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. They remain below Ferndale bridge awaiting the high water. In 1914, after seven years of construction, the Northwestern Pacific Railroad completed a rail line running along much of the Eel River as an important transportation link connecting Eureka and the many small towns along the Eel River valley to the national rail network. You still have to control the sea lions!!!! "[64]:313 Collier's bill was supported by powerful agricultural interests in the Central Valley on the "dubious claim" that they would need the water of these rivers in the future. The Eel River represents California's third largest watershed. The president may be dumb but has done next to nothing to affect the eel river fish. The annual means also experience huge variations, with a high of 12.5 million acre feet (15.4 km3), or 17,300 cu ft/s (490 m3/s), in 1983, and a low of 410,000 acre feet (0.51 km3), or 563 cu ft/s (15.9 m3/s), in 1977.[7]. By way of comparison, on October 27 in 2012, an ERRP dive team counted 5,036 salmon in this part of the river. [7] The river also carries the highest suspended sediment load of any river of its size in the United States, in part due to the frequent landslides in the region. 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. Scroll down for donation options. Before 1900, there were an estimated 500,000 salmonids (70,000 coho, 175,000 Chinook and 255,000 steelhead) in the Eel River watershed, according to the National Marine … [62] Meanwhile, the Bureau insisted that its first priority – English Ridge – should receive the first federal funding. 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. Wow. Eel River Recovery salmon 10 29 2012Need new shirts ? The ceremonial driving of the golden spike was delayed by flooding and subsequent landslide damage to the rail line in October 1914. The real problem with all california prey is the mentality of the people to save all the predators . Most of these areas were appropriated for agriculture and grazing land. [Crop of a photo by Dave Sopjes]. [65]:175, The four forks of the Eel and their tributaries provide many opportunities for whitewater kayaking and rafting on their upper sections. Agriculture sucking massive amounts of freshwater to feed crops or livestock, causing low and warm waterways to the Salmon. Your email address will not be published. has occurred here currently. [66]: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. In 1979, he requested the North Coast rivers be added to the National Wild and Scenic system. Conservationists saw this as a backdoor attempt to resurrect Dos Rios Dam and endorsed the Behr bill. [36], The Eel River watershed lies within the Oregon and Northern California Coastal freshwater ecoregion, which is characterized by temperate coniferous forests consisting largely of Douglas fir and western hemlock. The majority of the watershed is located within Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. All the little BS save the planet laws, like banning plastic straws. Are you -ucking insame?? 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. We’ll have to lose some important runs before the money really starts to flow. The Eel River system extends into five California counties – Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Trinity. The Eel River watershed is located entirely in the California Coast Ranges. Logging right down to the rivers and streams, warming up the water temperatures, instead of selective harvesting of the trees 5 miles away from any fish bearing waterways with all/any fish species. [14] However, with better land management practices in the watershed, salmon and steelhead runs have shown signs of recovery. 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. The Middle Eel has a good run from the confluence with the Black Butte River to Coal Miners Falls, which is portaged by all but experts. [44] Logging and grazing, which expose formerly forested land as bare ground, have had even greater impact on the populations of these fish. U.S. Route 101 runs along the South Fork Eel River and then the lower Eel River below the South Fork. About 155 miles (249 km) of the main stem are designated, from the mouth to a point just below Cape Horn Dam. [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. Yeah the sea lion and seal population should definitely be managed rigorously. The trend is going down like a lightning bolt, and it’s one of the saddest things about this part of the country, Remember when the tangerine guy said that that were just diverting the water into the ocean and sees no reason to let it go to waste. [6] The river and its tributaries support at least 15 species of native freshwater fish. Eric and Dave estimated that 1,500 Chinook salmon were holding in the lower Eel River on October 29, 2019. [34]:199, In 1964, a severe Pineapple Express event, known as the Christmas flood of 1964, brought heavy rains to coastal northern California. The river can be closed to fishing in some years after October 1 if flows are insufficient for migrating salmon and steelhead. 10/17/20. Squawfish and pot growers. 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. https://rms.waterboards.ca.gov/LicensePrint_2019.aspx?FORM_ID=439831 Fish Species: Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout: Latest Fish Reports. All rights reserved. Only one adult Chinook was seen by ERRP volunteers in Outlet Creek, and surveys of large upper Eel tributary Tomki Creek indicated that not more than 120 Chinook spawned there in the entire 2019-2020 season. I’m sure there’s plenty of poor starving people that would love to eat them . Saving our salmon, if we can, depends on working to abate, or at least minimize, all of these impacts. That think you can pull even MORE water from the Delta should be shot twice !! The Middle Fork is also Wild and Scenic from its confluence with the Eel to the boundary of the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness. 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. 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. There is a 12-mile (19 km) class IV–V run between the Scott and Van Arsdale dams. [14] By the 1890s, fish populations had already recorded a precipitous decline. A new major factor limiting Eel River Chinook salmon survival is ocean productivity in the area off northern California. Eel River monthly mean discharge at Scotia (cfs)[7]. I couldn’t believe my eyes, and the kicker is, that in this time of dams, low flows, declining fish numbers, and droughts, is that this is all perfectly legal and not much is said about it. Eroding bank at Worswick Pool above Fernbridge is causing pool filling that leads to poor habitat and salmon stress. [41] The dam blocked access to steelhead trout spawning grounds in the upper Eel River, causing the summer and winter runs to interbreed. The Eel River is home to fall-run California Coast Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Southern Oregon Northern California coho salmon (O. kisutch), winter-run and summer-run North California Coast steelhead (O. mykiss), resident rainbow trout (O. mykiss), anadromous coastal cutthroat trout (O. clarkii), Pacific Lamprey … \ After the South Fork turns due north at Cummings it is mainly a class II–III, changing mostly to a class II run below Piercy. Fish traveling on other major tributaries, such as the Middle Fork and South Fork, do not reach this station. By some estimates, it is the most important producer of coho salmon in the state. With no major dams to control its flow, the main Eel reached a peak of 936,000 cu ft/s (26,500 m3/s), with 200,000 cu ft/s (5,700 m3/s) from the South Fork alone. The river provides groundwater recharge, recreation, and industrial, agricultural and municipal water supply.[6]. [18] The Eel River basin is among the most seismically active areas in California, especially in the north (the river empties into the Pacific only several miles north of Cape Mendocino near the Mendocino Triple Junction, which marks the northern end of the San Andreas Fault and produces frequent earthquakes due to the juncture here of three tectonic plates). In contrast, during the dry months of July through September, the river achieves nearly zero flow. First I think the seals and sea lions numbers need to be reduced !! [55], There are two hydroelectric dams on the Eel – 130-foot (40 m) Scott Dam, which forms Lake Pillsbury, and 50-foot (15 m) Cape Horn Dam, which forms Van Arsdale Reservoir just north of Potter Valley. David Sopjes mastered drone photography of the lower Eel River over the last two years, and got precise salmon counts from his photos in 2019 using DotDotGoose software that was developed for estimating water fowl numbers from photos. you mean after all the black market grows we’re abated there’s still a water and fish problem? The site of the project is the Eel River Estuary Preserve, formerly known as Connick Ranch. [64]:315, Over the next several years, Reagan continued lobbying for increased protection of the Eel River system. The Van Duzen River also has some class II–III runs beginning below Goat Rock. After it re-opened, the numbers of returning Salmon … Eel River - Fortuna, CA. Date: Report: Author: 3-11-2021: Main Eel Has Been in Fishable Shape Since Saturday The main Eel has been in fishable shape... more » Kenny Priest: 3-4-2021: Main Eel is in Perfect Shape Running at 2,900 cubic feet … The North Fork is the most pristine of the tributaries, but is difficult to enter because of its remote location. [53], The Eel River estuary is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy. CDFW and Cal Trout found that the main pulse of Chinook salmon occurred in association with the rain just after Thanksgiving, but there was no late pulse of new fish as additional rains came. When did that happen? https://usa.oceana.org/responsible-fishing/modern-day-pacific-sardine-collapse-how-prevent-future-crisis [32], In the 1950s, interest grew in damming the Eel River system to provide water for Central and Southern California. The South Fork is designated from its mouth to the Section Four Creek confluence, the North Fork from its mouth to Old Gilman Ranch, and the Van Duzen River from its mouth to Dinsmore Bridge. [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. [59] Under current agreements, the dams must release at least 100 cubic feet per second (2.8 m3/s) beginning every year on December 1 to aid salmon migration. While not a record low, flow this is far less than the 108-year median flow of 147 cfs and the 200 cfs adult salmon need for migration. [8]:91[9] Explorers' reports of the fertile and heavily timbered region attracted settlers to Humboldt Bay and the Eel River Valley. For more information, see. The plummeting population of Eel River salmonids (coho and Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout) over the last several decades paints a grim picture. Major species include Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus, formerly Between the North and Middle Forks the Round Valley Indian Reservation lies east of the Eel River. The river basin was originally populated by Native Americans, who were eventually driven out by white settlers. The delta would be salt water !! Learn how your comment data is processed. The number of state commercial and sport fishermen far out number any amount of Tribal fishermen in a set state. [35] The Eel River drainage area was directly in the storm's path. There are no other permanent fish counting facilities on the Eel River … 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. Due to the mountainous terrain and heavy precipitation in the Eel River watershed, erosion rates are particularly high. Salmon canneries flourished on the lower Eel between the 1870s and the 1920s, and declined thereafter because of decreasing runs caused by overfishing and other manmade environmental changes. The discharge is highly variable; average flows in January and February are over 100 times greater than in August and September. The floods of 1955 and 1964 brought renewed interest in building large dams on the Eel River, especially in the case of the Army Corps of Engineers, which attempted to justify the construction of Dos Rios for flood control. About 20 miles (32 km) downstream, the North Fork Eel River – draining one of the most rugged and remote portions of the watershed – joins from the east. You’re the idiots who have caused this problem-its on YOUR liberal backs for the continual loss of fish populations. 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. [68]: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. These dams would have been far bigger than those of the Potter Valley Project, and would create some of the largest reservoirs in California. [71]: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)", "Grants awarded for Eel River estuary restoration", "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? Yes at some point in time people need to realize that the population of sea lions need to be managed at the mouth of the rivers. The Salmon were few and far between, but the Steelhead fishing was decent. Because of the mountainous topography, the only flat land in the Eel River watershed is along the larger river valleys, where stream terraces have been formed, and in the estuary region near the mouth of the river. 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 river's relatively large estuary and delta, which includes the Salt River tributary and related creeks, is located just one low ridge south from Humboldt Bay and 12 miles (19 km) south of Eureka, the main city for the entire region. [27]:28 In 1884 the Eel River and Eureka Railroad began shipping lumber from the Eel River estuary to the port at Humboldt Bay, where the logs were loaded onto ships bound for San Francisco.[28]. Major centers of population on the river include Willits, Garberville, Redway, Scotia, Rio Dell, Fortuna, and Ferndale. [46] Since 2012, runs have fluctuated. And they want to take more water from the Delta. After this confluence the Eel flows briefly through southwestern Trinity County, past Island Mountain, before entering Humboldt County near Alderpoint. The region remained little traveled until 1850, when Josiah Gregg and his exploring party arrived in search of land for settlement. 2011). Although Chinook salmon have been abundant in Van Duzen River in several years since 2012, the 2019–2020 run was weak by all accounts and the total run appears to have been as low as 500–1,000 fish. Meanwhile we have an international air travel system that thinks it’s okay to burn huge quantities of fuel flying all over the globe with empty planes, because the airlines don’t want to lose their space. With the key predators controlled, 3 years later the population will increase and you’ll be out of harms way. From 2013-14, 2016-17 were between 15,000-25,000 while 2015, & 2018-19 were between 9,000-15,000. A New ‘Documentary’ About This Area From Hulu, Letter Writer Blasts Supervisor Bushnell’s Vote Denying Appeal of Rolling Meadow Ranch Cannabis Cultivation Permits, Tribal Families Receive High-Speed Internet for the First Time, 14 Nuevos Casos Reportados Hoy, 16 De Marzo De 2021, Marijuana Photos from Humboldt and the Whole Emerald Triangle. Dam removal will have a positive impact on the entire river … They are Cyclostomes (Circle mouths), a primitive fish-like creature, and are not related to eels. [63], Despite Reagan's veto, the door to Eel River dams technically remained open. In early 1972, California state senator Peter H. Behr introduced a measure to create a state wild and scenic rivers system, which would protect many undeveloped North Coast rivers, including the Eel, from future damming. Some fish spawned below Dyerville in the main Eel River starting in late November, but at very low densities and they likely numbered just a few hundred. Below Eel Rock the ocean winds make boating difficult starting in the early afternoon. However, the settlers also faced conflict as they pushed deeper into Native American lands. Average flow of the Eel River varies widely due to its location, which places it more or less directly in the path of Pineapple Express-type winter storms. [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. In 1850, Josiah Gregg arrived with a group of explorers seeking land. There are so many on the piers in the bay , you almost can’t get to your boat. These nations don’t care where the fish came from, into the holds they go and they’re processed. Also the alfalfa growers piss me off , there sending most of what the grow to China for thier beef industry. Before this there were way more fish, even with bad logging practices. The Eel River, which has the third largest watershed in the state, supports salmon and trout fisheries. [66]:135–137, There are also many miles of river suitable for flatwater boating in the downstream sections of both the mainstem Eel and the South Fork. [38], Aquatic mammals include beaver, muskrat, raccoon, river otter and mink. [39] That beaver were once native to the Eel River watershed is supported by the name of a tributary of the Middle Fork Eel River, Beaver Creek. 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. [51] About 1,550 acres (630 ha) consist of undeveloped wetlands while 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) have been converted to agriculture. From Alderpoint to Eel Rock is a class I–II float during June, with many beaches suitable for camping. This allowed access to prime spawning beds upstream as far as the Eel River Guard Station, and in tributaries Williams Creek and the Black Butte River. The Eel River Could Save Wild Salmon – If We Can Save the River Itself July 11, 2017 June 16, 2017 The Eel River is on the brink of disaster, its ocean-going fish species threatened with extinction, its nurturing estuary diked, drained and diminishing. In 1998, after another large flood in the winter of 1996–1997 washed out sections of the line, the Northwestern Pacific became the first railroad to be shut down by the federal government for safety reasons. to its customers in Garberville and according to the GSD GM Ralph Emerson, they have no clue where its all leaking or going. During the 1950s and 1960s, there was great interest in building much larger dams in the Eel River system, in order to provide water for the State Water Project. 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.[56]. We need to control watershed erosion through road improvement and decommissioning, to heal riparian zones and to restore watershed hydrology to limit damaging flood peaks and improve base-flows. costumes and demand protection-blah blah blah!!! Later-season surveys of lower Eel tributaries like Howe Creek and Bear Creek found no spawners and no salmon nests or redds. They estimated that 4,110 Chinook salmon migrated past that point between November and early January 2020, versus 3,844 the year prior. Below the South Fork the Eel flows through a wider agricultural valley, past Scotia and Rio Dell, before receiving the Van Duzen River from the east. Required fields are marked *. website: In the South Fork Eel River basin, the run was delayed by low flows, and most Chinook fish spawned in the main South Fork upstream of Leggett. [60] In December 2013, due to record low levels of water in the Eel River and the associated dammed lakes, levels of fish and lampreys in the rivers were at lowest recorded levels, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company sought to have FERC change their operating license to permit even lower releases of water to Eel until the drought eases. A 30-mile (48 km)-long lake formed behind the barrier. Who needs stinkin’ facts? At Fortuna, the river turns west across the coastal plain and enters the Pacific via a large estuary in central Humboldt County, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Eureka.[11]. [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). At Cape Horn Dam, the majority of the water is diverted through a tunnel and hydroelectric plant, and then to the headwaters of the Russian River in Potter Valley and is known as the Potter Valley Project.