Short version? Clear today, rain tonight into tomorrow, then no rain until the end of the month. January 30th thru February 5th there is a high probability of an atmospheric river that will impact the entire California Coast, and also the Sierras and Klamath mountains.
CONSTRUCTION STATUS REPORT CA ERFO FS LSPDR 2021-1(1) NACIMIENTO FERGUSSON ROAD January 15, 2024 PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) sustained significant damage to transportation facilities, including roadway embankments and drainage items during the 2021 Heavy Precipitation and Flooding event. The US Forest Service (FS) is requesting that the Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD) perform engineering and construction services to repair the damaged facilities utilizing Emergency Repair for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) funds. The project is located approximately 33 miles southwest of King City, CA on Forest Service Route 22S01 (Nacimiento Fergusson Road) within the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey, CA. The project consists of repairing 22 sites, encompassing 11 miles along the route. Site repairs generally include embankment construction, retaining walls, and culvert replacements.
Confidence is increasing for a more notable rain system to impact
the region starting on Friday into the early part of next week.
Ensemble models guidance shows an upper level trough in the Pacific
approaching the West Coast and extending into the western United
States. This in turn will bring moisture from the tropics west of
Hawaii through California. At this time, the ensemble model guidance
is suggesting a low end atmospheric river. However, the guidance
also shows that the moisture tap is quite dynamic, instead of being
fixed to one region, the end of the plume touches the central
California coast, and quickly moves south towards Baja California
before another plume comes up behind it. At this time, the forecast
calls for a couple periods of moderate to heavy rain from Friday
into the weekend, with lingering rain through Tuesday of next week.
Rainfall totals from Friday into Monday look to be highly
significant, with early estimates suggesting 1.5-3" in the Bay Area
and Central Coast valleys, 3-5" in the North Bay valleys, and 4-6"
in the coastal ranges with localized amounts up to 8". Details
should be refined through the week. In the meantime, it is a good
idea to plan for wet conditions through the weekend, and stay tuned
to forecast updates.
MONTEREY/SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Crews continue to make repairs on Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide on the Big Sur coast. The estimated date for a full reopening of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide remains late spring of 2024.
Repair crews have concentrated their efforts on grading of the site and continued to deliver fill material to the south end of the repair to support the new alignment of the road.
Once further progress has been made on bringing up the elevation of the south end of the repair, crews will conduct additional surveys of the site to establish the exact path of the new course of the road which will be elevated as much as 60 feet and slightly inland from its previous course.
Final design of the drainage infrastructure has been completed. Crews have started on-site fabrication of the elements that will make up five new independent culvert systems.
Future work at the repair includes installation of protective rockfall barriers on the northbound side, installation of drainage infrastructure, and guardrail in the southbound direction.
As expected, recent rains have resulted in single and multiple days of a loss of production. Crews work to prepare the site in advance of forecasted rain and then work around the effects of saturated ground at the repair site after the rain.
Crews will continue to work seven days a week and the estimated date for a full reopening of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide remains late spring of 2024.
Highway 1 remains open for travel from the Monterey/Carmel area to .6 miles south of the town of Lucia, and from the Cambria/San Simeon area north to Limekiln State Park. No vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic is permitted across the repair site at Paul’s Slide due to construction activities and the potential for slides and rockfall.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
The Big Sur Food & Wine Festival and The Big Sur Fashion Show, projects of the Big Sur Food & Wine Foundation, are proud to announce that net proceeds of all 2023 events brought $225,000.00 to be distributed to the following beneficiaries:
Big Sur Fiddle Camp – Weston Call Scholarship $8500
Big Sur Fire $52,000
Big Sur Grange $5500
Big Sur Health Center $52,000
Big Sur Historical Society $5000
Big Sur Park School $11,500
Big Sur Softball $3000
Captain Cooper School – Parent’s Club $11,5000
Esselen Tribe of Monterey County – Earmarked for Cultural and Land Maintenance $8500
Keep Big Sur Wild $2500
Mid Coast Fire Brigade $16,000
Pacific Valley School $11,500
StageKids $5000
The Big Share $10,000
The Henry Miller Memorial Library $17,000
Scholarship for Big Sur Youth (the Foundation’s own scholarship program) $1,000
Ventana Wildlife Society $4,500
The Big Sur Food & Wine Foundation, an all-volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit charitable trust, focuses its efforts on the children and families of Big Sur by providing grants to non-profits in the areas of Health, Education, Safety, and The Arts.
“We are proud to continue to be one of the strongest supporters of the Palo Colorado, Big Sur and South Coast communities, while staying sustainable ourselves, even during challenging times. In 2023, we curated numerous events, Two German Winemaker Pop-Up dinners, the Fashion Show, and Ferrari Event at The Barnyard, says Elsa Rivera, CFO/Events Director.
Foundation President Aengus Wagner expands “We couldn’t do any of this without our tireless working committee & Board, Elsa Rivera and Matt Peterson (also Board members), Peggy Giles, Jennifer Haydu, Roman Reed, Laurie Smith, Amanda Oliver (also a Board member), Olivia Carnahan, Ola Williamson-Rocha, Ashley Wolff, Alicia Busa, Erin Mason, Mike Trupiano, Kari Berardi, Nicolaus Balla and Frank Pinney (Board members). Every chef, wine and champagne producer, somm, designer, model, sponsor, photographer, volunteer, venue and guest helps make our mission come to fruition”. “A special shout out to our 2023 event captains too, Adam Olthof, Matt Glazer and Alicia Cuadra Cutler.”
Rivera, who also serves as Executive Director for The Big Sur Fashion Show, adds “ Each year we say it was the best one yet and we’ll say it again, the show was truly amazing. Thanks to our 2023 Big Idea Squad Sadie Kvenild, Megan Patterson, Sehra Evans, Christen Jones, Beverly Van Pelt, Brent Sepulvedo, Magnus Toren, Sven van Rooij, and artist Ruby Brown Dudley. “The sold-out show continues to be one of the most loved and anticipated performance art events of the year.”
A check presentation gathering for all beneficiaries will be scheduled soon.
For any questions or more information about the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival or The Big Sur Fashion Show, please contact Elsa Rivera at elsa@bigsurfoodandwine.org 831-596-8105
The Foundation’s giving history can be found here:
05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:
Kevin Drabinski or Jim Shivers
Phone:
(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING FOR LIMEKILN CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT SET FOR WEDNESDAY JAN. 17
MONTEREY COUNTY – The public is invited to attend a virtual public meeting regarding the Limekiln Creek Bridge Replacement Project. This virtual open house will discuss such topics as:
· Environmental Studies and Documents
· Resource Agency Coordination
· Aesthetic Effects
· Biological Effects
· Coastal Zone Compliance
· Environmental Documents for Public Comment
The Virtual Public Meeting to discuss this project will take place on Wednesday Jan. 17, from 5:30 to 7 pm.
The link to this meeting may also be found by scanning the QR Code on the attached flyer.
Caltrans proposes to replace the existing concrete Limekiln Creek Bridge in Monterey County on Highway 1 near Lucia. Within the limits of the proposed project, Highway 1 is a two-lane undivided highway with two 10- to 12-foot lanes and 0- to 4-foot non-standard shoulders. The proposed project lies exclusively within the Limekiln State Park property. The entrance to Limekiln State Park is directly off the highway at the southern abutment of the bridge. There is also access to the beach from Limekiln State Park underneath the Limekiln Creek Bridge. The existing bridge consists of eight piers and two abutments and is approximately 580 feet long and experiencing deterioration.
For more information about this project or the meeting, please contact Matt Fowler, Senior Environmental Planner, at 805-779-0793 or by email at matt.c.fowler@dot.ca.gov.
For all other state highway matters in the area, please contact the District 5 Public Information Office at info-d5@dot.ca.gov or by phone at 805-549-3138.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
“On Tuesday, oral arguments are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. [6:30 am PST] at the D.C. federal appeals court to determine if presidential immunity or double jeopardy should bar federal prosecutors from charging Trump for his actions around the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (The audio will be streamed on the court’s YouTube channel here.)
Trump has argued the case against him should be tossed because he was acting as president and cannot be prosecuted for actions taken in the course of his official duties, and that his 2021 impeachment acquittal by the Senate precludes criminal charges now. Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, ruled against Trump. Now the former president is appealing her ruling.”
