South Fork Eel River

The South Fork Eel River begins near Iron Mountain in western Mendocino County, at an elevation of . It is not long after its headwaters that Branscomb Road drops into the South Fork Eel's canyon from the north, paralleling the river. Almost past this point, it receives its first significant tributary, Section Four Creek, on the left bank. Although it is not a large creek, only about long, it denotes the start of the National Wild and Scenic River section of the South Fork. The river meanders swiftly west and turns west-northwest, passing Branscomb, California. Near the city, it receives Rock Creek on the right and Redwood Creek on the left. These two stream names are a common occurrence throughout the South Fork's watershed. Afterwards, it receives its first significant tributary, Tenmile Creek, on the right bank. Tenmile Creek begins in another section of the Coast Range, separated from the South Fork Eel River by two sub-ranges. The creek begins in the easternmost of these two sub-ranges. It then flows west, cutting a water gap through the western subrange, and spills into the South Fork. The creek is about long, despite the name. After the confluence with Tenmile Creek, the South Fork flows generally north, turning west where it receives another major tributary, Rattlesnake Creek, also on the right. This point is significant because it is where it begins to parallel U.S. Highway 101 and California State Route 271 (Redwood Highway and Old Redwood Highway). Both roads come in from the east and at this point are on the river's right bank. The river turns northwest, receiving Big Dann Creek and another large tributary, Cedar Creek, on the right bank. Cedar Creek flows west and turns south-southwest, flowing also in a steep, undeveloped gorge. Shortly past Cedar Creek, the South Fork Eel meets another large tributary, Hollow Tree Creek. Hollow Tree Creek flows east, turns north, then turns east again to meet the South Fork, fed by several smaller creeks. The South Fork then turns west again, flowing through the Standish Hickey State Recreational Area. It then meanders north into Richardson Grove State Park on an increasingly wide valley floor, receiving Red Mountain Creek on the right bank. The river then reaches Benbow Lake, which is inside the Benbow State Recreation Area and next to the town of Benbow, California. Benbow Lake was a seasonal reservoir, formed by a dam at its western end. The dam was only raised in the summer, and only when water flow is sufficient for impoundment. Since about 2009, the lake no longer gets built, which is good for the ecology of the river.{{cite web in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park The South Fork then flows north to a point where it turns sharply around a ridge and flows due south, then turns back north again. At this point, it is paralleled by Highway 101 on the left bank and by California State Route 254 (Avenue of the Giants) on the right bank. U.S. 101 then crosses the South Fork, paralleling CA-254. The village of Myers Flat is located on a low slice of terrain north of the river. The South Fork, nearing its mouth, passes Burlington on the right bank, and Weott, California, also on the right bank. Several hundred yards upstream from its confluence, it receives its last major tributary, Bull Creek, on the left bank. Bull Creek, whose watershed is entirely contained inside Humboldt Redwoods State Park,{{cite web url=http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=619645 and receives its last named tributary, Cabin Creek, on the left bank. Meandering through a downcut channel between U.S. 101 and SR 254 (right bank) and California State Route 211, it then crosses under the former two highways, spreads wider, and flows into the Eel River. ==Watershed==

The South Fork Eel River drains a long, narrow and mountainous watershed of –or almost 20 percent of the Eel River drainage basin. The watershed includes parts of Humboldt and Mendocino Counties and runs generally parallel to the Pacific Coast, with its north-south extent marked by Weott and Laytonville, California (about and north of San Francisco, respectively. The highest point in the watershed is Iron Peak, at , and the mouth of the river is at roughly . The largest tributary of the South Fork is the East Branch South Fork Eel River, which is approximately long. Tenmile Creek, at long, is the second largest tributary. Bull Creek at long; and Hollow Tree Creek at long. There are many streams with repeating names in the watershed, including Low Gap Creek, Redwood Creek, Rock Creek, and Red Mountain Creek. Historic logging activity in the South Fork watershed has stripped steep hillsides bare of vegetation, resulting in chronic erosion problems. Historically, South Fork Eel River water had an unusual translucent blue-green hue for most of the year. The steep terrain also causes the river to fall at steep inclines, creating a series of rapids. The river's rapids are well known for rafting. In the lower section near the mouth, the river generally ranges from to . The United States Geological Survey operates or operated four stream gauges on the South Fork, at Miranda, Garberville, Leggett, and Branscomb. For Miranda, the location closest to the mouth, the annual mean was between 1940 and 2012; The highest recorded peak was on 22 December 1964, with a minimum of on 30 August 1964. For Garberville, a stream gauge was only operated from 1912–1913, and again in 1940. The annual mean recorded here was . Peak discharges of were recorded in both 1912 and 1913, while for 1940, the peak was . For Branscomb, the location furthest upstream, the annual mean was between 1946 and 1970. The highest flow recorded was on 22 December 1955, while the lowest was on 27 July 1977. ==Geology==

The watershed is underlain by the Franciscan Assemblage, which consists of soft soil and rock in this region. In much of the middle and lower course of the South Fork Eel, the riverbed is mostly bare gravel, with sparse vegetation, and without a floodplain. The riverbed lies in a downcut channel, with its walls formed by bedrock with scattering of rocks. Bedrock river terraces surround the river, forming the "only level land in an otherwise rugged terrain of narrow ridges and steep [v]alleys". ==History==

Prior to white settlement of Central California, much of the Eel River watershed was inhabited by Pomo Indians and Athapascan peoples. The "extreme headwaters" of the South Fork of the Eel River, as well as the East Fork of the South Fork of the Eel River, were inhabited by the Kai Pomo, whose territory stretched westward to the Eel River mainstem and west and north to the boundary with the Athapascan. In 1928, the Benbow Dam was built across the South Fork near Benbow, California, which led to the creation of a slackwater pool, Benbow Lake, and the creation of the Benbow State Recreation Area. During the rainy season, the floodgates of the dam were removed. The lake existed during the summer, when lower flows are impounded behind the structure for recreation. The stagnant water in the lake was heated by the sun to a higher temperature than normal and severely hurt salmon and steelhead runs, as well as other aquatic and migratory life downstream. Dam decommissioning will start to occur on the Klamath River in 2022 pending Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) approval. The South Fork Eel River Wilderness was designated in 2006, stretching along portions of the South Fork Eel and extending westward to the Pacific Ocean. The wilderness area borders that of the King Range Wilderness, which is said to be the "longest stretch of undeveloped coastline in the United States outside of Alaska". ==Natural history==

The river provides wildlife habitat for preservation of rare and endangered species including cold freshwater habitat for fish migration and spawning. The main anadromous fishes in the South Fork are chinook salmon, coho salmon and steelhead, and it is said that "the South Fork Eel River once supported about half of the total coho run for the State of California". Several tributaries, such as Hollow Tree Creek, also support anadromous fish, but they have become impaired in ways similar to the South Fork Eel. ==List of tributaries==

• Cabin Creek • Bull Creek • Tepee Creek • Cow Creek • Cornick Creek • Calf Creek • Miller Creek • Harper Creek • Squaw Creek • Albee Creek • Mill Creek • Cuneo Creek • North Fork Cuneo Creek • Burns Creek • Panther Creek • Decker Creek • Corner Creek • Mill Creek • Robinson Creek • Feese Creek • Canoe Creek • North Fork Canoe Creek • Mowry Creek • Coon Creek • Kerr Creek • Bridge Creek • Elk Creek • Dry Creek • Salmon Creek • Mill Creek • South Fork Salmon Creek • Bogus Creek • Kinsey Creek • Tostin Creek • Hacker Creek • Butte Creek • Coon Creek • Fish Creek • Anderson Creek • Olvnan Creek • Rocky Glen Creek • Hooker Creek • William Creek • Tuttle Creek • Dean Creek • Leggett Creek • Redwood Creek • Seely Creek • Somerville Creek • Miller Creek • China Creek • Dinner Creek • Bluff Creek • Bear Canyon Creek • South Fork Bear Canyon Creek • Connick Creek • Sproul Creek • West Fork Sproul Creek • Little Sproul Creek • Sawmill Creek • East Branch South Fork Eel River • Buck Mountain Creek • Squaw Creek • West Branch Squaw Creek • Rancheria Creek • Rays Creek • Tom Long Creek • North Fork Tom Long Creek • Cruso Cabin Creek • Elkhorn Creek • Fish Creek • Durphy Creek • Hartsook Creek • Milk Ranch Creek • Low Gap Creek • Indian Creek • Jones Creek • Parker Creek • Piercy Creek • Standley Creek • McCoy Creek • Bear Pen Creek • Cub Creek • Red Mountain Creek • Holohan Gulch • Mud Creek • Wildcat Creek • Bridges Creek • Dora Creek • Mill Creek • Rock Creek • Hollow Tree Creek • South Fork Hollow Tree Creek • Mule Creek • Middle Creek • Lost Man Creek • Lost Pipe Creek • Walters Creek • Bear Creek • Redwood Creek • Bond Creek • Michaels Creek • Doctors Creek • Lynch Creek • Waldron Creek • Bear Pen Creek • Huckleberry Creek • Bear Wallow Creek • Little Bear Wallow Creek • Lynch Gap • Butler Creek • Right Fork Butler Creek • Mitchell Creek • Cedar Creek • Little Cedar Creek • "Blue Rock Creek" • Big Dann Creek • Little Dann Creek • Grizzly Creek • Low Gap Creek • Little Low Gap Creek • Rattlesnake Creek • Squaw Creek • Measly Creek • Wilson Creek • Foster Creek • Elk Creek • Cummings Creek • Twin Rocks Creek • Grapevine Creek • Hogshed Creek • Surveyors Canyon • Tenmile Creek • Peterson Creek • Grub Creek • Cold Creek • Spring Creek • Steep Gulch • Streeter Creek • "Sand Rock Creek" • Lewis Creek • Big Rock Creek • Stapp Creek • Wilson Creek • Mud Springs Creek • Tuttle Creek • Little Case Creek • Mill Creek • Cahto Creek • Piggy Springs • Fox Creek • McKinley Creek • Elder Creek • Misery Creek • Jack of Hearts Creek • Dark Canyon • Deer Creek • Little Charlie Creek • Dutch Charlie Creek • Thompson Creek • Eagle Creek • Redwood Creek • North Fork Redwood Creek • Rock Creek • Muddy Gulch Creek • Kenny Creek • Haun Creek • Mud Creek • Grapevine Creek • Taylor Creek • Bear Creek • Little Rock Creek • Section Four Creek • Windem Creek • Middleton Creek ==See also==

• Barrett, Samuel Alfred (1908). The ethno-geography of the Pomo and neighboring Indians. Harvard University: The University Press. • Durham, David L. (2001). ''Durham's Place Names of the California North Coast: Includes Del Norte, Humbolt, Lake, Mendocino & Trinity Counties.'' Quill Driver Books. . • Pike, Charlie (2001). Paddling Northern California. Globe Pequot. . ==External links==