Journal 7: October 13th

Still on the subject of water, I decided to do some research on a local place that has been affected by groundwater mining. Alviso is a small, strange town at the edge of the bay that San Jose has annexed. In the mid-1800s Alviso was the primary method of transportation of goods and people from San Francisco to San Jose. However, the physical components of Alviso have changed drastically over the last 150 years due to overuse of resources in the Santa Clara Valley. The water level has dropped dramatically, as evidenced by the infamous "ghost marina" of Alviso: http://www.sanjose.com/underbelly/unbelly/Alviso/marina1.html .

However, the most dramatic effects of the groundwater mining can be seen in the ghost town of Drawbridge, a hidden ghost town three miles up the railroad tracks from Alviso. Once a thriving gambling and hunting community, the town is now sinking into the marsh due to groundwater being pumped from underneath by the surrounding populations. The landscape has changed dramatically is now nothing like it used to be.

Alviso and Drawbridge are two of my favorite places because they are so mysterious and aesthetically interesting. The flat marsh that extends for miles covered in marsh grass with only a train whizzing by every 20 minutes feels like something out of the movie Tideland, or the book My Antonia. Here are some pictures I took on my expedition out to Drawbridge a little over a year ago:



The "ark of Alviso," a houseboat on land.






Pictures of Drawbridge structures and railroad (still active).


Edit: I can't figure out how to get the photographs to fit within my layout. If you right click & get the URL from the properties, you'll be directed to my flickr page which contains the pictures in their entirety.