14.1 Description of Area 14.1.1 The Land The Northern California Coast - Northern Focus Area is composed of coastal Del Norte and Humboldt counties. The boundary extends eastward from the Pacific coast to the top of the first inland mountain range, and encompasses many of the region's existing and former wetlands. The focus area also includes a few important riparian and floodplain areas adjacent to major coastally draining rivers (Figure 13). In this northernmost California County, the coastline tends to be composed of rocky cliffs and high bluffs which rise steeply into the coastal mountain ranges with their deeply cut 14.0 canyons. Two major rivers drain the interior mountain ranges and empty into the Pacific Ocean within the boundary of Del Norte County: the Smith River, which has its origins in north- eastern Del Norte County and southern Oregon, and the Klamath River with headwaters much farther to the NORTHERN north and east in south central Oregon. Humboldt County, to the south, includes portions of CALIFORNIA the California Coast Range and the southern Klamath Mountains. The most extensive coastal wetlands are associated with floodplains in the lower Eel River COAST─ Valley and the Humboldt Bay area. Other significant wetland habitats include Mad River Estuary, Little River Valley, Redwood Creek Estuary, Big Lagoon, NORTHERN Stone Lagoon, and Freshwater Lagoon. Major rivers and streams draining the mountain ranges of Humboldt County include the Eel River, Van Duzen FOCUS AREA River, Mad River, Trinity River, Klamath River, Mattole River, Bear River, and Redwood Creek. Like the Klamath River, the Trinity and Eel rivers have large drainage basins within the Coast Range and the Klamath Mountains. 14-1 Figure 13. Northern California Coast-Northern Focus Area 14-2 Dense forests of redwoods and other conifers As a result, tourism is becoming an increasingly cover most of the landscape. Much of the terrain important factor in the local economic picture. is high ridges and deep canyons, with few interior valleys of any size. One significant 14.1.3 Wildlife Resources change in this otherwise rugged shoreline is the large coastal plain that begins near the Oregon The diverse mixture of habitat types found, in the border and extends southward for about 24 coastal areas of Del Norte and Humboldt counties kilometres (15 miles). A second broad coastal supports a wide variety of wildlife. Over 250 plain occupies a 40-kilometre (25-mile) segment species of birds and 58 species of mammals are of the coast between McKinleyville and the Eel known to occur here. At least 16 species of reptiles River delta in Humboldt County. Vegetative types and amphibians have also been recorded, as well in the southern part of the focus area are more as many species of fish. diverse and include a mixture of open grassland, chaparral, and conifer forests. The wetlands attract hundreds of thousands of migratory birds during their passage between 14.1.2 The People breeding grounds and wintering areas. The focus area provided key habitat for several threatened The Northern California Coast Northern Focus and endangered species, including the Bald Eagle, Area is relatively uncrowded, with approximate- Peregrine Falcon, Brown Pelican, and tidewater ly 20,000 residents in Del Norte County and goby. The many rivers and streams entering the 110,000 in Humboldt County. Eureka, located on ocean support runs of coho, and chinook, Humboldt Bay, is the area's largest city (popula- steelhead trout, and coastal cutthroat trout. The tion 25,000). Other significant population centers bays and estuaries formed at the mouths of these include Arcata, Crescent City, Fortuna, rivers and streams are important nursery areas for McKinleyville, Ferndale, and Trinidad. Smaller many species of fish and other aquatic life forms. communities are located along the area's main highways. The primary north-south travel route is 14.1.4 Wetland Habitats Highway 101. Highways 199 and 299 carry most of the east-west traffic. In terms of species numbers and variety, the most productive areas in this focus area are the coastal Forest products, commercial fishing, agriculture, floodplains. The floodplains provide a degree of and tourism have traditionally been the region's habitat diversity not found over much of the economic base. In recent times, employment in the adjacent densely forested mountains. forest products industry has declined. The commer- cial fishing industry has been experiencing an The largest and most productive area in Del Norte economic decline because of diminishing stocks County is the Smith River floodplain. It covers an of some harvested species, including salmonids. area of about 18,200 hectares (45,000 acres). 14-3 About 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) have been total, Humboldt County provides the greatest intensively developed for industrial, commercial, variety of wetland habitat types in northern or residential purposes. The remaining un- California, including the second largest estuarine developed lands have high wildlife values. The complex in the state (after San Francisco Bay and variety and interspersion of vegetative types, the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta). Humboldt combined with the streams, wetlands, and inshore Bay, the Mad River estuary, and the Eel River ocean waters, provide habitats attractive to many delta function as a single habitat complex, provid- forms of wildlife. ing at least 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of low- lying seasonal wetland (diked former tideland); Beginning near Point St. George and extending 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres) of tidal marsh and north to the mouth of the Smith River, the intertidal flat; and at least 1,800 hectares (4,500 landscape is dominated by coastal sand dunes. In acres) of tidal channels, sloughs, and other deep- places, the dunes extend as far as 760 metres water estuarine habitats. This wetland complex (2,500 feet) inland and reach elevations of up to (especially the Eel River delta) contains approxi- 20 metres (60 feet) above sea level. Forests of mately 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of floodplain beach pine and Sitka' spruce are scattered riparian forest as a remnant of what was formerly throughout the dune habitat. Dense willow and a predominant wetland type in this region; this alder thickets are common in wet areas. Also habitat type is recognized as one of the most scattered throughout the dune community are a important for migratory birds in northern number of ponds and marshes. California. The dominant wetland features associated with the Associated with the coastal wetlands are a variety. coastal dunes are lakes Earl and Talawa. Lake of other environmentally important areas. Sand Earl is the larger of the two lakes and its waters dunes west of Humboldt Bay contain a total of are fresh to slightly brackish. The waters of Lake about 640 hectares (1,600 acres) of dune forest, Talawa are much more brackish. These lakes are vegetated dunes, and open sand and is recognized actually coastal lagoons that periodically breach as the most complete and least-disturbed dune the barrier dune, allowing an interchange of ecosystem on the west coast of the United States. fresh and salt water. This natural breaching has These dune areas provide key habitat for two en- been replaced by artificial breaching as a means dangered plant species (Menzies wallflower and to lower lake levels and increase lands available Layia carnosa), and threatened Snowy Plovers for livestock grazing. Because of the shallow nest on the ocean side of dunes west of Humboldt water depths, the lakes produce dense growths of Bay and the Eel River delta. Coastal marshes in submergent aquatic vegetation. this complex provide essential habitat for three additional threatened or endangered plants Humboldt County provides a range of wetland (Humboldt Bay gum plant, Humboldt Bay owl's- habitats similar to those found in Del Norte County, clover, and saltmarsh bird's-beak). The marine con- but of greater variety and over a larger area. In ditions inside Humboldt Bay and the nearshore 14-4 waters of Humboldt Bay, Redwood Creek, and the Area" owned and managed by the California De- Klamath River are foraging habitat for the threat- partment of Fish and Game. ened Marbled Murrelet, which nests in old- growth forests adjacent to the coast. Peregrine Lake Earl Project Area - Approximately Falcons, an endangered species, are common 2,400 hectares (6,000 acres) of wetland and winter visitors to coastal wetlands, where associated upland habitats between Point St. shorebirds constitute their major prey base. George and the mouth of the Smith River are protected by the California Department of Parks The coastal wetlands in the Northern California and Recreation. Coast Northern Focus Area, especially those near Humboldt Bay and the Eel River delta, are Elk Creek Wildlife Area - Located on the south- a critical resource for shorebirds. It is believed eastern edge of Crescent City, the Elk Creek Wildlife that nearly all shorebirds migrating along the Area provides protection for about 50 hectares (120 California coast spend part of their migration acres) of stream, wetland, upland, foraging for the abundant invertebrates found in and forest habitats. The area is publicly owned these wetlands. It has been estimated that more and managed by the California Department of than a million shorebirds are dependent on the Fish and Game. ecological productivity of these coastal wetlands. In addition, based on recent partial counts, it is Crescent City Marsh Wildlife Area - Of the thought that more than 100,000 shorebirds winter existing estimated 240 hectares (600 acres) of in Humboldt Bay and the Eel River delta. While wetlands, uplands, and coastal forests, 135 most species occur in other coastal and/or inland hectares (335 acres) are publicly owned and wetlands, it appears that the entire population of managed by the California Department of Fish the Aleutian subspecies of the Marbled Godwit and Game.