February 9, 2015
The Carmel River Lagoon in 1947 (Laidlaw Williams photo)
There’s been some uproar lately over the plan to build a flood barrier in the Carmel River Lagoon and people have been asking on social media and elsewhere why anyone would propose to place such an assumed-to-be-ugly wall along the northern margin of such a beautiful wetland. A better question may be whether we can find a way to live our lives that doesn’t prevent steelhead from living at all. Either way, it’s a long story… Read the rest of this entry »
10 Comments | 
Carmel River, Coastal Development/Erosion, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, History, Politics, Water | Tagged: Army Corps of Engineers, Ecosystem Protective Barrier, monterey county, Scenic Road Protection Structure, Steelhead | 
Permalink
Posted by xasauan
July 10, 2013
The Monterey Bay Sanctuary: Not exactly pristine
One of the great things about living next to the ocean is that it makes it easy to get rid of sewage, trash and pretty much anything else you don’t want. And while the East Coast tradition of simply hauling municipal garbage out to sea on a barge and pushing it overboard never caught on here (something to do with the prevailing onshore wind, no doubt), Moss Landing’s Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (better known as MBARI) now tells us that Monterey Bay is nevertheless awash with trash.
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Coastal Development/Erosion, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse | Tagged: ocean trash, sea otter | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
November 30, 2011
We found some old 4X5 negatives in an envelope at the bottom of a drawer and ran them through the scanner …
This view of the Carmel River Lagoon with a “Carmel Meadows” free bluff in the background has “Laidlaw Williams 7 Sep. ’47” sketched in tiny print along its margin. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Carmel River, Coastal Development/Erosion, History | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
August 7, 2011
Last year we posted some photos from the set of Zandy’s Bride – filmed at Andrew Molera State Park in 1974. The picture, starring Gene Hackman and Liv Ullman, was based on the book The Stranger in Big Sur, by Lillian Bos Ross. The set was constructed on the coastal terrace near the mouth of the Big Sur River.
As there’s been quite a bit of interest in the first batch of photos, we’ve now ventured deeper into the archives and uncovered some additional images …
View down Main St. Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, History, Santa Lucias | Tagged: Andrew Molera State Park, Big Sur, Gene Hackman, Lillian Bos Ross, Liv Ullman, The Stranger, Zandy's Bride | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
March 23, 2011
“Hell, that’s not a slide … let Ed the mailman fix it.” Walt Trotter at the controls, 1971 (Photo by Sterling Doughty) Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, History, Politics, Santa Lucias, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
March 17, 2011
What with earthquakes, tsunamis, and a multiple reactor nuclear disaster unfolding, it’s been a rough week on planet earth. So it’s nice to know there are still some things we can count on. Things that never change. Things like Highway One in Big Sur randomly slipping into the ocean. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, Cycling, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, Santa Lucias, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
March 10, 2011
As reported in this morning’s Herald, recently released 2010 Census figures show Big Sur gaining 530 residents and 233 housing units over the past 10 years; making Big Sur the fastest growing rural area in Monterey County.
These numbers ought to help to assuage the fear, expressed by some, that government land acquisitions are reducing Big Sur’s population and housing stock, and threatening its survival as a community.
4 Comments | Big Sur, Coastal Development/Erosion, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
Xasáuan Today 