forts) and were responsible for keeping order and preventing and/or capturing runaway Indians that tried to leave the missions. Nearly all of the Indians adjoining the missions were induced to join the various missions built in California. Once the Indians had joined the mission, if they tried to leave, soldiers were sent out to retrieve them. Some have compared their Peon status as only slightly better than slaves.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_California

Ohlone Map

The Ohlone are the original inhabitants of the Santa Cruz area, who over thousands of years developed complex cultures that were sustained through a deep relationship with the wildlife and natural resources of the land.

The Ohlone people and their ways of life were decimated first by the Spanish invasion and establishment of Mission Santa Cruz in 1791, and later by American settlement and genocidal Gold Rush-era policies toward Indians.

Contrary to popular belief, Ohlone people are very much still alive today, as is their deep relationship with the land of their ancestors.

From: Save the Knoll http://savetheknoll.org/about/

Middle and Lower Carmel River

Location map: Middle and Lower Carmel River based on aerial photography in 1945.

A narrow channel with well-vegetated banks developed on the lower 15 km. of the Carmel River by 1939, and by 1960 this condition had extended to the entire lower 24 km. of river channel. Noticeable die-off of riparian trees near water supply wells began in the 1960s and intensified during the 1976–1977 drought. Substantial bank erosion occurred during the winters of 1978 and 1980 along reaches which had suffered loss of bank-stabilizing riparian trees.

From: The Role of Riparian Vegetation in Channel Bank Stability http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft1c6003wp;chunk.id=d0e21500;doc.view=print

Carmel Valley Historic Resources

Carmel Valley Historic Resources Checklist:

Lambert Ranch House 1924 Tassajara Road
Scott Cabin 1860s Carmel Valley Road
Scott Barn 1860s Carmel Valley Road
Carmel Valley Ranch School 1929 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel River Dam 1883-84 Carmel Valley Road
San Clemente Dam 1924 Carmel Valley Road
Church Homestead 1890s Tassajara Road
Tassajara Hot Springs Resort 1880s Tassajara Road
Jamesburg School-Bell Ranch 1891 Carmel Valley Road
Jamesburg School-Boronda Creek Ranch 1920s Cachagua Road
Tregea Ranch structures 1860s & up Carmel Valley Road
Search Ranch House 1840s Tassajara Road
Prince’s Camp Tavern 1890s Nason Road
Miller Camp 1890s Tassajara Road
The Rock House 1920s Nason Road
The Parrott Ranch Wood Frame House1870s Cachagua Road
The Parrott Ranch Adobe & Stone Structures1820s Cachagua Road
Burritt Cahoon Home 1890s Carmel Valley Road
Arnold Cabin 1900 Carmel Valley Road
Hatton Dairy Barn 1890 6540 Carmel Valley Road
Ichxenta N/A San Jose Creek
Tucutnut N/A Mouth of Potrero Canyon
Socorronda N/A Mid-Carmel Valley
Echilat N/A San Francisquito Flat
Sepponet N/A South of Tularcitos Guard Station
Site of Descanso Oak N/A Carmel Valley Road
Site of Bradley Sargeant Adobe 1850s Portrero Canyon
Indian Dam Site N/A Carmel River
Site of Inesimo/Meadows Adobe 1835 Mid-Carmel Valley
San Francisquito Adobe Site 1835 Rancho San Carlos
Old Carmelo School 1917 North of Schulte Road
Meadows Home 1880 North of Schulte Road
Farm Center 1869 Robinson Canyon Road at Carmel Valley Road
Carmel Valley Rock and Sand Company Conveyor 1890 Behind Farm Center
San Carlos Ranch House 1924 San Francisquito Flat
Colton Home 1885 Holt Ranch
Wright Cabin 1860s Robinson Canyon
Los Laureles Lodge 1870 Upper Carmel Valley
Boronda Adobe pre-1834 Boronda Road
Del Monte Milk Barn 1890 Carmel Valley Village
Robles del Rio Lodge 1926 Robles del Rio
Rosie’s Cracker Barrel 1927 Robles del Rio
Bridge #501 1947 Schulte Road at Carmel River
Bridge #507 N/A Boronda Road at Carmel River
Bridge #508 1946 Esquiline Road at Carmel River
Bridge #523 N/A Robinson Canyon Road at Garzas Creek
Cooper Barn 1875 Garland Park
Chalk Rock House c. 1925 27200 Los Arboles Drive
Berwick Manor and Orchard 1850-1899 Route 2
Carmel Valley Airpark 1941 Ford Road
Boronda Road Tree Grove 1874 Boronda Road

FROM: MONTEREY COUNTY REGISTER OF HISTORIC RESOURCES
AS OF JUNE, 2009
http://publicagendas.co.monterey.ca.us/MG75670/AS75689/AS75695/AI83873/DO83876/DO_83876.PDF
Photo from The Monterey Explorer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26134119@N00/with/3991329091/

Deal reached to bypass San Clemente dam

Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

(01-13) 18:22 PST San Francisco -- An obsolete dam that has blocked the historic migration of steelhead trout on the Carmel River for decades will be bypassed, according to an agreement between the government and a Monterey water company.

The California American Water Company signed an agreement this week to split the cost of re-routing the river around the 106-foot tall San Clemente Dam, which has been choked with silt and virtually useless for years.

The $84 million project involves digging a new half-mile channel starting in 2013. The dam itself would presumably be removed at an unspecified future date, but the tons of sediment trapped behind it will be left in place, according to the plan.

The water company, which owns the dam, will come up with $50 million of the cost by raising the rates of its 110,000 customers in Monterey County. The rest of the money will be paid by federal and state agencies, including the Oakland-based California Coastal Conservancy.

The San Clemente Dam was built in 1921 and once provided drinking water throughout the Monterey Peninsula. It was declared unsafe by inspectors in 1991 and is now 90 percent silted up. In the late 1990s, state regulators declared that it was in danger of collapsing in an earthquake and spilling the 40 million gallons of water trapped behind its crumbling walls.

From San Francisco Chronicle
Picture from California Creeks http://cacreeks.com/carmel3.htm

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/13/BAF41BHBSA.DTL#ixzz0cZCR2CUt

Measure G went down 48 to 52 percent

"...The results didn’t change: With 4,164 votes tallied, Measure G went down 48 to 52 percent. The defeat made the council vote moot, but if G had passed, the five-candidate pro-town slate would have swept it.

What remains are the sore feelings among neighbors who are, at least in some respects, strikingly similar.

Judging by the victory parties, both sides have been led by mostly senior, mostly white, mostly middle – to upper-class folks who don’t want rampant development‚ hence the nearly identical slogans: “Keep Carmel Valley Rural” on the Yes side, “Keep Our Valley Rural” on the No.

That mutual love of the sticks may present a healing opportunity. Just weeks before the election, the state water board adopted a cease-and-desist order that sharply stacks the odds against new developments – in large part to protect the Carmel River that runs through the valley, regardless of townhood.

If residents can become so deeply divided over what makes Carmel Valley rural, maybe they can band together to keep it that way."

From: Monterey County Weekly

Coyote gave the people the carrying net

2.--RUMSIEN COSTANOAN. COYOTE.[1]

Coyote's wife said to him: "I do not want you to marry other women." Now they had only one child. Then Coyote said: "I want many children. We alone cannot have many children. Let me marry another woman so that there may be more of us." Then the woman said, "Well, go."

Then he had five children. Then his children said: "Where shall we make our houses? Where shall we marry?" Coyote told them: "Go out over the world." Then they went and founded five rancherias with five different languages. The rancherias are said to have been Ensen, Rumsien, Ekkheya, Kakonta, and that of the Wacharones.

Now Coyote gave the people the carrying net. He gave them bow and arrows to kill rabbits. He said: "You will have acorn mush for your food. You will gather acorns and you will have acorn bread to eat. Go down to the ocean and gather seaweed that you may eat it with your acorn mush and acorn bread. Gather it when the tide is low, and kill rabbits, and at low tide pick abalones and mussels to eat. When you can find nothing else, gather buckeyes for food. If the acorns are bitter, wash them out; and gather "wild oat" seeds for pinole, carrying them on your back in a basket.

Look for these things of which I have told you. I have shown you what is good. Now I will leave you. You have learned. I have shown you how to gather food, and even though it rains a long time people will not die of hunger. Now I am getting old. I cannot walk. Alas for me! Now I go."

From INDIAN MYTHS OF SOUTH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. BY A. L. KROEBER.[1907]

Picture from Speed Trap Hunter

Measure G: showdown time in Carmel Valley

"So it’s showdown time in Carmel Valley. Will those in favor of local control win the shootout and bring local development and governance issues to a town council comprised of Carmel Valley residents? Or will voters fear the unknown and unintended consequences, and leave the decision-making to the supervisors in Salinas?

Some anti-town folk say they worry incorporation will ruin Carmel Valley’s rural character. It’s more likely, however, that the community’s existing governing body, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, will.

“History has shown that the concerns of the community have been ignored,” Supervisor Dave Potter says.

This is why, ultimately, incorporation is about local control. Carmel Valley residents have one representative on the Board of Supervisors – Potter, who lives in Carmel, and who is routinely outvoted by the other elected officials when it comes to land-use policy decisions. There isn’t any extra water in Carmel Valley, which means most individuals can’t even get a permit to build a second bathroom. But when it comes to big-ticket development projects – like Carmel Valley Ranch, Rancho San Carlos, the Quail hotel expansion and Clint Eastwood’s Tehema – the supes eagerly have given the green light, usually by a 4-1 vote, with Potter dissenting."

From Monterey County Weekly
Carmel River photo from Kevin's Hiking Page

most missions collapsed or were destroyed by earthquakes

"The California Spanish Missions supplied many of the needed goods in early California commerce. The indians provided all of the needed labor to keep the missions functioning as centers of religion and commerce. During the Mexican annexation the missions were stripped of their exclusive rights to own large tracks of land. Many of the missions were quickly abandoned or suffered great loss financially, most missions collapsed or were destroyed by earthquakes or floods over the years. The 21 California Spanish missions are a large part of California's rich history.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was founded by Father Junipero Serra in June 3, 1770. Named for Saint Charles Borromeo of Arona, (Bishop of Milan) Italy (Patron saint of Bishops) and the Carmel River that flows near by.
Father Junipero Serra died peacefully on the 28th of August, 1784 and his remains entombed in the mission. "
From: Monterey County
Picture from: Diana's Gallery

Carmel Valley Condor

"He set off on a long journey and found a golf course in Carmel Valley, owned by an iconic figure of the west, particularly compelling! Never a large or aggressive condor, he gets along well with other members of the flock and feeds peaceably with others... "

From Ventana Wildlife Society
Picture from ehoyer's photostream

THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD...

"RUMSIEN COSTANOAN. THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD.[1]

When this world was finished, the eagle, the humming-bird, and Coyote were standing on the top of Pico Blanco. When the water rose to their feet, the eagle, carrying the humming-bird and Coyote, flew to the Sierra de Gabilan. There they stood until the water went down. Then the eagle sent Coyote down the mountain to see if the world were dry. Coyote came back and said: "The whole world is dry." The eagle said to him: "Go and look in the river. See what there is there." Coyote came back and said: "There is a beautiful girl." The eagle said: "She will be your wife in order that people may be raised again." He gave Coyote a digging implement of abalone shell and a digging stick."

From: INDIAN MYTHS OF SOUTH CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. BY A. L. KROEBER.[1907]
Ohlone Indians, picture from Bancroft Library

Rana aurora draytonii

"The California Red-Legged Frog became Federally listed as a Threatened species on May 23, 1996. Monterey County is roughly in the middle of the range of this species.
This species is the largest native frog in the western United States, ranging from 1.5 to 5.1 inches in length.

The diet of California red-legged frogs is highly variable. Invertebrates are the most common food items, although vertebrates such as Pacific tree frogs and California mice can constitute over half of the prey mass eaten by larger frogs. Larvae likely eat algae.

California red-legged frogs breed from November through March with earlier breeding records occurring in southern localities. California red-legged frogs are often prolific breeders, typically laying their eggs during or shortly after large rainfall events in late winter and early spring. Embryos hatch 6 to 14 days after fertilization, and larvae require 3.5 to 7 months to attain metamorphosis.

The California red-legged frog has been extirpated or nearly extirpated from 70 percent of its former range."

From: Helping Our Peninsula's Environment
Picture of California Red-legged Frog from: sfbaywildlife

illumination of the altar at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel

"A similar illumination at Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, perhaps the most famous of California's 21 missions. This one, however, occurs on the summer solstice in June, the longest day of the year.

"The illumination of the altar during the 2003 summer solstice at Mission San Carlos Borremeo in Carmel."
From: San Francisco Chronicle

idolatry which has been found among these natives

"The kind of idolatry which has been found among these natives is that they sometimes smoke, blowing the smoke to the sun, the moon, and to certain people who they believe live in the sky; and with this they say: "Here goes this smoke in order that you will give me good weather to-morrow." Thus also of the seeds which they gather and of which they make pinole or flour. Of these they throw a handful to the sun, the moon, or the sky, saying: "I send you this so that another year you will give me greater abundance." Thus they recognize in the sun and the moon influences bearing upon their necessities, and recognize also that in the sky there is another people which sends them what they wish, and for this reason they offer them flour, seeds, and tobacco smoke."

From: A MISSION RECORD OF THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS(1811)
Picture of "the famous images in the caves near Tassajara."on xasauan today

Los Padres Dam

"The Los Padres Dam, built in 1949, is located on Carmel River 25 miles upstream from the ocean. Its original capacity was 3,030 acre-feet."

From: Wikipedia
Picture from: Chachagua

Carmel Canyon

The Monterey Canyon system is composed of Soquel, Monterey, and Carmel Canyons.

Further offshore and approximately 30 kilometers down canyon from its head, Monterey Canyon joins Carmel Canyon in 1,970 meters of water. The headward parts of Monterey Canyon and its tributaries (less than 2,000 meters deep) generally have steep walls and narrow floors.

West (down canyon) of Carmel Canyon, Monterey Canyon’s profile changes. The flat floor widens and becomes less v-shaped in profile. The canyon generally trends southwest from Carmel Canyon for approximately 18 kilometers to Point Lobos Canyon.
Carmel Canyon is another relatively straight arm of the Monterey Canyon system. It has three heads. Two heads are in Carmel Bay—one at the shoreline just opposite San Jose Creek and another offshore about 3 kilometers from the mouth of Carmel River. Both cut Cretaceous granitic rocks. The third head extends along trend with the north-south oriented main canyon form, about 3 kilometers past the intersection of the other two heads.
The morphology of the east and west flanks of Carmel Canyon differ. Relatively straight sloping drainage channels and slumps lightly dissect the upper eastern wall. However, the western side of the canyon is composed of steep cliffs. The eastern wall is composed of the more resistant Cretaceous granitic rocks. Based on one dredge sample, Cretaceous sandstone crops out along the western wall and apparently constitutes the bedrock ridge.
From: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

the Canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra

"Prayer for the Canonization of
Blessed Junípero Serra

Heavenly Father, we ask you to look lovingly on the missionary journey of your faithful servant, Blessed Junípero Serra.

His steadfast efforts in founding nine missions in California and the conversion of thousands of Native Americans have inspired the formation and work of Serra International.

This ministry in Father Serra's name is to encourage and affirm vocations to priesthood and vowed religious life.

We pray that you bless this holy and courageous Franciscan missionary and grant him the ultimate honor of Sainthood in your heavenly kingdom.

We ask this in the name of thy Blessed Trinity and of Mary, Queen of Vocations.

Amen."

Prayer from: The Serra Club

Picture from: Chimes of Mission Bells, 1914

Western pond turtle (Clemmys marmorata)

"The Carmel River supports declining California native aquatic species including the southernmost population of the federally protected South Central Coast steelhead trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss), the federal and state protected California redlegged frog(Rana aurora draytonii) and the state listed Western pond turtle(Clemmys marmorata)."

From: LOWER CARMEL RIVER AND LAGOON FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
Picture from: Mammals, Reptiles and Amphibians of Lake Merced

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

"At this mission there are seven nations of Indians. They are called Excelen and Egeae, Rumsen, Sargenta Ruc, Sanconeños, Guachirron and Calendo Ruc. The first two are from inland. They have one and the same language or speech, but this is totally distinct from that of the other five, who speak a common tongue.

There is a custom among the men of entering daily a subterranean oven which is called temescal. Into this they bring fire. When it is sufficiently heated, they go in undressed. Then they sweat profusely, so that when they come out they look as if they had been bathing. It is known that this is very beneficial to them."

From: A MISSION RECORD OF THE CALIFORNIA INDIANS(1811)Translated by Alfred. L. Kroeber

Map from: Monterey County Historical Society

Petition To List Three Species of Lampreys as Threatened or Endangered

"The petitioned lampreys belong to the genus Lampetra in the family Petromyzontidae and subfamily Petromyzontinae, a primitive group of fishes that are eellike in form but lack the jaws and paired fins. These species have a round suckerlike mouth (oral disc), no scales, and breathing holes instead of gills. Most lamprey species have a similar life cycle: all begin life in freshwater, but some are anadromous (going from ocean to freshwater tributaries to spawn). In the beginning of their life cycle, the lamprey eggs hatch and the young ammocoetes (larvae) drift downstream to areas of low velocity and silt or sand substrate. They remain burrowed in the stream bottom, living as filter feeders for 2 to 7 years, filterfeeding on algae and detritus.

Pacific lampreys have been documented in the Pajaro, Santa Maria, Ventura, Carmel, and Big Sur Rivers..."
From: Federal Register: December 27, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 247)
Picture from: Klamath Resource Information System

Blessed Junípero Serra 1713 - 1784

1713
. . Miguel Jose Serra, born at Petra on the Island of Mallorca, Spain.

1729
. . At the age of 16 he entered the service of the Catholic Church. He soon entered the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, and and took a new first name, Junípero, that of St. Francis' beloved original companion friar.

1769
. . Spain began settlement of Alta California with the Sacred Expedition which Serra accompanied. Serra himself established nine missions, with a total of twenty-one missions eventually being established along the El Camino Real, from San Diego to Sonoma, a distance of 700 miles.

1784
. . At the age of 70, and after traveling 24,000 miles, Father Junípero Serra died at Mission San Carlos Borromeo and is buried there under the sanctuary floor.
From: The Serra Club

facebook Carmel Valley: Valley Swimming Holes

Valley Swimming Holes

"Porter's Pool was a good one just up the river from Rosie's.

Porter's Pool was awesome with the swing off the top of the cliff, and always the threat of a lamprey eel below!

I do believe I got a 2nd degree sunburn at Porter's Pool.

I lived in one of the those houses right next to Porter's Pool, a gray house with a deck that had a tree growing thru it. My friends and I use to dive off that cliff all the time. We built forts out of river stone and drift wood and caught crawdads and cooked them up right there. It was an idyllic childhood. And then there was the lampreys..."

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=30978417967&topic=5839

Pacifastacus leniusculus

"Crawdads — members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea — are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related. They breathe through feather-like gills and are mostly found in brooks and streams where there is fresh water running, and which have shelter against predators.

The signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, is an American crayfish indigenous to the western United States.^[1] Members of this species are up to 15 cm in length.^[2] They are bluish-brown to reddish-brown in color with robust large smooth claws. They have a white to pale blue-green patch near the claw hinge.^[2]

Like all crayfish, they are solitary animals and are omnivorous, although their diet is mainly vegetarian they will eat anything from decaying roots and leaves to meat, including crayfish smaller than themselves."
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_crayfish

Chanjay the Headman from the Rumsen village

"When Father Serra arrived at Monterey in 1770, he was met by the people of the Rumsen villages of Achasta. The news of the arrival of those foreigners traveled fast through the five Rumsen villages. It wasn't long before "Chanjay", the Headman from the Rumsen villages of Echilat, learned of their arrival.

After gathering much knowledge and offering prayers to the creator, the sixty-year-old Chanjay convinced tribal Chiefs from the villages of Achasta, Tucutnut, Soccorronda, Echilat and Ichxenta to send tribal members to assist Father Serra in building Mission San Carlos and planting crops.

Chief Chanjay's role as a Rumsen Headman was to pass on the culture by his teachings, stories, songs, and dances, organizing gatherings and by conducting ceremonies. Chanjay sanctioned marriages and oversaw disputes among tribal members and other Rumsen villages.

By 1783, 90 tribal members from Chanjay's village entered Mission San Carlos to become members of that Mission. Little did they know what lay in store for them, as upon their joining they were enslaved for life. "

From: Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe
Picture from: Western Historical Quarterly

Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo

"Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, also known as the Carmel Mission, is a Roman Catholic mission church in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It is part of the National Registry of Historic Places and a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

It was the headquarters of the original Alta California Missions headed by Father Junípero Serra from 1770 until his death in 1784.

It was destroyed in the mid 1800s."
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_San_Carlos_Borrom%C3%A9o_de_Carmel.
Photo by Pfaffendorn

Rumsen Ohlone

"The Rumsen local tribe, from which the language name was derived, held the lower Carmel River Valley and neighboring Monterey Peninsula at the time of Spanish colonization. Their population of approximately 400-500 people was distributed among at least five villages within their territory.

The last fluent speaker of Rumsen (and probably the last fluent speaker of any Costanoan language) was Isabel Meadows^, who died in 1939."

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumsen
Picture from E-Legal

Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System

From a Monterey Peninsula Water Management District presentation-- Carmel River Watershed: Water Supply Perspective
http://www.epa.gov/region/water/groundwater/gwswp-forum/files/Oliver.pdf

Oncorhynchus mykiss

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America as well as much of the central, western, eastern, and especially the northern portions of the United States. The ocean going (anadromous) form (including those returning for spawning) are known as steelhead, or ocean trout (Australia and United States).

From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout

Early Carmel River Water Supply Development: Ranchos (granted 1820’s-1840’s)

From a Monterey Peninsula Water Management District presentation-- Carmel River Watershed: Water Supply Perspective
http://www.epa.gov/region/water/groundwater/gwswp-forum/files/Oliver.pdf

San Clemente Dam Removal Project

"The river must be rerouted into the adjacent San Clemente Creek, upstream of this area.

This will be accomplished by cutting a “diversion channel” (also called a bypass channel) through the narrow ridge separating the two waterways, approximately one-half mile upstream of the dam (Label #1).

The diversion channel would be cut by a combination of blasting and ripping the rock. Rock excavated from the diversion channel would then be used to create structure that would block the river from entering the sediment disposal area and divert it into the newly cut diversion channel. This structure, the “diversion dike”, would essentially be a new ridge cutting across the valley floor (Label #2).

Once the sediment excavation and stream restoration is complete, the dam will be demolished. The concrete rubble will be used to help stabilize the sediment stockpile and the diversion dam. All concrete rubble will be used on site. "

From California State Coastal Conservancy: http://www.scc.ca.gov/

Carmel River steelhead teetering on extinction, August 2009

"Sierra Club and the Carmel River Steelhead Association (CRSA) have filed a lawsuit in federal court under the citizen enforcement provision of the Environmental Species Act (ESA). The lawsuit is seeking an immediate 35% reduction in diversions of water from the Carmel River in Monterey County by California-American Water Company.

The suit contends that as a result of the over pumping, the Carmel River steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) could become extinct...Numbers have been in a steady decline since 2001 despite annual rescue efforts by CRSA volunteers to move fish upstream as the river dries. Factors for decline for Carmel River steelhead are habitat blockages, dewatering from urban water diversions, habitat degradation, and agricultural and urban development on floodplains and riparian areas.

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) also found that CalAm had rights to divert only 3,376 acre-feet annually. The SWRCB stated that: “Cal-Am is diverting about 10,730 acre-feet annually from the Carmel River or its underflow without a valid basis of right.” However, for the last fourteen years Cal-Am has continued to divert up to 11,285 acre-feet annually.

Attorney Larry Silver said, “Many fish die, and a count done earlier this year found only 93 adult steelhead returned from the ocean to the river, a 75% decrease from previous years."

From Sierra Club Ventana Chapter: http://ventana.sierraclub.org
Picture from Webrarian's photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/webrarian/

the dam structure could potentially fail

"The San Clemente Dam is a 106-foot high concrete arch dam located approximately 18.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean on the Carmel River. California American Water (CalAm) owns and operates the dam.

When the dam was constructed in 1921, it had a reservoir storage capacity of approximately 1,425 acre-feet. Today the reservoir is over 90% filled with more than 2.5 million cubic yards of sediment, leaving a reservoir storage capacity of approximately 125 acre-feet.

In the early 1990s, the California Department of Water Resources issued a safety order, determining that the dam structure could potentially fail in the event of either the maximum credible earthquake or probable maximum flood."

From San Clemente Dam Removal Project: http://www.scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sanclemente/san_clemente_large.pdf
Picture from the wonderful blog Xasuan Today: http://xasauantoday.wordpress.com/

The Carmel river provides essential habitat

"Since 1921 ... the Carmel River and its wildlife resources have been impacted by San Clemente Dam. As a result of the dam, the Carmel River suffers accelerated erosion, the once vibrant steelhead run has dramatically decreased, and lives and property below the dam are threatened with collapse of the unsafe structure. Today, there is an extraordinary opportunity to remove the antiquated dam and initiate a watershed restoration process that will bring this river back to life.

The river provides essential habitat for many important species, including steelhead trout and California red-legged frog, both listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act."

From San Clemente Dam Removal Project: http://www.scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sanclemente/san_clemente_large.pdf
Photo from Fritz Liess' photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fritzliess/sets/72157616162123797/