Laguna Seca Ranch is a historic agricultural property in western Monterey County, California

Monterey County, California

Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

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Geography and drainage

On the property a prominent ridge of terrain exists that extends in an east-northeasterly direction to eventually reach Fort Ord

Fort Ord

Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...

. On the south side of this ridge, drainage and groundwater flow is to the south. Surface water flows

Surface runoff

Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...

 into the Carmel River

Carmel River

The Carmel River is a river on the Central Coast of California in Monterey County that originates in the Santa Lucia Mountains. The river flows northwest through the Carmel Valley with its mouth at the Pacific Ocean south of Carmel-by-the-Sea. It is often considered the northern boundary of Big Sur...

, which parallels State Route 68

California State Route 68

State Route 68 is a state highway that runs from Pacific Grove to Salinas in Monterey County. It is about long.-Route description:This route is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System. However, only the part from SR 1 to the Salinas...

. A series of surface drainage ditches and gullies run south from the higher terrain of Fort Ord to join this flow. Berwick and Canada de la Ordena Canyons also exist on the south and southeast portions of the Laguna Seca Ranch. Berwick Canyon almost borders the eastern side, a quarter mile away (400 m), while Buckeye Canyon parallels the eastern border less than a tenth of a mile (150 m) off the ranch to the east.