OVERVIEW OF THE EEL RIVER BASIN

The Eel River is located on the North Coast of California. It is the third largest river system in California, encompassing approximately 3,684 square miles, with a mean annual discharge of 5.4 million acre-feet. The Eel River system is comprised of five major subbasins; the Main Eel (1,530 sq. mi.), North Fork (283 sq. mi.), Middle Fork (753 sq. mi.), South Fork (690 sq. mi.), and the Van Duzen (428 sq. mi.) rivers, along with their tributaries, for a total of 3,488 stream miles. The mainstem Eel River has its headwaters in Mendocino County near Bald Mountain, and flows south to Lake Pillsbury, thence 12 miles west to Van Arsdale Reservoir, then northwest approximately 157 miles to the Pacific Ocean, just north of Ferndale and south of Eureka, in Humboldt County. The river basin lies primarily in Humboldt and Menocino Counties, but also extends into Trinity, Lake, and Glenn counties. Eel River Watershed

LAND OWNERSHIP

Approximately 86% of the basin is held in private ownership. The different types of land owners are described below.


Private Landowners:
Private landowners, both individuals and corporations, own most of the land in the basin. Most of the forest lands in the basin are in private holdings. Most of the private timber lands are owned in large blocks by major timber companies, especially in Humboldt County. Private lands used primarily for grazing are scattered throughout the basin, with a noticeable concentration in the central belt of grass and woodland in and near the Main Eel subbasin. Private residential lands are scattered in towns and rural areas throughout the basin. The general pattern of private ownership is large ranches distributed throughout the basin, with numerous 40 to 100- acre subdivisions located closer to principal communities.
U.S. Forest Service:
The Forest Service administers most of the public lands in the basin. Portions of the Six Rivers and Mendocino National Forests are located in the eastern boundary of the basin; these two Forests manage the headwaters of the most major drainages (Van Duzen, North Fork, Middle Fork, Mainstem).
Bureau of Land Mangement:
The Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility for managing the public domain lands scattered throughout the basin. The Bureau of Land Management manages an almost contiguous block of land in the South Fork and is the only federal land in that subbasin.
Tribal Lands:
Tribal lands total about 20,000 acres within the Eel River basin. This land is located in the Round Valley Reservation and in rancherias near Laytonville, Sherwood, and Rohnerville.
Caifornia Department of Parks and Recreation:
This state agency is responsible for the care and management of several state parks and recreation areas within the basin, mostly along State Highway 101. These include Humboldt Redwoods, Grizzly Creek Redwoods, Reynolds, Richardson Grove, Benbow Lake, Standish-Hickey, and Admiral William Standley State Parks.

COMMUNITIES
The majority of the Eel River basin is rural, with a number of small towns scattered throughout the basin. The communities of Ferndale, Fortuna, Rohnerville, Rio Dell and Scotia are located on the Main Eel in and just upstream of the delta. Other small communities on the Main Eel include Fort Seward, Alderpoint, Zenia, Kettenpom, and Dos Rios. Willits is located on Outlet Creek, a tributary to the Main Eel. The majority of the Van Duzen watershed is rural; the towns of Carlotta and Bridgeville, both with populations of less than 500, are the largest communities in the watershed. Garberville is the largest community on the South Fork; other communities include Laytonville, Leggett, Benbow, Branscomb, Redway, Miranda, Weott, and Meyers Flat. The North Fork is entirely rural and is comprised of large blocks of privately owned land interspersed with National Forest lands. Covelo is the main community on the Middle Fork, and is located in the Round Valley Indian Reservation.