Last Years Sandbar Breach Results….

Posted by mathieusimms in Current Events Thursday, 25 November 2010 15:25 No Comments

November 25, 2010

Dozens of dead Steelhead, trout, sculpin, flounder, eel, and dungeness crabs line the shorelines of the Pescadero/Butano Marsh.

—— Scenes like the one you are about to witness have been occurring since 1995, many on a much larger scale. ——

(15 years) “Somebody, somewhere, somehow needs to step up, take responsibility and fix this.“

*Click on images to enlarge.

These images were taken a few days before full breach. They capture a very high tide pushing water over the sandbar and into the lagoon. (A good indication that a breach is about to occur.)

Pescadero Marsh :: a sensitive ecosystem

The day of the breach – November 24, 2010.

A full lagoon and a drained lagoon. Same vantage point – day of breach – day after breach.

Water conditions were poor. In many areas, shorelines and stream waters were covered with an oily sheen.

Dozens of dead steelhead and trout, a majority of the dead fish were found along the northern side of the main Butano Creek Channel above the steel bridge.

Floating Away With The Tide :: a sensitive ecosystem

Starry Flounder – learn about Starry Flounder here.

Scuds -

Dungeness Crabs – learn about Dungeness Crabs here.

Eels -

Sculpin -

Search Results -

Pescadero Marsh :: Notes: Due to lack of access, the southern most channel of Butano Creek was not searched. Findings, are only a small percentage of actual count. Many others were likely washed out to sea during breach or remain on the bottom in deep waters. Also, many predatory birds were observed along the shorelines during breach and the morning after. Search was conducted at 6:30am on the low tide the morning after breaching. At 10:30am the tide began pushing up into the lagoon, dead fish that had been on the shorelines began to float away with the tide.

Click here to see a full gallery of images.

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