By Jim Cox, Glen Deven Ranch Caretaker

After many years as a fire chief, I know the value of preparing before an emergency arrives. These days, that same mindset guides my work at Glen Deven Ranch — and our team’s preparations for El Niño.

NOAA’s October forecast calls for a strong to very strong El Niño into early 2027. This warming pattern in the Pacific can steer more winter storms toward California. Exactly what it brings to Monterey County remains uncertain, but we’re taking the opportunity to get ready. 

Our team has been working across Glen Deven Ranch, Marks Ranch, and Mitteldorf Preserve — properties I affectionately call “the big three.” They keep us busy, and through BSLT’s self-guided hiking program, they give visitors a chance to experience some extraordinary landscapes.

At Glen Deven Ranch, we’ve maintained roads and cleared culverts along the scenic route toward Garrapata Creek, helping heavy runoff flow through drainage systems instead of washing away roads. We’ve cleared roadside brush and serviced our generator, which can power the entire ranch during an outage.

We also ventured down the old road badly damaged by previous winter storms to prepare our well site and water infrastructure. Seeing that damage is a powerful reminder of why we do this work before the rain arrives.

At Mitteldorf Preserve, newly constructed bridges are designed to withstand major floods. We’re also addressing erosion and repairing structures to keep water outside where it belongs. At Marks Ranch, we’ve reduced irrigation at our restoration site to help prevent seeds from germinating prematurely. And across all three properties, we’re servicing vehicles so our team is ready when duty calls.

My years in the fire service taught me that readiness is a team effort. Here, it takes people who know these lands, notice what needs attention, and get the work done.

A cleared culvert may never be the highlight of someone’s hike. But when the rain comes, that quiet work can make all the difference.