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Book Reviews
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A Natural History of the Nipomo Mesa Region
by Corrine Ardoin
(2005, 166 pp. Includes photos)
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This is absolutely the best book on the subject — why? — because it is the ONLY one. Kathlene Goddard Jones worked on such a book for years but never got it finished. She was too busy keeping the Nuclear Power Plant out of the dunes. I too worked on my version, but enviro-activism took all my time and it never got finished. I gave a copy to a fellow elder; he said he couldn’t put it down. The same happened to me, but I’m a biologist and the "couldn’t put it down" syndrome would have been expected. I asked him what part he liked best. It was the geology: it fascinated him to read about the geologic past of Nipomo Mesa. The section on Ralph Bishop was the best for me. First, because he is a former student who without much formal education is better than any expert on local Mesa Natural History. He is a self-educated authority on the subject. (For her next book, I encourage Corrine to record some of Ralph’s great knowledge, as when he is gone his knowledge goes with him.)
With Corrine’s book in hand you can visit specific sites, and there before you is the rich natural history of Nipomo Mesa. For example, # 4 (p. 52) is located on Tefft St. just east of Hwy 101. It is the edge of the sand dunes and start of the black soil from Temetate Ridge. There was a lake here during the ice age and the water flowed north down Black Lake Canyon to an ocean 12 miles away. Now the water flows south down Nipomo Creek separating Nipomo Dunes from the dark erosional soil from the foothills. The Dana Adobe is on the eastern edge of the Nipomo Dunes.
Water, or should I say "lack of water" is covered very well. We live in a semi-arid land. Up to now we seem to have ignored the lack of fresh water, a problem that can only get worse as the Mesa is the fastest-growing area ( 7.7%) of the entire planet. I call it "Losangelification." It was neat to read a mention of the "dunedelion," as I remember the exact nature walk when KGJ came up with the name. She was my mentor, my inspiration. She named Coreopsis Hill, Hidden Willow Valley, Carnival Poppy Valley and so many more places in the Dunes. This book should have been put together long ago. Corrine did it!!! I am so proud of her. Corrine has a naming system I like. Starting at Point Sal going north: Mussel Rock Dunes to the Santa Maria River. Guadalupe Dunes from the S.M. River to Oso Flaco. Nipomo Dunes from O. F. Creek north to A. G. Creek. As she points out, the Nipomo Dunes go inland to Hwy 101 at Nipomo and are the area covered in her excellent book. What to call the over-all dunes is a problem. They should not be called "Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes" as others suggest.
The book mentions major events such as a huge tidal wave, like the one recently in the Indian Ocean. It mentions sea level so low that the Pacific Ocean was more than 200 ft. lower than it is now and the shore 12 miles to the west . The section on "Enviro-Issues" (p120) is of particular interest to me as I’ve been in the middle of it for the past 40 years. Corrine mentions here a canyon forming starting three years ago in Black Lake Canyon coming from Greenhart, the erosion accelerating in the rains of a month ago. Events mentioned in the book are going on right now — amazing. I would say the biggest "problem" with this book is "can’t put it down" syndrome. I have other things to do like milk the goats and answer hosteller questions. My nose in this book has dominated my life since I got a copy in my hand — beware, it might happen to you too.
In order to get it published I purchased a number of copies (too many). If you want to buy from me I sell as follows: THREE (at cost) for $50, SIX for $50, or ONE for $18. You may contact me at (805) 929-3647 or bdenneen@slonet.org.
Bill Denneen
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