page_title: South Fork Eel River
section_title: Watershed
hierarchical_section_title: South Fork Eel River / Watershed
caption_attribution_description: English: Looking down Cedar Creek to the South Fork of the Eel River from near the summit of Red Mountain.
context_page_description: The South Fork Eel River is the largest tributary of the Eel River in north-central California in the United States. The river flows 105 miles north from Laytonville to Dyerville/Founders' Grove where it joins the Eel River. The South Fork drains a long and narrow portion of the Coast Range of California in parts of Mendocino and Humboldt counties. U.S. Route 101 follows the river for much of its length.
  The Kai Pomo Indians, a branch of the Pomo Indians group, once lived in the upper portion of the watershed. Before industrial development in the 1800s, many native tribes relied on the river's abundant runs of salmon and steelhead. In the 1920s, a private company built the Benbow Dam, blocking fish migration to a large area of the basin.
  The South Fork is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River from the confluence of Section Four Creek to the mouth.
context_section_description: The South Fork Eel River drains a long, narrow and mountainous watershed of 689 square miles (1,780 km²)–or almost 20 percent of the 3,684-square-mile (9,540 km²) 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 144 miles (232 km) and 193 miles (311 km) north of San Francisco, respectively. The highest point in the watershed is Iron Peak, at 4,491 feet (1,369 m), and the mouth of the river is at roughly 100 feet (30 m).
  Due to its rugged and remote location, the watershed is thinly populated. Although U.S. Highway 101 and California State Route 271 follow the river for over 70 percent of its length, there are few communities in the steep and narrow, forested canyon of the South Fork. Towns along the river include Branscomb, Underwood Park, Leggett, Piercy, Andersonia, Benbow, Garberville, Redway, Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, and Weott. The South Fork also has a number of protected areas along its course. These include Admiral Standley State Park, Standish Hickey State Recreation Area, Smithe Redwoods State Reserve, Richardson Grove State Park, South Fork Eel River Wilderness, Benbow Lake State Recreation Area, and Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The river is used for recreation and provides groundwater recharge and industrial, agricultural and municipal water supply for residents.
  The largest tributary of the South Fork is the East Branch South Fork Eel River, which is approximately 25 miles (40 km) long. Tenmile Creek, at 21 miles (34 km) long, is the second largest tributary. Other major tributaries include Cedar Creek, at 7 mi (11 km) long; Bull Creek at 14 mi (23 km) long; and Hollow Tree Creek at 15 mi (24 km) 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. Increased turbidity levels caused by erosion has transformed the river into a generally brownish or tannish color. The South Fork is an important Northern California habitat for anadromous fish (see section below) and sediment has severely degraded conditions for these fish as well as other aquatic life forms.
  The rugged topography of the South Fork Eel River watershed also produces an amount of waterfalls from tributary streams. Although there are no large waterfalls on the South Fork or its major tributaries, there are many on smaller side streams, especially after heavy rainfall. One of the highest waterfalls is Grizzly Creek Falls, which spills over a rocky cliff for nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) above the Tenmile Creek valley. 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.
caption: South Fork valley seen from Red Mountain above Cedar Creek
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