FoGR BLoG

Friends of the Gualala River’s web log
of river sightings and commentary on
the Gualala River watershed.

FoGRBLoG is open to everyone in our community. Send your photos and observations to:blog@GualalaRiver.org.
Please keep comments and photos focused on the Gualala River watershed and its natural environment
.

Click on the individual entries below

Willows hold their ground 6/13/2006   Peter  “The new channel and bar alignment at Valley Crossing has shifted the main channel into the willow grove planted by Matrix of Change a few years ago. The bank is eroding, but the willows so far have been large and mature enough to hold their ground.”   [more]

New vineyards sprayed with herbicides 3/20/2006   Peter  “All the big new vineyards on Annapolis Road have recently been sprayed with herbicides… The old Annapolis vineyard and new olive plantations are managed for weeds by non-chemical means…”   [more]

Changes at Valley Crossing 3/17/2006   Peter  “…the big gravel bar at the confluence of the south fork has split into two channels…””The willows planted by Matrix of Change a few years ago on the north bank of Valley Crossing have weathered the floods well…”   [more]

Harbor seals at the river mouth 3/17/2006   Peter  “…nine small harbor seals were hauled out on the back of the spit, near the edge of the muddy freshwater outflow of the Gualala River…”   [more]

Muddy river meets blue ocean 3/15/2006   Harmony  “New rains have recently joined the Gualala River taking with them all sorts of dirt and debris. As the river flows into the ocean you can vividly see how it is not an instant union…”   [more]

North Fork after the winter storms 3/7/2006   Britt  “A break in the weather provided an opportunity to check out the stability of the soils along the North Fork and Little North Fork of the Gualala River.””At the convergence of the North Fork and Little North Fork, the haul road is cutting away into the river due to the high flow from 2005-2006 winter storms…”   [more]

Mud Season 3/6/2006   John  “Old-timers say that Annapolis has two seasons… dust and mud. Well, with several days of non-stop heavy rain, I have to say we are definitely still in the mud season…””Here’s the Gualala River looking downstream at Twin Bridges. Alders knocked down in an earlier storm are submerged…”   [more]

After the Storm 2/20/2006   Peter  “The river mouth has formed a double sand spit, an atypical configuration — a small ‘counter-spit’, growing in the reverse (south) direction of the main spit’s growth, overlaps the ocean side of the spit, and deflects the shrunken mouth southward about a hundred feet…”  [more]

FoGR public meeting: Jeanne Gadol’s presentation 1/28/2006   Chris  “FoGR’s recent public presentation featuring the talented local photographer Jeanne Gadol drew a large turnout.””The crowd was treated to a beautiful collection of photographs accompanied by a muscial score…”   [more]

Storm on Gualala Point Beach 1/26/2006   Jeanne  “I was driving south from Gualala towards the bridge around noon on a very stormy January 26th when I noticed the waves flowing over the sandbar. I grabbed my camera…”   [more]

Gualala River gets national attention 1/21/2006   Chris  “An Associated Press article, ‘Environmentalists Fight Vineyards’ Spread,’ published in the Washington Post, LA Times and dozens of other newspapers in January, 2006, focuses attention on the destruction of forestland to plant vineyards in the Gualala River watershed…”   [more]

Year-end storm: Gualala Point / Mouth 12/31/05   Peter  “Soon after noon, the northern 2/3 of the sand spit was almost completely eroded from the river side, leaving 4 evenly spaced mounds (beach cusps) with vertical scarps facing the river, and low washover troughs between them…”   [more]

Year-end storm: Valley Crossing 12/31/05   Peter  “Here also the entire riparian zone was submerged and part of the channel, with rapid currents among alders.””The high water level (mud with ripples, debris lines) went up to the edge of the logging road…”   [more]

I have never seen the river flowing with such power 12/31/2005   Britt  “In the hours after we received our second significant storm of the ’05/’06 winter, I made my way to the main stem of the Gualala River to photograph the full and flooding river in conjunction with the 6.9 foot high tide…”   [more]

Winter is beautiful on the Gualala River 12/2/2005   Jim  “Hiking in Gualala Point County Park gives a fine view of the Estuary. It is especially fine as the sun is setting and the shadows lengthen, heightening the peaceful colors of a clear early December afternoon…”   [more]

Photographs are the property of their owners
and may not be used without permission.