Living with the Changing California Coast

By Lauret Savoy and Kiki Patsch

Book Overview

Crowded into the beautiful, narrow strip at the edge of the ocean, the large number of people who live near California's dynamic coastline often have little awareness of the hazards--waves, tides, wind, storms, rain, and runoff--that erode and impact the coast and claim property on a regular basis. This up-to-date, authoritative, and easy-to-use book, a geological profile of the California coast from Mexico to the Oregon border, describes the landforms and processes that shape the coastline and beaches, documents how erosion has affected development, and discusses the options that are available for dealing with coastal hazards and geologic instability.

A completely revised and updated edition of Living with the California Coast (1985), this book features hundreds of new photographs and the latest data on human activity on the coast, on climate change, on rising seas levels, and on coastal erosion and protection. With its dramatic photographs and mile-by-mile maps, Living with the Changing California Coast will be an essential resource for those intending to buy or build along the coast, those who need specific information about various coastal regions, and those who are seeking information about how this remarkable coastline has evolved.

*279 photographs portray natural coastal features and processes and illustrate many instances of what can happen to buildings on the coast

*81 maps, covering the entire coast, detail types of coastal landforms, coastline erosion rates, locations of seawalls or armor, and other specific areas of interest

*Offers specific advice for homebuyers, residents, and developers on which areas to avoid, on what safety measures should be taken, and on what danger signals should be heeded

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520244478
• ISBN13: 9780520244474
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 551 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Slide? What slide? Those million dollar views can crumble in a blink of the eye.

The revised edition of this excellent book is a must for coastal dwellers in the Golden State who need an introduction to the harsh realities of what can be a very punishing shoreline. Since everyone and their grandma seems to want to build on the coast (more punishment!) this book will help you grasp the consequence--and cost--of siting your dream home on that lovely marine terrace that appears oh so solid. Griggs has a sterling career in environmental and marine geology, and beach dynamics/sedimentation at UC Santa Cruz. He successfully brings together some of the best earth scientists in CA to cover, chapter by chapter (and almost step by step), the human impacts on the CHANGING geomorphology along segments of the CA coast. I have to mention that the line up includes the geographers A Orme who describes Morro Bay to Point Conception (see also the remarkable PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA), and, Douglas Sherman out of USC who covers Santa Monica to Dana Point. Packed with telling photos (see especially the impacts of El Nino years) and detailed line drawings, you can't beat this title if you intend to build and want to know the hazards, or you simply want to read a great introduction to CA coastal processes when you hit your favorite beach, and perhaps wonder why a particular County allowed something hideous to be built at all--like Pajaro Dunes (see page 98). An ugly, gated, high-end development which is constantly under wave attack. The revised edition includes a chapter on sea-level and climate change as well.

Appreciation

Living with the Changing California Coast was an interesting book to read, and I'm keeping it as a reference book. It provides explanation for some of the bad surprises that occur with coastal development.