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Map Satellite Emptying into the Old Salinas River 0.8 kilometer (0.5 mile) south of Elkhorn Slough, this slough includes a saltwater estuary grading inland to a large wetland area with temporary and permanent freshwater marshes.
Vegetation is similar to Elkhorn Slough, though there is proportionately less saltwater marsh and more freshwater marsh. These latter include bulrush, Scirpus sp., cattail, Typha sp., and Juncus sp., as well as various grasses. During the summer most of the freshwater areas dry but refill rapidly when the fall rains begin.
Though not as rich in diversity or quantity of animal life as Elkhorn, many forms are found here. This slough is an excellent area for the study of life form transitions from estuarine to freshwater marsh.
Integrity: Most of the surrounding area is grazed or cultivated; however, much of the wetlands appear relatively undisturbed. At the mouth, an industrial plant and various buildings line the shores; a highway crosses, as do railway and transmission lines, inland.
Use: Private
April 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman
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