- Albion River
- Big River
- Eel River, North Fork
- Eel River, Upper Main
- Eel River, Middle Fork
- Eel River, South Fork
- Elk River
- Freshwater Creek
- Garcia River
- Gualala River
- Klamath River
- Laguna De Santa Rosa
- Lost River, Upper
- Lost River, Lower
- Mattole River
- Navarro River
- Noyo River
- Redwood Creek
- Russian River
- Salmon River
- Scott River
- Shasta River
- Stemple Creek
- Ten Mile River
- Trinity River
- Trinity River, South Fork
- Van Duzen River
Elk River TMDL
The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have listed the Elk River watershed under the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) as a sediment impaired waterbody. A program has been developed to recover 303(d) List waterbodies via the establishment of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL). At this time, the Regional Water Board staff is in the process of establishing a TMDL for sediment in the Elk River watershed. The goal of the TMDL program is to restore and maintain the sediment impaired beneficial uses of water of Elk River and its tributaries. Staff will develop the technical TMDL, the implementation, and monitoring plans together.
Staff has been working with the landowners in the watershed to compile existing information about watershed conditions as well as working with the primary landowners to conduct studies to fill information gaps. As part of that process, the Regional Board contracted with the Redwood Community Action Agency to conduct interviews of watershed residents.
In 2005 the Regional Water Board commissioned Sanborn to collect remote sensing data in the form of LiDAR (light detection and ranging), and produced a 1-m resolution digital elevation model (DEM). Subsequently, Stillwater Sciences used the DEM, along with landslide inventories, and watershed and regional data (e.g. vegetation type and age, geologic formation, geotechnical information, soil depth) to apply slope stability models to help identify landslide hazards in the Elk River basin. Their report is posted below.
As documents associated with the development of the Elk River TMDL become available, they will be posted at this location. Additionally, staff will conduct public meetings to provide an overview of the documents and provide an opportunity for the public to comment and have their questions, concerns, and suggestions considered prior to the whole document going out for public review.
Elk River Documents
- Elk River TMDL Area - (12/13/2007 - 227 Kb pdf map)
Landslide Hazard in the Elk River Basin, Humboldt County, California
- Final Report (6/1/2007 - 609 Kb pdf)
- Figures (6/1/2007 - 4.9 Mb pdf)
- Appendices (6/1/2007 - 914 Kb pdf)
- PRELIMINARY
ASSESSMENT OF FLOODING IN LOWER ELK RIVER
(8/17/2004 - 1020 Kb pdf) - STAFF REPORT
for Proposed Regional Water Board Actions in the North Fork Elk River, Bear Creek, Freshwater Creek, Jordan Creek and Stitz Creek Watersheds
(9/9/2000 - 161 Kb pdf) - Final Report
on Sediment Impairment and Effects on Beneficial Uses of the Elk River and Stitz, Bear, Jordan and Freshwater Creeks
(12/27/2002 - 1.6 Mb pdf) - Phase II of
the Final Report
on Sediment Impairment and Effects on Beneficial Uses of the Elk River and Stitz, Bear, Jordan and Freshwater Creeks is now available (8/12/2003 - 1 Mb pdf) - Elk River and
Freshwater Creek TMDL Resident Interviews
(Fall 2003 - 3.2 mbytes pdf) - Newsletter #1 (88 Kb pdf)
- Newsletter #2 (87 Kb pdf)
- Elk River Watershed Sediment TMDL Short Survey (74 Kb pdf)