BajaNomad

latest update on mulege area

mulegemichael - 9-3-2008 at 09:19 AM

We just got back from 5 days at our casa in Mulege. We are in the rio oasis, #54, and had 30 inches of water and mud in our place. Our shop had 5 feet of same. The park is a mess. Garbage piled everywhere; stinking, muddy, wet, ruined...Yesterday a backhoe was brought in and they started hauling it away by the dumptruck load so progress is being made. We were fortunate in that we had phone and electricity before we left but many folks are still without both. The water system is off and on but appears to be stabilizing. Many, many folks homeless and the stress level is high. Already many people just walking away from it in the face of so many hurricanes in 5 years. The mosquitos are showing up like gangbusters so repellant is a MUST; standing water everywhere. An absolute "must have" is a commercial grade squeegee..it pays for itself many times over. Take one down if you have a casa there. Our community is holding together and everyone is helping out. All the locals are looking for work so finding a crew is not a problem. Many people in the oasis lost everything, just everything so if youre going down take clothes for people as they really need it. If anyone has any questions/concerns email me at herbguy47@gmail.com and i'll get right back to you

A Brighter Shade of Wail

Mulegena - 9-3-2008 at 10:09 PM

Hmmm, as a year-round Mulege resident and 2-time survivor, yes survivor, of flooding of the Mulege River-- well, my take on the town and community's recovery is different.

The town is acting pro-actively to prevent disease by complying with the strict mandates issued by the Mexican Dept. of Health. There is no standing water. Garbage in town and in The Oasis is being collected daily. Restaurants must meet heightened sanitation measures by keeping their street doors closed and kitchen doors closed at all times. Street-food vendors must move indoors.

The local police are entertaining a zero-tolerance of trespassing, looting or thievery.

A spirit of cooperation saw members of all the town's businesses gather together and voluntarily sweep the streets of the business district completely of all dirt.

The Governor's Ministers from La Paz, the capitol, and from the Municipality of Mulege, that is the pueblo and county, are engaging in on-going meetings to consider the problems we face.

Water and electricity is now consistently available in all communities and neighborhoods.

The most pressing negative thing I can report right now is the fact that the little road that spanned the river under the highway in town has been completely backfilled with dirt and tamped down. This effectively completely chokes the river disallowing flow from the sierras and natural cenotes to the sea. Perhaps this is only a stop-gap measure to allow traffic from one side of the river to the other; if it becomes a permanent "fix" it is sure to fail and do untold harm.

We rode our quad out through the westside, The Valley as its known. The graders have worked hard to restore the roads to the ranches. There is one place in the south-eastern quarter of the valley where the road has been gouged out 10-feet deep. There is debris in the surrounding trees 15 feet high.

This storm was much shorter in duration and carried much less water, I believe, than that which did damage during Hurricane John. My concern is that the valley and the river will evolve into a marshland.

It is my hope that the Governor will authorize an environmental study of this area and will continue to work to affect measures that will modify this devastation which will be visited upon us again unless we act.

Sharksbaja - 9-3-2008 at 10:53 PM

Many thanks Mulegena. It's a learning curve of global change. it looks like they authorities learned valuable information and in hindsight are taking appropriate measures.

No culvert there? Must be tempoary. Where is the water backing up to?

Where's my propane tank?:lol:

Mulegena - 9-3-2008 at 11:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sharksbaja
It's a learning curve of global change. it looks like they authorities learned valuable information and in hindsight are taking appropriate measures.

No culvert there? Must be tempoary. Where is the water backing up to?

Where's my propane tank?:lol:


Yes, the river and the valley are evolving into a different sort of natural area right before our eyes. To Wit: For a few months both sides of the river that was bisected by that undersized culvert have been brown-- the west side stagnant and choked with bamboo, the east side still subject to tidal movement but opaque brown past your place opposite Don Chano's. This indicates to me that the silt from the sierras carried down is filling up the river. This endangers the raparian habitat as well as disallowing boats up the river.

They must build a proper river crossing, just must. To dam up the river has just got to be a temporary, very temporary measure I hope.

As to your propane tank-- I saw one decorated with a picture of a Baja Hammerhead cruise by during the flood... I assume its in Guaymas now decorating somebody's front lawn-- bite me :lol:

Sharksbaja - 9-4-2008 at 01:18 AM

Where?:bounce:
That rio needs flushing occasionally.;D It should be pretty well soured east to the playa. I noticed many fish and these awesome jellies in the rio last winter:

jelly_2.jpg - 23kB