Yuba River Disaster: A Warning for Rivers Everywhere
A ruptured penstock at the New Colgate Powerhouse killed thousands of Chinook salmon. Experts warn it's a preview of failures at aging hydropower facilities.
By Jesse Marsh
Environment & Land
The latest environment & land coverage from Humboldt County and the North Coast.
New Remediation Standards for Legacy Grow Sites Draw Mixed Reactions
New state standards for cleaning up abandoned and legacy cannabis grow sites in Humboldt County have land trusts praising the requirements and growers calling them unrealistic and unfunded.
By Tomas Reyes
Eel River Flows Hit Critical Threshold as Irrigation Season Begins
Flow gauges on the South Fork Eel are reading 142 cubic feet per second, just above the 130 cfs emergency threshold, and the growing season has barely started.
By Tomas Reyes
Cal Fire Maps New High-Risk Zones Along Mattole Corridor
Cal Fire's updated fire hazard severity zone maps reclassify 14,200 acres along the Mattole corridor from moderate to high or very high risk, with significant implications for building permits and property insurance.
By Tomas Reyes
Coho Salmon Spotted in Prairie Creek for First Time in Decade
CDFW biologists have confirmed the presence of coho salmon in Prairie Creek near Orick for the first time since 2016, a milestone for North Coast watershed restoration efforts.
By Tomas Reyes
Eel River Water Rights Hearing Draws Standing Room Crowd
A State Water Resources Control Board hearing on Eel River water rights drew over 200 attendees to the Wharfinger Building, exposing deep divisions between cannabis cultivators, ranchers, and conservation groups.
By Tomas Reyes
Cal Fire Announces Early Start to Vegetation Management Season
Cal Fire's Humboldt-Del Norte unit will begin prescribed burns and mechanical fuel reduction two weeks ahead of schedule, citing below-average soil moisture and an early drying trend despite January's wet storms.
By Tomas Reyes
Winter Steelhead Counts Surprise Biologists on South Fork Eel
CDFW snorkel surveys on the South Fork Eel River recorded 847 adult winter steelhead between December and early February, the highest count at those monitoring stations since systematic surveys began in 2009.
By Tomas Reyes
Eel River Flows Double After Storm Sequence
Back-to-back January storms have pushed Eel River flows to 12,400 cubic feet per second at Scotia, double the 20-year January median and the best conditions for salmon migration in three years.
By Tomas Reyes
Atmospheric River Dumps Six Inches on North Coast
A category 3 atmospheric river dropped 6.2 inches of rain on Eureka over 36 hours, pushing the Eel River to 28.4 feet at Scotia and flooding low-lying areas near Fortuna.
By Tomas Reyes