Elkhorn Slough Reserve, California

Tidal Range

Today, Elkhorn Slough is a tidally flushed seasonal estuary with little freshwater input. Strong tidal currents scour every major wetland habitat. Today, tidal currents suspend and transport large quantities of sediment from the slough into Monterey Bay during each low tide. At low tides, a muddy plume reaches a mile or more into Monterey Bay. Elkhorn Slough is a highly modified system (see Cultural History.)

River Flow

The majority of freshwater enters into the north end of the slough through Carneros and Watsonville Creeks, two intermittent creeks with substantial flows during the winter and virtually none during the summer. Direct runoff from surrounding hills in the winter and agricultural return flows from irrigated fields contribute additional freshwater. A potentially important amount of freshwater may enter the slough from the Salinas River via the Old Salinas River Channel and the Moss Landing Harbor.

Carneros Creek flows along a drainage ditch in a highly modified riparian corridor. After the rainy season, some adjacent lands are plowed and cultivated right to the channel edge. There are major inflows of eroded soil into the channel and the adjacent flats flanking the channel. In the past the channel has filled with sediment and vegetation and was dredged in 1957.

Site Description

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