Although the damming would have relieved pressure on California's overburdened water systems, it stirred up decades of controversy, as some of the proposals made little economic sense and would have been detrimental to an ailing salmon run. However, if you are looking for rainbow trout, you will want to stay above Lake Pillsbury. [4], The lowermost United States Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage on the Eel where flow volume is measured is at Scotia, where an annual mean of 7,309 cubic feet per second (207.0 m3/s), or 5.3 million acre feet (6.5 km3) per year, was recorded between 1910 and 2012. The watershed is bordered on the north by the basin of the Mad River, on the east by that of the Sacramento River, on the west by that of the Mattole River, and on the south by those of the Russian River and Ten Mile River. [15]:586 Beavers are confirmed in Outlet Creek (tributary to main stem Eel north of Willits), but may occur in other areas as well. [67]:109–110, The Eel River watershed includes Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area, Smithe Redwoods State Recreation Area, Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Richardson Grove State Park, Six Rivers National Forest, and Mendocino National Forest, which are popular for camping and hiking. You will want to tackle this River with a drift boat, although wade fishing … The Project plan would result in unimpeded migratory access for salmon and steelhead into the upper Eel River, along with continued diversion of Eel River water to the Russian River. The Eel's major tributaries – the North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and Van Duzen Rivers, drain 286 square miles (740 km2), 753 square miles (1,950 km2), 689 square miles (1,780 km2), and 420 square miles (1,100 km2), respectively. The Eel's behavior of down cutting its own sediments has caused it to flow in a deeply incised channel, which can generally contain all but the largest floods. [33] Water would be diverted through a 40-mile (64 km) tunnel to the Sacramento Valley, where it would join the water flowing down the Sacramento River to the California Aqueduct pumps in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Lampetra tridentata, Sacramento sucker, threespine stickleback, Pacific staghorn sculpin, Coastrange sculpin and prickly sculpin. In 1979, he requested the North Coast rivers be added to the National Wild and Scenic system. [6] The river and its tributaries support at least 15 species of native freshwater fish. Sediment deposits indicate the lake may have persisted for as many as several thousand years, which is highly unusual considering the easily eroded rock of the region and the highly unstable nature of landslide dams in general. Logging companies also took hundreds of millions of board feet of timber from the basin, which were floated down the Eel River to the estuary. The Eel River (Cahto: Taanchow)[5] is a major river, about 196 miles (315 km) long, of northwestern California. The construction of Scott Dam in 1922 completely blocked passage of critically imperiled anadromous fish including salmon, steelhead and lamprey while simultaneously forming Lake Pillsbury, a 2,000-acre reservoir in remote northwestern Lake County used for boating, fishing and camping. [14] The estimated annual sediment load is 16 million short tons, or an average of 4,458 tons per square mile (1,720 tons/km2). This proposal would re-open the main stem of the Eel River to spawning runs of salmon and steelhead by removing Scott Dam, while maintaining electric generation and water deliveries to … As a priority, we need to fix lower Eel River … Several thousand people were left homeless by the floods and over 4,000 head of livestock died. Between 1857 and 1921, canning operations took an estimated 93,000 fish per year, with a peak of 600,000 fish in 1877. The Potter Valley Project has been argued by environmental groups to have significant impacts on the salmonid (Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead) populations of the basin. Reduction in flow occurs in part due to deliberate water diversion from the Eel to the Russian River watershed by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Potter Valley Project, located to the south in Mendocino County. The Van Duzen River also has some class II–III runs beginning below Goat Rock. The railroad had the ignominious distinction of being the most expensive (per mile) ever built at the time: it traversed some of the most rugged and unstable topography in California, with 30 tunnels in a 95-mile (153 km) stretch. [6], The flooding was also deleterious to rail service through the Eel River canyon. Beginning several million years ago, tectonic forces shoved the Franciscan assemblage against the North American Plate, pushing up the Coast Ranges. The majority of the watershed is located within Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. The Eel River drains an area of 3,684 square miles (9,540 km2), the third largest watershed entirely in California, after those of the San Joaquin River and the Salinas River. [4] The Eel's maximum recorded flow of 936,000 cu ft/s (26,500 m3/s) on December 23, 1964 was the largest peak discharge of any California river in recorded history, and one of the largest peaks recorded in the world relative to the size of its drainage basin. It begins high in mountainous pine forests, flows through deep canyons, cuts through majestic redwood forests and finally runs through a long, sloping valley into the Pacific. Water exports would take place during high winter flows rather than in the summer as they do presently and would be stored in Lake Mendocino. In its natural state, it was the third largest salmon and steelhead producing river system in California – with over a million fish spawning annually – after the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. By 1969, a strong opposition movement had formed, led by a Round Valley rancher named Richard Wilson, who had studied hydraulics at Dartmouth College. [37] The watershed also contains many stands of Redwood that are among the largest such trees in California. [66] There is good fishing for Chinook salmon and steelhead in the lower river, and rainbow trout are found above Lake Pillsbury. A second chance for Eel River salmon and steelhead? Rep. John Garamendi, whose district includes northern Lake County, has submitted formal comments to FERC announcing his categorical opposition to the removal of Scott Dam and demanding that Lake County be given a “full and equal seat at the table” by inclusion in the Two Basin Working Group, not just the committee, which has had representation from the Lake County Board of Supervisors all along. In late 2012, high water in the Eel River attracted a run of over 30,000 fish, the largest on record since 1958. This proposal would re-open the main stem of the Eel River to spawning runs of salmon and steelhead by removing Scott Dam, while maintaining electric generation and water deliveries to Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Will disposal of mercury-laden sediments in the reservoir be a problem? From the committee, a working group composed of California Trout, Humboldt County, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, the Sonoma County Water Agency and the Round Valley Indian Tribes developed a plan they called the Two-Basin Solution Partnership. Current law requiring licensing to include provisions for fish passage costing nearly $100 million dollars made the financial picture even less tenable. Located on the North Coast allows fishing to take place on whatever river is fishing best. The Eel River basin has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years; some of the oldest concrete evidence of human habitation is at a petroglyph site near the upper Eel River discovered in 1913, which may be as old as 2500 years. January 12, 2021. River Information. [46] Since 2012, runs have fluctuated. The Eel River system is among the most dynamic in California because of the region's unstable geology and the influence of major Pacific storms. Although the portion south of Willits was reopened in 2006, the section between Willits and Samoa, which includes the entire Eel River portion of the tracks, is unlikely to ever be returned to service. A 30-mile (48 km)-long lake formed behind the barrier. of spawners in the South Fork Eel River alone. Date: Report: Author: 1-14-2021: Predicted to Drop Quickly & Could Fish Late Next Week [33] Ronald Reagan, governor of California at the time, refused to approve the project. Consisting of several hundred dwellings, primarily on Mendocino National Forest leaseholds but also including a scattering in private ownership, this community has very few permanent residents. After the 1964 floods, much of the topography in the Eel River drainage has been permanently damaged, and landslides occur much more often, frequently damaging local road and rail infrastructure. The lower part of the River provides good fishing for chinook salmon and steelhead. In 1981 – well before Behr's moratorium expired – Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus granted federal protection to the Eel River system and 1,235 miles (1,988 km) of streams along the North Coast, succeeding state legislation and placing the river permanently off limits to new dams. From Alderpoint to Eel Rock is a class I–II float during June, with many beaches suitable for camping. Later, the Pacific Coast Highway would be constructed along the South Fork and along the Eel River downriver of the South Fork. [61] Meanwhile, the Bureau insisted that its first priority – English Ridge – should receive the first federal funding. A new proposal would re-open the main stem of the Eel to … The main impacts to salmon and steelhead in the Eel River are sediment, temperature and flow, Higgins said. Redwood Empire Trout Unlimited is partnering with CDFW and Golden Gate Trout Unlimited on a critical Salmon and Steelhead monitoring project. A total of 398 miles (641 km) of the Eel River and its major tributaries are protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, with 97 miles (156 km) classed as Wild, 28 miles (45 km) as Scenic, and 273 miles (439 km) as Recreational. So, what can we do to improve freshwater habitat to help Chinook survival? [7] Monthly average flows at Scotia range from 19,700 cu ft/s (560 m3/s) in January to 138 cu ft/s (3.9 m3/s) in September – a 143:1 difference. [60]:272 Major dams proposed in the watershed included ones at English Ridge, Bell Springs and Sequoia (Alderpoint) on the main stem, and the infamous Dos Rios on the Middle Fork. [64]:175, The four forks of the Eel and their tributaries provide many opportunities for whitewater kayaking and rafting on their upper sections. The Eel River has the highest per-unit-area sediment yield of any river of comparable watershed size in the continental U.S., excluding those fed by active glacial or volcanic sources. Starting in the late 19th century the Eel River supported a large salmon canning industry which began to decline by the 1920s due to overfishing. Can alternative recreational uses such as fishing and mountain biking be developed? However, the settlers also faced conflict as they pushed deeper into Native American lands. Project objectives include improved conditions for native fish, maintenance of reliable water supply, respect for tribal rights, and minimization of impacts to Lake County, which is the location of Scott Dam, Lake Pillsbury, and many miles of prime spawning habitat on the upper reaches of the Eel River. However, Behr had been forced to compromise in order to get his bill approved from the state: as signed, it would only place a 12-year moratorium on planning for dams in the Eel River system. [70]:47, River in northern California, United States, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area, "The Eel River, Northwestern California: High Sediment Yields from a Dynamic Landscape", "Basic Database Searching, cahtotext database", Sediment transport and Turbidity in the Eel River Basin, "USGS Gage #11477000 on the Eel River at Scotia, CA", Summer Water Woes Require Responsible Use, "Historical Review of Eel River Anadromous Salmonids, With Emphasis on Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon and Steelhead", "Unearthing Evidence of Creatures from Deep Time: A Beginner's Fossil Guide to the Northern California Coast", Impediments to fluvial delivery to the coast, PG&E’s Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project, Eel River rail line tough to build, and tough to kill, "Lower Eel River and Eel River Delta Watershed Analysis, Scotia, California – Cumulative Watershed Effects Assessment", Evidence of ancient lake in California's Eel River emerges, Evidence of Ancient Lake in California's Eel River Emerges, Ancient Landslide Merged Trout Populations, "Eel River Fisheries Articles and Excerpts 1891-1902", "Invading species in the Eel River, California: Successes, failures, and relationships with resident species", "Ptychocheilus grandis (Sacramento pikeminnow)", "Conservation group challenges PG&E, seeks more water for Eel River", "Eel River stakeholders hear history and concerns from Russian River side of diversion", PG&E seeks reduction in releases to Eel River due to drought, "How much of Eel River Water is diverted through the Potter Valley Project? [34]:194 Governor Ronald Reagan formally refused to authorize the project. [52] The estuary is the third largest coastal wetland region in California, after the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and the Salinas River estuary in central California, forming an important habitat for various species of shorebirds, fish and mammals such as river otters and harbor seals. The proposal was defeated with public initiative by the early 1970s, to protect the remaining relatively wild rivers in the state. [8]:75–94 Except for Gregg who was a physician, naturalist and explorer, the remainder of the party were miners from a temporary camp on the Trinity River at Helena. While improved from the low point of 3,500 at the beginning of the decade, the runs have yet to again reach the high mark of over 30,000. Snaking along California’s North Coast is the Eel River, the state’s third largest watershed, which along with its tributaries, covers 3,684 square miles … As part of the Potter Valley or Eel River Project, a pair of dams were built across the upper reaches of the Eel beginning in 1906 to divert water to the much more populous but smaller Russian River drainage area to the south, resulting in a much higher flow in the smaller river and a significantly decreased flow in the upper Eel during certain seasons. Below Eel Rock the ocean winds make boating difficult starting in the early afternoon. Let Brice Dusi take you on a salmon or steelhead fishing adventure! Eel River - Fortuna, CA. The Eel River system extends into five California counties – Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Trinity. Originally conceived in the late 1800s and built between 1906 and 1922, the project provides about 159,000 acre feet (0.196 km3) of additional waters for the Russian River system, for about 500,000 people in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties.[55]. Since 2004 the dams used by the project have been used to provide additional flow to the Eel River during the dry season, primarily to support fish populations. The Eel River originates on the southern flank of 6,740-foot (2,050 m) Bald Mountain, in the Upper Lake Ranger District of the Mendocino National Forest in Mendocino County. Besides addressing complex environmental issues, these studies would include an economic analysis designed to narrow down cost estimates, which vary wildly from little more than $100 million to more than $500 million. In the Eel River basin, redwoods can be found further inland than other parts of the northern California coast because of the wide lower valley of the river, which acts like a funnel conducting moist air eastwards from the coast. [58] These conditions were revised in 2004, when stricter minimum release standards were established. Because the Eel River's twists and turns made it difficult to float the large redwood logs, the timber was cut into smaller rectangular "cants" to make them more manageable. The Eel River mouth is located 15 miles south of Eureka. In the 1960s Chinook salmon were estimated to have averaged 56,000 spawners annually in the entire Eel River basin and coho salmon averaged 14,000 spawners annually. The region remained little traveled until 1850, when Josiah Gregg and his exploring party arrived in search of land for settlement. Water would have been diverted from English Ridge north to Dos Rios and through a 40-mile (64 km) tunnel to the offstream Glenn-Colusa reservoir in the Sacramento Valley, from which the water would travel by canal to the Sacramento River. The deepest flood waters were nearly 70 feet (21 m) above the normal river level. [14], About 22,000 years ago, a massive landslide off Nefus Peak dammed the Eel River near Alderpoint to a height of 460 feet (140 m). [45] Much of the anadromous fish spawning habitat in the river system was covered by sediment or blocked by debris jams. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a series of dams on the river and its tributaries, the largest of which was the enormous Dos Rios Dam near the confluence with the Middle Fork, which would provide water for the California State Water Project and control flooding. Dos Rios Dam would have flooded 110,000 acres (45,000 ha) of Mendocino County, creating a reservoir of 7.5 million acre feet (9.3 km3) – the largest in California, at nearly twice the size of Shasta Lake.[33]:136. [65]:134–135, The South Fork is a class III–IV run in its upper section between Branscomb and Cummings, with a waterfall that needs to be portaged. The river can be closed to fishing in some years after October 1 if flows are insufficient for migrating salmon and steelhead. Steelhead numbers during the early-1960s were estimated to have been 82,000 spawners for the entire Eel River … It also provides both … ", U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Fork Eel River, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Fork Eel River, Summer water temperature conditions in the Eel River System, with reference to trout and salmon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eel_River_(California)&oldid=1001863037, Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013, Articles needing additional references from December 2013, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Middle Fork Eel River, North Fork Eel River, Van Duzen River, This page was last edited on 21 January 2021, at 19:02. [33]:147 From the beginning, these dams were heavily contested by local residents as well as by environmental groups seeking the protection of California's remaining wild rivers. Introduced pikeminnow, in conjunction with the diminished flows due to the Potter Valley Project water diversion, have taken a significant toll on the native fish population below Van Arsdale Dam. The topography creates a general drainage pattern that runs from southeast to northwest, except in the Middle Fork basin and the Eel headwaters, where water runs from east to west. Recreational Dos Rios, located at the confluence of the Middle Fork of the Eel River and the mainstem, is the put-in for a popular four-day trip through the Eel River … The party split in two and the survivors returned to San Francisco from where ships left to settle Humboldt Bay in early 1850, bringing lumber and supplies from San Francisco. Dam releases are now timed to mimic natural flows in the Eel River system. [citation needed] The proposed reservoir would have flooded the Round Valley Indian Reservation. [14] After the Christmas flood of 1964, chinook salmon populations plunged to less than 10,000 per year. The main stem traverses four counties, excepting Glenn. [62], Despite Reagan's veto, the door to Eel River dams technically remained open. For more information go to: www.tuleyome.org. [4] However, the river basin also supports abundant forests – including some of the world's largest trees in Sequoia sempervirens (Coastal redwood) groves – and historically, one of California's major salmon and steelhead trout runs. [8]:91[9] Explorers' reports of the fertile and heavily timbered region attracted settlers to Humboldt Bay and the Eel River Valley. [14][49], The Eel River has never contained true eels, but is named for the Pacific lamprey, an eel-shaped parasite that attaches itself to other fish during its ocean life-cycle. Vizcaíno sailed into the mouth of the Eel in January 1603 where instead of the cultured city of Quivera the papers had described, the men encountered native people they described as "uncultured. At the small Cape Horn Dam about 15 miles (24 km) east of Willits, water is diverted from the Eel River basin through a 1-mile (1.6 km) tunnel to the Russian River, in a scheme known as the Potter Valley Project. The last viable population of coho salmon in northwestern California is in the upper South Fork Eel in Mendocino County. Making up … The river valley was a major rail transport corridor (Northwestern Pacific Railroad) throughout the 20th century and also forms part of the route of Redwood Highway (US Highway 101). During July, August and September, temperatures in the lower Eel River occasionally hit 85 °F (29 °C) or higher, creating fatal conditions for these fish. [56] Although dam operators are required to maintain certain flows below the diversion during the dry season, these flows can be cut during exceptionally dry years, preventing salmonids from reaching certain spawning streams in the Eel River basin. Due to huge earth-flows caused by the record rain in 1964, 105 million tons of sediment were carried down the Eel River between December 21–23 as measured at Scotia – more than in the previous eight years combined. The estuary consists of some 8,700 acres (3,500 ha) of tidal flats, perennial and seasonal wetlands, connected by 75 miles (121 km) of river channels and tidal sloughs. The ceremonial driving of the golden spike was delayed by flooding and subsequent landslide damage to the rail line in October 1914. Fish Species: Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout: Latest Fish Reports. The dams and their lakes not only block or restrict fish passage, but also negatively affect the broader river … [34]:199, In 1964, a severe Pineapple Express event, known as the Christmas flood of 1964, brought heavy rains to coastal northern California. [29] Although located near the headwaters, these dams can cause a significant reduction of the flow of the lower Eel River because much of the river's summer flow originates from the mountains above Lake Pillsbury. [20] Further inland and south, soils are well drained, although landslides are nevertheless common because of the high rainfall and steep slopes.[18]. [33]:146 When exposed, this would end up becoming the "Achilles' heel of the project". Without licensing, FERC would have to initiate a “decommissioning” process that probably would result in the removal of both Scott and Cape Horn dams, restoration of historic flows to the Eel and cessation of water exports to the Russian River watershed. The South Fork Eel River is the largest tributary of the Eel River in north-central California in the United States. [41] The dam blocked access to steelhead trout spawning grounds in the upper Eel River, causing the summer and winter runs to interbreed. Most plentiful of the remaining salmonid species in the Eel River; 3 – 5 year life cycle; Listed as Threatened under Federal ESA; Southern Oregon/Northern California Coho (SONCC) Coho in South … The Eel River watershed is located entirely in the California Coast Ranges. [8]:51, Many of the people who settled in this region were prospectors from the Gold Rush who did not manage to find gold. [51] About 1,550 acres (630 ha) consist of undeveloped wetlands while 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) have been converted to agriculture. [42][43], Human impacts have led to a dramatic decline of salmon and steelhead populations in the Eel River system. In 2019 the Two-Basin Solution Partnership filed a Notice of Intent to apply for licensing and ownership of the project, followed in the spring of 2020 by a feasibility study and project plan that includes removal of Scott Dam, and a commitment to provide water to Potter Valley and the Russian River. There is a Class III run in the reach between Hulls Creek and Mina Road. [35], The large storms of the mid-20th century, along with the ecological changes from logging and grazing activities, almost wiped out the river's salmon run. [53], The Eel River estuary is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy. Record flooding in 1955 and 1964, which destroyed or damaged large amounts of habitat along the Eel and its tributaries, was generally regarded as the final blow. Terrane, or crustal fragment, that originated at the time, refused to approve the project in detailed required... 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