131-743: Lake Van Arsdale , also known as Van Arsdale Reservoir , is a reservoir on the Eel River in California , part of the Potter Valley Project. Located in Mendocino County , 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the town of Potter Valley , California, the reservoir supplies water to users as far south as Marin County . The reservoir is formed by the Cape Horn Dam , also known as Van Arsdale Dam , which impounds
262-503: A 143:1 difference. The annual means also experience huge variations, with a high of 12.5 million acre-feet (15.4 km ), or 17,300 cu ft/s (490 m /s), in 1983, and a low of 410,000 acre-feet (0.51 km ), or 563 cu ft/s (15.9 m /s), in 1977. Reduction in flow occurs in part due to deliberate water diversion from the Eel to the Russian River watershed by
393-484: A cafe-lounge in addition to coach cars. Passengers from San Francisco would take Greyhound Buses from the San Francisco Ferry Building at the base of Market Street to San Rafael. NWP locomotives 112, 140, 141, 143, and 178 plus SP numbers 2345, 2356, 2564, 2582, and 2810 were stored at Tiburon for emergency use; but steam power had disappeared by 1955. On November 10, 1958, all mainline passenger service
524-442: A combined 65.3% “yes” vote in the two-county District but ultimately failed to meet the “2/3 supermajority.” In 2008, Measure Q passed providing funding for the construction of a commuter railroad through a quarter-cent sales tax. Though it was thought that this would provide enough initial funding, it did not. Consequently, the railroad would be constructed in stages over several years. In 2009, SMART began initial electrical work on
655-469: A deeply incised channel, which can generally contain all but the largest floods. The younger mountains in the north may be uplifting at a rate ten times faster than the headwater regions further south and east, which consist of much older rock. 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. The estimated annual sediment load
786-494: A joint agreement, and in 1906 merged 42 railroad companies between Marin and Humboldt Bay to create one railroad line stretching from Sausalito to Eureka. Prior to completing the line to Eureka, operations over the southern portion of the Northwestern Pacific included daily freight trains #112 and #113 between Willits and Santa Rosa , train #133 between Santa Rosa and Tiburon , trains #153 and #154 between Petaluma and
917-467: A large estuary in central Humboldt County, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Eureka . The Northwestern Pacific Railroad tracks follow the Eel River from Outlet Creek, about 7 miles (11 km) above Dos Rios , to Fortuna. The railroad has been out of service since 1998 due to concerns involving historically exorbitant maintenance costs versus the line's economic returns. U.S. Route 101 runs along
1048-578: A large piece of equipment for Pacific Gas and Electric , has provided construction trains for SMART, bulk car storage, and currently hosts the Golden Gate Railroad Museum storage lot on a former lumbar yard spur in Schellville. Regular passenger trains operated by SMART began in late Spring 2017 between Sonoma County Airport and San Rafael, later opening the Larkspur station with a connection to
1179-658: A line north, the AT&;SF starting with a boat connection in present-day Larkspur, California , and the Southern Pacific, starting at its interchange in American Canyon , north through Napa , Sonoma , Mendocino and Humboldt counties to finally terminate in Eureka. As plans went forward it became clear that only one railroad would be profitable serving Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, so the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe entered into
1310-573: A number of small mountain communities including Fort Seward . The South Fork Eel River joins from the west, near Humboldt Redwoods State Park and the town of Weott . 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. At Fortuna, the river turns west across the coastal plain and enters the Pacific via
1441-537: A part of their long-term lease agreements for their main stretch of trackage in the Napa, Fairfield, and Woodland areas. The CFNR generally operated one train from Willits to Hopland, where freight cars were transferred to a second train from Hopland to Schellville. The track from Lombard to Healdsburg was owned by the precursor to SMART, and the CFNR had trackage rights granted from Schellville to Willits where interchange occurred with
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#17330848387871572-617: A primitive fish-like creature, and are not related to eels. The Eel River forms a 7-mile (11 km) long estuary west of Fortuna, which has been identified as one of the most important and sensitive estuaries on the West Coast. 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 . About 1,550 acres (630 ha) consist of undeveloped wetlands while 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) have been converted to agriculture. The estuary
1703-892: A run of over 30,000 fish, the largest on record since 1958. Since 2012, runs have fluctuated. 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. From 2013 to 2014, 2016 to 2017 were between 15,000 and 25,000 while 2015, and 2018 to 2019 were between 9,000 and 15,000. The river provides wildlife habitat for preservation of rare and endangered species including warm and cold freshwater habitat for fish migration and spawning. The river and its tributaries support at least 15 species of native freshwater fish. Major species include Pacific lamprey , Entosphenus tridentatus , formerly Lampetra tridentata , Sacramento sucker , threespine stickleback , Pacific staghorn sculpin , Coastrange sculpin and prickly sculpin . At least 16 species of non-native fish have been introduced to
1834-664: A separate terminal yard on North Street in Santa Rosa . Freight interchange was predominantly through Ignacio, but there was a second connection to the SP in Santa Rosa until the line through the Valley of the Moon was abandoned in 1935. The railroad service became popular; an early daily NWP timetable shows 10 passenger trains each way, plus dozens of freights. The rail line soon replaced steam schooners as
1965-730: 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. 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
2096-574: Is 16 million short tons , or an average of 4,458 tons per square mile (1,720 tons/km ). Flooding events have a large effect on the average amount of transported sediment: high water in the years 1969, 1983 and 1998 caused an annual sediment load 27 times greater than that of normal years. Among rivers of the contiguous United States, only the Mississippi River carries more sediment to the sea (the Colorado River historically transported more than
2227-766: Is a major river, about 196 miles (315 km) long, in northwestern California . The river and its tributaries form the third-largest watershed entirely in California, draining a rugged area of 3,684 square miles (9,540 km ) in five counties. The river flows generally northward through the Coast Ranges west of the Sacramento Valley , emptying into the Pacific Ocean about 10 miles (16 km) downstream from Fortuna and just south of Humboldt Bay . The river provides groundwater recharge , recreation, and industrial, agricultural and municipal water supply. The Eel River system
2358-562: Is among the most dynamic in California because of the region's unstable geology and the influence of major Pacific storms. The discharge is highly variable; average flows in January and February are over 100 times greater than in August and September. 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
2489-679: Is diverted from the Eel River basin through a 1-mile (1.6 km) tunnel to the East Fork Russian River , in a scheme known as the Potter Valley Project . Below the dam the river turns north, flowing through a long, isolated valley, receiving Outlet Creek from the west and then the Middle Fork Eel River from the east at Dos Rios . About 20 miles (32 km) downstream, the North Fork Eel River –draining one of
2620-560: Is known as the Potter Valley Project. Originally conceived in the late 1800s and built between 1906 and 1922, the project provides about 159,000 acre-feet (0.196 km ) of additional water for the Russian River system for about 500,000 people in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. 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
2751-464: Is longer, and carries the most water because of the higher rainfall in its basin. The Eel River watershed is located entirely in the California Coast Ranges . 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 flows from east to west. The watershed is bordered on the north by the basin of
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#17330848387872882-662: Is part of a terrane , or crustal fragment, that originated at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Beginning several million years ago, tectonic forces shoved the Franciscan assemblage against the North American Plate , pushing up the Coast Ranges. 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
3013-552: Is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy . In 2018 CalTrout , along with other partners, announced they had received a grant of over $ 5M to revive the degraded estuary. The site of the project is the Eel River Estuary Preserve, formerly known as Connick Ranch. The Wildlands Conservancy acquired the land in 2008 with the goal of restoring the wetland system and provide public access to
3144-499: Is the only cold water available in the basin during the dry season. 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. In 1983, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensed the project under the condition that more water be provided to the Eel River during the dry season and less be diverted to
3275-539: Is the third-largest coastal wetland region in California, after the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and the Salinas River estuaries in central California, forming an important habitat for various species of shorebirds, fish and mammals such as river otters and harbor seals . About 1,100 acres (450 ha) of the estuary are protected as the Eel River Estuary Preserve. The Eel River estuary
3406-671: The Great Redwood Trail . In the late 1800s both the Southern Pacific Railroad (“SP”) and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (“AT&SF”) had great interests in building lines north from San Francisco to Humboldt County to transport lumber south. The Southern Pacific Railroad controlled the southern end of the line from Willits south to Marin and Schellville, while the AT&SF controlled line south from Eureka through Humboldt County. Both railroads planned to build
3537-575: The Guerneville branch to Duncans Mills , train #102 between Glen Ellen and Tiburon, train #109 between Tiburon and Sausalito , train #145 over the narrow gauge between Occidental and San Anselmo , train #202 between Willits and Sherwood, and train #251 operating over the logging branches out of Sherwood. Passenger trains #131 and #132 ran between Sausalito and Willits, trains #21 and #22 between Sausalito and Ukiah , train #23 between Sausalito and Healdsburg , trains #17 and #20 between Sausalito and
3668-533: The Interstate Commerce Commission of their intent to abandon the line. The line was ordered reopened by the U.S. Circuit Court in March 1984. From the early 1970s into the 1980s the SP began substantially cutting back non-core routes. In 1971, the line from Sausalito, once a major terminal on the line, was abandoned and converted into a walking path connecting to similar trails throughout Marin built upon
3799-689: 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 . Major centers of population on the river include Willits , Garberville , Redway , Scotia, Rio Dell , Fortuna, and Ferndale . Minor communities include Laytonville , Branscomb , Cummings, Leggett , Piercey, Benbow , Phillipsville , Myers Flat , Shively , and Pepperwood . The river's relatively large estuary and delta, which includes
3930-732: The Mendocino Triple Junction , which marks the northern end of the San Andreas Fault and produces frequent earthquakes due to the juncture of three tectonic plates ). In the western and northern portions of the Eel River watershed, soils eroded from the Franciscan assemblage are often sticky, clayey and highly unstable, creating a high risk of landslides. This soil is often known as " blue goo " because of its gray-blue color, soft, sticky texture, and its tendency to slip when saturated. Further inland and south, soils are well drained, although landslides are nevertheless common because of
4061-550: The Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Potter Valley Project , located to the south in Mendocino County . Although the effect on the total annual flow is negligible (only about 3 percent of the total flow of the Eel River) the impact is much larger during the dry season, when the Eel's already-low natural flows are further reduced by diversions. Since 2004 the dams used by the project have been required to provide additional flow to
Lake Van Arsdale - Misplaced Pages Continue
4192-569: The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta . The proposal was defeated with public initiative by the early 1970s, to protect the remaining relatively wild rivers in the state. Ronald Reagan , governor of California at the time, refused to approve the project. The proposed reservoir would have flooded the Round Valley Indian Reservation . In 1964, a severe Pineapple Express event known as "The '64 Flood" brought heavy rains to coastal northern California. The Eel River drainage area
4323-540: 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 in the region. Since the mid-19th century, logging activity in the watershed has loosened soil and destabilized aquifers, reducing the river's base flow , although the watershed is slowly recovering. Logging, grazing and other resource exploitation activities and their accompanying environmental changes have also increased
4454-536: The Sonoma County Water Agency . The non-diverted flow continues down the Eel to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean near Fortuna . In 1905, the Snow Mountain Water and Power Company started building the Potter Valley Project. Cape Horn Dam was completed in 1907 (117 years ago) ( 1907 ) , and the original project became operational in 1908. Pacific Gas and Electric Company took over
4585-475: The dual-gauge San Francisco Belt Railroad . After the flooded Russian River destroyed the 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge NWP Guerneville branch bridge at Bohemia on 19 March 1907, NWP rebuilt the bridge one-half mile downriver; and extended the Guerneville branch from Monte Rio to Duncans Mills as dual-gauge by 1909. Redwood lumber was then shipped out over
4716-435: The project in 1930 and has owned the dam ever since. Cape Horn Dam is an earth fill and concrete gravity dam 63 feet (19 m) high, 515 feet (157 m) long, and 10 feet (3.0 m) thick, containing 40,000 cubic yards (31,000 m) of material. Its crest is 1,519 feet (463 m) above sea level. Eel River (California) The Eel River ( Wiyot : Wiya't ; Cahto : Taanchow ; Northern Pomo : ch'idiyu )
4847-429: The 1850s, with multiple canneries on the Eel River operating into the early to mid 1900s. Between 1857 and 1921, canning operations took an estimated 93,000 fish per year, with a peak of 600,000 fish in 1877. By the 1890s, fish populations had already recorded a precipitous decline. Logging and grazing, which expose formerly forested land as bare ground, have had even greater impact on the populations of these fish. Due to
4978-546: The 1920s due to overfishing. The Eel River basin has also been a significant source of timber since the days of early settlement, and continues to support a major logging sector. The river valley was a major rail transport corridor for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad beginning in 1914 and continuing throughout the 20th century, and also forms part of the route of the Redwood Highway (US Highway 101). Since
5109-402: The 1964 flood, chinook salmon populations plunged to fewer than 10,000 per year. Anadromous fish populations have continued to decline since the 1960s; in 2010, only 3,500 salmon and steelhead returned to the river to spawn. However, with better land management practices in the watershed, salmon and steelhead runs have shown signs of recovery. In late 2012, high water in the Eel River attracted
5240-572: The Army Corps took great pains to conceal, by exaggerating its economic justifications for the dam. When exposed, this would end up becoming the "Achilles' heel of the project". Meanwhile, the Bureau insisted that its first priority–English Ridge–should receive the first federal funding. As Marc Reisner describes in Cadillac Desert (1986), "The feuding agencies were about to lock horns and starve over
5371-465: 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. About 155 miles (249 km) of the main stem are designated, from the mouth to a point just below Cape Horn Dam . The Middle Fork is also wild and scenic from its confluence with
Lake Van Arsdale - Misplaced Pages Continue
5502-411: 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. 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. The ceremonial driving of
5633-734: The Eel River during the dry season, primarily to mitigate the negative impacts the project has on fish populations. Eel River monthly mean discharge at Scotia (cfs) The Eel River drains an area of 3,684 square miles (9,540 km ), the third-largest watershed entirely in California, after those of the San Joaquin River and the Salinas River . The Colorado , Sacramento , and Klamath River systems are larger, but their drainage areas extend into neighboring states as well. The Eel River system extends into five California counties: Glenn , Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, and Trinity. The main stem traverses four counties, excepting Glenn. The majority of
5764-415: The Eel River near Alderpoint to a height of 460 feet (140 m). A 30-mile (48 km)-long lake formed behind the barrier. 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 unstable nature of landslide dams in general. The dam blocked access to steelhead trout spawning grounds in
5895-404: The Eel River to the estuary. 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. 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. As part of
6026-407: The Eel River was Sebastián Vizcaíno , sailing on behalf of Philip III of Spain , seeking a mythical northwest passage described in secret papers as being at the latitude of Cape Mendocino . 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." The Eel River
6157-491: The Eel River watershed is supported by the name of a tributary of the Middle Fork Eel River, Beaver Creek. Cyanobacteria grow in the river, and are suspected as the cause of death in fourteen dogs in the Eel River, Van Duzen River, or Big Lagoon between 2004 and 2024. The Eel River supports runs of multiple anadromous fishes : Chinook , coho salmon , steelhead (rainbow trout) and coastal cutthroat trout among
6288-536: The Eel River's mouth to the waters of the bay, where they were met by members of the Laura Virginia party. Many of the people who settled in this region were prospectors from the Gold Rush who did not manage to find gold. Although most of the early settlements were made along the coast, some people spread south into the Eel River valley, which offered fertile soils along with other abundant natural resources. However,
6419-525: The Eel River, and permanently changed the topography of the area. The line was closed for 177 days while 850 men rebuilt the railroad through the Eel River canyon. The line was reopened on 16 June 1965. In the years following the 1964 flood, the rail line was less reliable due to increased landsliding in the Eel River Canyon; but freight traffic remained high until the 1970s, as improvements to US Highway 101 cut hauling times, making trucking competitive with
6550-592: The Eel arrives at the Pacific Ocean. The last crossing before the Pacific Ocean is at Cock Robin Island Road a few miles to the west of Fernbridge. Later, the Pacific Coast Highway would be constructed along the South Fork and along the Eel River downriver of the South Fork. In 1914, after seven years of construction, the Northwestern Pacific Railroad completed a rail line running along much of
6681-469: The Eel as well, but most of its sediment is now trapped by dams). However, both the Mississippi and Colorado have lesser sediment yields relative to their drainage areas. 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. When
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#17330848387876812-823: The Eel to the boundary of the Yolla Bolly–Middle Eel Wilderness. 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 . Most of the Eel River watershed is underlain by sedimentary rock of the Franciscan Assemblage (or Complex), whose rocks date to the Late Jurassic (161–146 million years ago). The Franciscan
6943-402: The Eel until the drought eases. Under current agreements, the dams must release at least 100 cubic feet per second (2.8 m /s) beginning every year on December 1 to aid salmon migration. The federal United Western Investigation study in 1951 proposed multiple large dams on the wild North Coast rivers of California, including the Eel River. These dams would have been far bigger than those of
7074-516: The Fort Seward depot. More lumber cars might be added at Alderpoint during the long, gentle climb up the Eel River canyon. A second crew took over at Willits, where more cars from the California Western typically swelled the train to approximately one hundred cars. Five miles (8 km) of 2.25 percent grade from Willits to Ridge originally required helpers, but six "Cadillacs" typically moved
7205-602: The Great Depression. With the onset of World War II , freight shipments rose while passenger service remained constant. Freight service on the NWP increased in the 1950s owing to an increase in lumber demand due to the post-war housing boom . Branch lines were dismantled during the 1930s. The Sebastopol branch became redundant following purchase of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad in 1932, and California State Route 12 adopted
7336-607: The Guerneville branch to Duncans Mills, trains #9, #10, and #14 between Sausalito and Glen Ellen, trains #6 and #7 between Sausalito and San Quentin , train #4 between Tiburon and San Rafael , train #92 over the narrow gauge between Sausalito and Cazadero , train #84 over the narrow gauge between Sausalito and Point Reyes , and #101, a mixed freight and passenger train operated on the Sebastopol . Sunday and holiday passenger trains often required two locomotives and sometimes two or more sections. Independence day traffic required borrowing 25 or 30 Southern Pacific coaches. Completion of
7467-466: The Guerneville branch. A freight transfer shed was built at San Anselmo so narrow-gauge tracks could be removed from the ferries in 1910; and more than half of the narrow-gauge freight cars were scrapped by 1912. A daily freight train operated from Occidental to San Anselmo in the morning and returned to Occidental in the afternoon. The train included a coach for Sonoma County students attending school in Tomales. A freight engine stationed at Duncans Mills
7598-415: The Klamath and Trinity Rivers but "permitted 'planning' for dams on the Eel River. Conservationists saw this as a backdoor attempt to resurrect Dos Rios Dam and endorsed the Behr bill." Collier's bill was supported by powerful agricultural interests in the Central Valley on the then-"dubious claim" that they would need the water from these rivers in the future. After the state legislature approved both bills,
7729-480: The Larkspur ferry landing. Plans still remain to extend the line north to the city of Cloverdale. While SMART will eventually extend commuter service to at least Cloverdale, NCRA and NWPco had plans to open the line to the Skunk Train connection and major yard facility in Willits , but no timeline was established or attempts made before NCRA was dissolved and as of 2024 there is little interest by SMART. Both agencies' plans were dependent on state and federal grants, and
7860-530: The Mendocino-Sonoma County border in September 2020, and in February 2022, took over NWP freight operations, having been approved by the US Surface Transportation Board. Today, freight service is operated by SMART. Freight services continue to use locomotives previously both owned and leased by NWPco, now by SMART, in various “Northwestern Pacific” themed schemes. NWP mileposts conform to Southern Pacific Railroad convention of distance from San Francisco : The NWP 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow-gauge line
7991-474: The NCRA, were then pressed into short-lived service before additional washouts, mechanical failures, and low revenue again closed the line. By 2016, several movements including scrapping of former equipment in Eureka and returning of leased and privately stored equipment in Willits, Petaluma and Schellville had begun. In January 2001, the NWP briefly resumed service between Schellville and Cotati using three leased locomotives with reporting mark "NWPY", but service
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#17330848387878122-563: The NCRA. Maintenance and repair orders by the Federal Railroad Administration that were not addressed ultimately led the FRA to shut down all operations over the entire length of the line on November 22, 1998 under Emergency Order 21, the first and only time it had ever done so until the 2023 shutdown of the Blackwell Northern Railroad. The six EMD locomotives, defaulted on their lease, were returned to their lessor Omni-trax in 1998. Former SP SD9s, leased from Diesel Motive Company (reporting mark BUGX), and former North Coast Railroad GP9s, owned by
8253-524: The NWP run from the Lombard interchange with the California Northern Railroad, up to Windsor. Service consists of about two to three trips north to Petaluma weekly over the line, generally at night to avoid conflict with SMART's daytime-only passenger schedule, and two to three trips to the interchange at Lombard, generally during the day. The railroad predominantly carries grain for dairy and poultry farms in Sonoma County , but also has provided shipment of lumber products out of Windsor, Petaluma and Schellville,
8384-753: The North Coast Railroad and the California Western Railroad. When the CFNR lease of the NWP was terminated, the NCRA via a contractor took over operations using EMD GP9 and SD9 locomotives painted in the SP "Black Widow" colors running both freight service and occasional passenger excursion service from 1996 to 1998. The line was plagued by a series of harsh El Nino storms from 1997 to 1998 causing significant washouts and bridge instability on top of already deferred infrastructure maintenance and mismanagement. The six EMD locomotives, defaulted on their lease, were returned to their lessor Omni-Trax in early 1998 and replaced by SP SD9s leased from Diesel Motive Company (reporting mark BUGX) and former North Coast Railroad GP9s owned by
8515-413: The Potter Valley Project, and would create some of the largest reservoirs in California. The Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation both sought to build dams in the Eel River system which, starting in the 1960s was targeted as a potential new source for the California State Water Project. Major dams proposed in the watershed included ones at English Ridge, Bell Springs and Sequoia (Alderpoint) on
8646-412: 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 more populous but smaller Russian River drainage area to the south, resulting in a much higher flow in the smaller river and a decreased flow in the upper Eel during certain seasons. Although located near the headwaters, these dams can cause a significant reduction of
8777-418: The Russian River basin. Dam releases are now timed to mimic natural flows in the Eel River system. Occasional large "blocks" of water are also released from Scott Dam to help juvenile salmonids migrate to the sea before temperatures in the lower river become unsuitable for their passage. These conditions were revised in 2004, when stricter minimum release standards were established. In combination with drought in
8908-410: The Sacramento Valley, from which the water would travel by canal to the Sacramento River. An alternate proposal would have sent the water south from Dos Rios, through English Ridge and then a tunnel to Clear Lake , from which the water would flow down Cache Creek to the Sacramento River. From the beginning, these dams were heavily contested by local residents as well as by environmental groups seeking
9039-430: The Sonoma County Airport in Windsor and east to Schellville on the “south end” is operated by Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), which operates both commuter and freight trains with plans for future extension north to Cloverdale . The “north end” from Willits to Eureka (which includes connections to the California Western Railroad ) is currently out of service, but saved by 2018 legislation to be converted into
9170-450: The South Fork Eel River and then the lower Eel River below the South Fork. 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. In the Mediterranean climate of its basin, almost all precipitation falls in the winter, and wet-season flows can be enormous, while the summer and early autumn provide only minimal precipitation, if any, causing
9301-409: The Van Duzen River after James Van Duzen, a member of the expedition. The party split in two and the survivors returned to San Francisco from whence ships left to settle Humboldt Bay in early 1850, bringing lumber and supplies from San Francisco. One ship sailed up the Eel River and became trapped. In the hurry to be first into Humboldt Bay, they dragged a longboat through the sloughs on the north side of
9432-406: The basin. 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. Project water is disproportionately important to salmonids in the Eel River system as a whole because the water released from the bottom of Scott Dam
9563-539: The early 20th century, the Eel River has been dammed in its headwaters to provide water, via interbasin transfer , to parts of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. 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 . Although the damming would have relieved pressure on greater California's overburdened water systems, it stirred up decades of controversy, as some of
9694-463: The early 21st century, average diversions through the project have decreased by about 69,000 acre-feet (0.085 km ) for the period 2004 through 2010. 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
9825-584: The federal government for safety reasons. 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. 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 watershed also contains many stands of Redwood that are among
9956-480: The final decision fell to Reagan, who signed the Behr bill, again in favor of the conservationists. 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. Northwestern Pacific Railroad The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a 271-mile (436 km) mainline railroad from
10087-639: The first European colonizers arrived, the area was home to several indigenous peoples of the Eel River Athapaskan group, with at least four groups identified by dialects: Nongatl and Sinkyone in the north, and Lassik and Wailaki in the middle and south parts of the basin. The upper valley was home to the Interior Yuki (the Huchnom), with the river and its tributaries frequented by Northern and Northeastern Pomo fishing groups. The first westerner to enter
10218-399: The first two dams on their priority list." By 1969, a strong opposition movement had formed, led by a Round Valley rancher named Richard Wilson, who had studied hydrology at Dartmouth College . Wilson calculated that Dos Rios would have reduced the 35-foot (11 m) flood crest of the 1964 flood at Fort Seward by less than a foot (0.3 m). Governor Ronald Reagan formally refused to authorize
10349-488: The flow of the lower Eel River because much of the river's summer flow originates from the mountains above Lake Pillsbury. In 1910 noted American engineer John B. Leonard designed Fernbridge , a 1,320 feet (400 m) all-concrete arched bridge at the site of the earlier Singley's Ferry crossing. Completed in 1911, and now listed on the National Historic Register, Fernbridge is the last major crossing before
10480-494: The former ferry connections in Sausalito, California north to Eureka , with a connection to the national railroad system at Schellville . The railroad has gone through a complex history of different ownership and operators but has maintained a generic name of reference as the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, despite no longer being officially named that. Currently, only a 62-mile (100 km) stretch of mainline from Larkspur to
10611-538: The former alignment between Leddy and Sebastopol. The Trinidad extension reverted to a logging line after NWP service ended in 1933. Sonoma County 's River Road adopted the former alignment of the Guerneville branch from Fulton to Duncans Mills after rails were removed in 1935. Diesels were being used on all trains by 1953, with the exception of ten-wheelers number 181 and 183 pulling passenger trains numbered 3 and 4 between San Rafael and Eureka with number 182 on standby. The #3/#4 trains offered sleeping cars,
10742-538: The former interurban lines. In 1984, the SP sold the north end from Willits to Eureka to Bryan Whipple, who ran it as the Eureka Southern Railroad under the reporting marks EUKA. The Eureka Southern operated freight trains and revamped tourist train service until bankrupted by storm damage in the Eel River Canyon, selling the railroad and most equipment by 1992. In 1984 and 1989, the former Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad line from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol
10873-513: The golden spike at Cain Rock was delayed by flooding and subsequent landslide damage to the rail line in October 1914. In the 1950s, interest grew in damming the Eel River system to provide water for central and southern California. After a damaging flood in 1955, these dams also received support for potential flood-control benefits. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed
11004-543: The high rainfall and steep slopes. 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. Terraces were formed due to a combination of the high sediment load of the river system, and the rapid regional rate of geologic uplift (up to 13 feet (4.0 m) per 1000 years, as measured at Scotia Bluffs). The Eel's behavior of downcutting its own sediments has caused it to flow in
11135-421: The huge amount of sediment and debris swept down the river, including millions of board feet of timber. The deepest flood waters were nearly 70 feet (21 m) above the normal river level. Several thousand people were left homeless by the floods and over 4,000 head of livestock died. The large storms of the mid-20th century, along with the ecological changes from logging and grazing activities, almost wiped out
11266-550: The intensity of flood and drought. Prior to 2011, the Eel River basin consisted of 65.1% forest, 12.2% shrubland , and 19.2% grassland , with just 1.9% agricultural and 0.2% developed urban. The human population of the watershed is about 32,000–less than 10 people per square mile (26/km ). In the 20th century, much of the watershed area was included under state parks and national forest, including Six Rivers National Forest , Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness , and Humboldt Redwoods State Park . A total of 398 miles (641 km) of
11397-438: The largest peaks recorded in the world relative to the size of its drainage basin. In contrast, during the dry months of July through September, the river achieves nearly zero flow. The lowermost United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauge on the Eel where flow volume is measured is at Scotia , where an annual mean of 7,309 cubic feet per second (207.0 m /s), or 5.3 million acre-feet (6.5 km ) per year,
11528-757: The largest such trees in California. 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 as a funnel conducting moist air eastward from the coast. However, redwood groves are still most common in the drainage area of the South Fork Eel River, which lies closest to the Pacific. Aquatic mammals include beaver , muskrat , raccoon , river otter and mink . Beavers are confirmed in Outlet Creek (tributary to main stem Eel north of Willits), but may occur in other areas as well. That beaver were once native to
11659-420: The line between Willits and Eureka was disrupted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake ; plans and right-of-way documents were destroyed in the subsequent fire. Engines 8, 12, 19, 104, 153 and 154 were shipped to Eureka by boat in 1911. After a time-expedient "punt" of the route through the unstable Eel River Canyon, construction was finally completed in October 1914 when a "golden spike" ceremony and celebration
11790-417: The line which was paralleled by reballasting and replacement of bad ties between Schellville and Windsor. In 2006, NCRA awarded a 99-year lease to NWPco, who would operate trains under reporting mark "NWP." In June 2011, the line was reopened for freight traffic and operations began between Schellville and Windsor, California , 62 miles. In July 2011 the first freight train delivered grain to Petaluma. Trains on
11921-456: The main means of getting lumber from Humboldt County to market. Rail service to inland areas facilitated local development of the lumber industry. In 1929 the AT&SF sold its half-interest to the Southern Pacific, making the NWP a full SP subsidiary. Passenger service boomed until the 1930s, when improved roads and highways made traveling and shipping by motor vehicle more accessible. By 1935 freight and passenger service diminished because of
12052-439: The main stem, and the infamous Dos Rios on the Middle Fork. 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 km )–the largest in California, at nearly twice the size of Shasta Lake . 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
12183-589: The maintenance of the same. Beginning in the late 1990s, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District began purchasing sections of the NWP's south end from the Southern Pacific to save for a potential commuter train route thanks to growing suburbs in Marin and Sonoma counties. The SP required the California Northern Railroad (CFNR) to take over freight operations on the NWP in 1993 as
12314-482: The major species. 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 . The annual chinook salmon run was estimated at 100,000–800,000, coho at 50,000–100,000, and steelhead may have numbered as high as 100,000–150,000. About 22,000 years ago, a massive landslide off Nefus Peak dammed
12445-457: The most rugged and remote portions of the watershed–joins from the east. Between the North and Middle Forks the Round Valley Indian Reservation lies east of the Eel River. After this confluence the Eel flows briefly through southwestern Trinity County , past Island Mountain , before entering Humboldt County near Alderpoint . The river cuts in a northwesterly direction across Humboldt County, past
12576-401: The mountainous terrain and heavy precipitation in the Eel River watershed, erosion rates are particularly high. Much of the anadromous fish spawning habitat in the river system was covered by sediment or blocked by debris jams. 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. After
12707-404: The project. 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. In the same year, senator Randolph Collier proposed a measure that would block dams in
12838-403: The proposals made little economic sense and would have been detrimental to an ailing salmon run. The Eel was granted federal Wild and Scenic River status in 1981, formally making it off-limits to new dams. Nevertheless, logging, grazing, road-building, a burgeoning cannabis industry, and other human activities continue to significantly affect the watershed's ecology. The Eel River originates on
12969-407: The protection of California's remaining wild rivers. The great 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. However, among all the proposed dams on the Eel River, Dos Rios would have the lowest impact on flood control–a fact that
13100-674: The public. In 2020, the SB 69 Great Redwood Trail Act was passed, tasked with dissolving the NCRA and the creation of a 320-mile public trail. California's 2018 Great Redwood Trail Act includes detailed plans for investigating and resolving the Authority's debts, dissolving the NCRA, and converting its rights-of-way to rail-trail . In the bill, the Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) acquired 21 miles (34 km) from Healdsburg north to
13231-425: The rail line. An example of a 1970s work day on the NWP might look something like the following: During the final decade of Southern Pacific operation, carloads of lumber left Eureka each morning pulled by six EMD SD9 locomotives called "Cadillacs" by their crews. The train might pick up a refrigerator car of butter from Fernbridge and more lumber cars from Fortuna and Scotia before making a meal stop for its crew at
13362-411: The railroad expensive and unreliable after switching to truck traffic made repairs difficult to finance and complete. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) prohibited any train operation north of Willits in 1998. This order was amended in 1999 to allow the connecting California Western Railroad to resume operation to Willits Depot and turn trains on the wye at Willits Yard after agreeing to assist in
13493-477: The rails when the line reopened on 10 December 1979. Remaining traffic revenues were insufficient for track maintenance through the Eel River Canyon, at that time the most expensive stretch of rail line in the United States . In September 1983, the SP announced that it was shutting down the maintenance-intensive NWP line north of Willits. This led to a contentious court battle since the SP did not properly notify
13624-428: The rediscovery of Humboldt Bay by land. The bay had been seen by earlier Spanish and Russian explorers but never settled. After camping and restocking at Humboldt Bay, they traveled to San Francisco to report their discovery. They crossed the Eel River on their way south where they traded a broken frying pan to the local fishermen in exchange for a large number of Pacific lamprey, which they mistook for eels. They named
13755-622: The region. 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. The river basin was lightly populated by Native Americans before, and for decades after, the European settlement of California. The region remained little traveled until 1849, when Josiah Gregg and his exploring party arrived in search of land for settlement. The river
13886-470: The river system. The non-native Sacramento pikeminnow is present; it competes with and preys on young salmonids. 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. Like salmon and steelhead, lampreys are anadromous , meaning they live part of their life in the ocean but return to fresh water to spawn. They are Cyclostomes (Circle mouths),
14017-422: The river's salmon run. 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. This sediment scoured away or buried spawning grounds for salmon and steelhead trout, causing the populations of these fish to drop to dangerous levels by the mid-1970s. The flooding
14148-505: The scenic area. 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 . 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
14279-462: The settlers also faced conflict as they pushed deeper into Native American lands. American negotiator Colonel Reddick McKee 's treaty would have given the Indians a large reservation around the mouth of the Eel, but the treaties were never ratified. American settlements were made along the flat terraces of the Eel, near the confluence with the Van Duzen River and toward the mouth of the river where there
14410-407: The sometimes-mighty river to slow to a trickle. At its mouth, the Eel River produces an estimated annual runoff of 6.9 million acre-feet (8.5 km ) per year, or about 9,500 cu ft/s (270 m /s). The Eel's maximum recorded flow of 936,000 cu ft/s (26,500 m /s) on December 23, 1964, was the largest peak discharge of any California river in recorded history, and one of
14541-404: The southern end of the line from San Francisco Bay to Point Reyes Station at the head of Tomales Bay was completed on 5 April 1920. Freight service between Point Reyes Station and Occidental was reduced to thrice weekly with freight transfer at Point Reyes Station. Lumber production from the lower Russian River valley was ended by a wildfire on 17 September 1923. After the standard-gauge line
14672-680: 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. The river flows south through a narrow canyon in Lake County before entering Lake Pillsbury , the reservoir created by Scott Dam. Below the dam the river flows west, re-entering Mendocino County. At the small Cape Horn Dam about 15 miles (24 km) east of Willits , water
14803-487: The success of the SMART train. Although tourist companies along with local historical groups have expressed interest in possibly opening an excursion and dinner train that would traverse Humboldt and Arcata bays, there are no plans to reopen the Eel River Canyon segment. Financial disarray and legal troubles beginning before the turn of the millennium caused the NCRA to fall out of favor with local and state officials as well as
14934-466: The train from Willits to Ridge in two sections during later years. The remaining trip down the Russian River to Schellville included a meal stop for the crew at Geyserville. Many Humboldt County mills began shipping lumber in trucks when a fire caused collapse of the Island Mountain tunnel, or tunnel 27, closing the line north of Willits on 6 September 1978, and only half of that traffic returned to
15065-464: The upper Eel River, causing the summer and winter runs to interbreed. Thus, there is an unusually high genetic similarity between summer-run and winter-run steelhead in the Eel River system, in contrast to other rivers in the Western United States . Human impacts have led to a dramatic decline of salmon and steelhead populations in the Eel River system. Large-scale commercial fishing began in
15196-472: The waters of the Eel River. A portion of its water (154,000 acre-feet (190,000,000 m) per year, on average) is diverted southward through an aqueduct tunnel to a powerhouse in Potter Valley, where it drives a turbine capable of generating up to 9.4 MW of electric power. Diverted water then descends by means of the Powerhouse Canal and East Fork Russian River to Lake Mendocino , which supplies
15327-403: The watershed is located within Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. The Eel's major tributaries–the North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and Van Duzen Rivers, drain 286 square miles (740 km ), 753 square miles (1,950 km ), 689 square miles (1,780 km ), and 420 square miles (1,100 km ), respectively. The Middle Fork drains the greatest area of all the tributaries, but the South Fork
15458-519: Was a major source of redwood lumber for rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . The NWP narrow-gauge obtained additional freight cars from the South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPC) as the SPC was converted to standard gauge between 1907 and 1909. Ferries Lagunitas , Ukiah , and Sausalito carried narrow-gauge freight cars across San Francisco Bay from Sausalito to
15589-813: Was acquired by the Sonoma County parks department, and converted into the Joe Rodota Trail for walking and biking. The California Legislature formed the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) in 1989 to save the NWP from total abandonment. NCRA purchased the Eureka Southern in 1992 and leased the line to the newly formed North Coast Railroad In late 1996, severe flooding of the Eel River led to widespread landslide damage and destruction of roadbed which remained unrepaired and halted most service. A lack of capital along with previous customers now finding
15720-426: Was also deleterious to rail service through the Eel River canyon. After the 1964 flood, much of the topography in the Eel River drainage has been permanently transfigured, and landslides occur more often, frequently damaging local road and rail infrastructure. 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
15851-597: Was built as the North Pacific Coast Railroad in 1873 from a San Francisco ferry connection at Sausalito to the Russian River at Monte Rio . Rails were extended downriver to Duncans Mills in 1876, and up Austin Creek to Cazadero in 1886. This narrow-gauge line became the Shore Division of the NWP formed by Santa Fe and Southern Pacific in 1907. Freight traffic was heavy as the lower Russian River valley
15982-405: Was directly in the storm's path. With no major dams to control its flow, the main Eel reached a peak of 936,000 cu ft/s (26,500 m /s), with 200,000 cu ft/s (5,700 m /s) from the South Fork alone. Ten towns were obliterated with dozens of others damaged; at least 20 bridges were destroyed, and some were never rebuilt. The heavy damage was due not only to the water, but to
16113-509: Was discontinued in September 2001 because the operator lacked capital to continue operations. Except for the brief SMART hy-rail inspection trip and few speeder tours, the line lay dormant and out of service until 2007. By 2002, the GGBHTD has purchased most of the “South End” and formed the “SMART District” to oversee funding and potential future operations. In November 2006, Measure R was passed with
16244-506: Was discontinued south of Willits. The only remaining service was a tri-weekly Willits-Eureka round trip, operated by a single Budd Rail Diesel Car , which ran until April 30, 1971. When Amtrak took over intercity passenger rail service on May 1, 1971, it did not continue service on the NWP. The catastrophic Christmas flood of 1964 destroyed 100 miles (160 km) of the railroad in Northern California, including three bridges over
16375-408: Was extended to Cazadero, service north of Point Reyes was reduced to a daily (except Sunday) mixed train to Camp Meeker and return until the last narrow-gauge train ran on 29 March 1930; and the remaining narrow-gauge line between Monte Rio and Point Reyes Station was dismantled that autumn. The route of the dual-gauge line from Fulton to Duncan Mills later became the popular River Road connecting all
16506-415: Was held to mark the accomplishment. The railroad used ferries of San Francisco Bay for freight transfer until connected to the national rail network at Napa Junction by the Santa Rosa and Carquinez Railroad in 1888. The Santa Rosa and Carquinez remained part of SP independent of the NWP with a primary freight interchange at Schellville. SP's Santa Rosa branch continued from Schellville through Sonoma to
16637-427: Was more arable land than the steep upper canyons. Most of these areas were appropriated for agriculture and grazing land. 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. Logging companies also took hundreds of millions of board feet of timber from the basin, which were floated down
16768-485: Was named after they traded a frying pan to a group of Wiyot fishermen in exchange for a large number of Pacific lampreys , which the explorers mistook for eels. Explorers' reports of the fertile and heavily timbered region attracted settlers to Humboldt Bay and the Eel River Valley beginning in 1850. Starting in the late 19th century the Eel River supported a large salmon-canning industry which began to decline by
16899-552: Was named in 1849 at the dawn of the California Gold Rush by an exploring party led by Josiah Gregg . 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 . The party took months to travel overland by an extremely arduous route from Helena to the Pacific Ocean between November and December 1849, when they are credited with
17030-443: Was operated by the Guerneville branch freight crew as needed to bring infrequent freight down from Cazadero for transfer to the Guerneville branch until the line up Austin Creek to Cazadero was standard-gauged in 1926. Summer tourists from San Francisco still visited Russian River vacation spots via joint narrow-gauge/standard-gauge NWP "triangle" excursions until 1927 when automobile travel became more popular. Standard-gauging of
17161-401: Was recorded between 1910 and 2012. This station measures runoff from an area of 3,113 square miles (8,060 km ), or 85 percent of the basin; however it does not include the flow of the Van Duzen River, which joins several miles downstream. Monthly average flows at Scotia range from 19,700 cu ft/s (560 m /s) in January to 138 cu ft/s (3.9 m /s) in September –
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