BAJA, CALIFORNIA

In 1984, I wrote a paper, with Zbig Osmolski and Dave Smutzer, on the flood hydrology of the Santa Cruz river, in Southeastern Arizona. The paper was submitted to the ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, and it was published in September of 1985, with the title: Large Basin Deterministic Hydrology: A Case Study.

Prior to publication, the manuscript was returned to me after copy editing, with a change: When discussing the storm of September 1983 over southeastern Arizona, my reference to "Baja California" has been purposely edited to read:  Baja, California. Noticing the mistake, I corrected the copy back to the intended "Baja California."

To my surprise, when the galley proofs came back two months later, the comma had been again returned to the copy, which now read, in print:  Baja, California.

I called the ASCE editor in New York and explained to him that my intent was to refer to the state of Baja California, in Mexico, and not some city named Baja, in California. The editor readily apologized and proceeded to correct the galley, but I felt I needed to complete the reference to Baja California, Mexico," to avoid any further misunderstanding.

 

 

Locality of Valladares, in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico.