We've had early rains, enough to fill the Gualala River to the brim.You can see that the river is almost breaching the sandbar. This sandbar closes the river every year after the rains stop and creates a lagoon.  The photo below was taken on November 19th.

Another storm hit on the evening of the 20th and when Rick and I went to the Gualala Bluff Trail to take a look on the morning of the 21st, the river was open and draining out to the ocean. The lagoon is gone, replaced by an estuary.

The Gualala opened at the northernmost portion of the sandbar. Muddy water can be seen in the ocean. Any fish, including Steelhead, that were trapped in luxury during the months it was closed were swept into the Pacific Ocean to continue their journey.