Elk River Recovery Program
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Project Goal:
Recover the Elk River from current severe water quality and sediment impairment, nuisance flooding conditions, habitat degradation, salmonid population reduction and community strife that resulted from years of excess timber harvesting.
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Project Stages
Phase 1: Elk River Recovery Assessment
Phase 2: Elk River Stewardship
Phase 3: Develop Elk River Recovery Plan
Phase 4: Planning and Design
Phase 5: Project Implementation
Estimated Completion Date:
2030
Region:
Project Funders
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – National Coastal Resilience Fund
State Water Resources Control Board
Resources Legacy Fund
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
The Conservation Alliance
State Coastal Conservancy
Project Description
The Elk River drains a 58.3 square mile watershed in Humboldt County, California. The majority of the watershed (82%) is privately owned and actively managed for industrial timber production. Other land uses include cattle grazing, dairies, cannabis production, rural residential, and some publicly-owned land including the Headwaters Forest Preserve in the upper watershed (13%) and CDFW Elk River Wildlife Area in the lower estuary. The Elk River is the largest freshwater tributary to Humboldt Bay and historically provided miles of quality habitat for salmon and steelhead. Currently, the Elk River provides limited critical habitat for several anadromous salmonid species which were historically abundant but are now all federally listed, protected species including coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead, and coastal cutthroat trout.
The Elk River in Northern California has had a contentious past. At the center of the mid-90’s Timber Wars and the era of heavy clear-cutting, the Elk’s river system was left with a legacy of degradation that is still causing problems for landowners and native fish.CalTrout sees an urgent need to address the most pressing problems in the watershed–both ecologically and socially. We have been leading technical studies since 2014 to document the issues facing the Elk River. CalTrout is working to incorporate timber and agricultural interests, local residents and agencies to design and implement viable solutions to the Elk River Watershed for the recovery of SONCC coho and steelhead.
Project Partners:
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – National Coastal Resilience Fund
Regional Water Quality Control Board
State Water Resources Control Board
State Coastal Conservancy
Humboldt Redwood Company
Kristi Wrigley and Middle Reach Landowners
Northern Hydrology and Engineering
Stillwater Sciences
Redwood Community Action Agency
Elk River ranching community
County of Humboldt Environmental Services
University of California Cooperative Extension
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Wiyot Tribe
Elk River Recovery Assessment
ERRA-Framework-Final-w-ExecSummAppendices_031419-large-compressed-compressed
Upper Elk River: Technical Analysis for Sediment
03_20151021_Upper_Elk_River_Tech_Analysis_for_Sediment85
Technical Memorandum
NHE_ElkRiver_100yrWSE_Memo_200929_Final-2
Elk River Stewardship Newsletter – Fall 2023
ElkRiver_Newsletter_10-16-2023_Final
Elk River Stewardship Newsletter – Summer 2022
Elk_Newsletter4_August202220-compressed
Elk River Stewardship Newsletter – Spring 2021
Elk River Stewardship_Newsletter #3 Final Spring 2021
Elk River Stewardship Newsletter – Summer 2020
Elk River Stewardship_Newsletter_#2_Final June 2020
Elk River Stewardship Newsletter – Summer 2019
Stewardship_newsletter_vol1no1_4page_Final49
Elk River Recovery Plan
Elk River Stewardship Recovery Plan – Public Draft July_2022
Appendices A-G
Appendices A-G Elk River Stewardship Recovery Plan – Public Draft July_2022
10% Design – South Fork Elk River Draft Conceptual Design Report
South Fork Elk River Draft Conceptual Design Report
10% Design – Elk River Estuary Project
PA1-Design-Report_Master
Appendices – 10% Design
Draft_ElkRiverEstuary_10DesignReport_2023_03_27_Appendices
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Human use of streams, lakes, and surrounding watersheds for recreation has greatly increased with population expansion. Boating, swimming, angling, off-road vehicles, ski resorts, golf courses and other activities or land uses can negatively impact salmonid populations and their habitats. The impacts are generally minor; however, concentration of multiple activities in one region or time of year may have cumulative impacts.
Dams block access to historical spawning and rearing habitats. Downstream, dams alter the timing, frequency, duration, magnitude, and rate of change of flows decreasing habitat quality and survival.
