Aerial view of Humboldt Bay and the city of Eureka

Humboldt Bay is located along the rugged North Coast of California, United States entirely within Humboldt County. The regional center and county seat of Eureka and the college town of Arcata are located adjacent to the bay, which is the second largest in California.^[1] In addition to being home to more than 200 bird species and 50 species of fish, the bay is the site of the largest commercial oyster production operation in California.^[2] Facilities include large industrial docks at Samoa and Fields Landing and marinas capable of serving hundreds of small to mid-size boats and pleasure craft.

History

In 1849, an expedition of seven men led by Josiah Gregg attempted to find an overland route to the Pacific ocean. They left from the gold town of Weaverville for the 150 mile trek to the sea. Because of the density of the redwood forests and because Gregg stopped frequently to measure latitude and the size of the trees the expedition averaged only two miles a day. The party was near starvation when they emerged on the coast. After stocking up on food the party walked to San Francisco to report their discovery of the bay. In March 1850 two ships, the General Morgan and the Laura Virginia, were sent to the bay from San Francisco. After considerable initial difficulty due to sand bars and ocean swells the ships entered the bay. The sailors from the Laura Virginia named the bay after Alexander von Humboldt, a famous naturalist.

Indian Island previously known as Gunther's Island is the site of National Historic Landmark #67. This is an archaeological dig and one of the sites of the 1860 Wiyot Massacre.

Geography

View of the Middle Channel of Humboldt Bay and Indian Island (taken on Woodley Island). Note the Memorial to fisherman

Humboldt Bay is the only deep water bay between San Francisco, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. Thus, the Port of Humboldt Bay is the only protected deep water port for the same distance. Despite being the only protected harbor along the approximately six hundred miles of coastline, the bay's location was undiscovered or at least unreliably charted for centuries after the arrival of European explorers to the Pacific Coast. This is partially because it is extremely difficult to see from the ocean. The harbor opens to the sea through a narrow and historically treacherous passage, which was blocked from direct view due to sandbars now managed by jetties. Contributing to its isolation was the coastal mountain range which extends from the ocean approximately one hundred and fifty miles inland.

In the central, most narrow portion of the bay (due north of Eureka), there are three islands: Indian Island, Woodley Island, and Daby Island.

Environment

Humboldt Bay and its tidal sloughs are open to fishing year-round, and the bay is home to a national wildlife refuge complex for the protection of wetlands and bay habitats for migratory birds. In the winter it is not unusual for the bay to serve as a feeding and resting site for more than one hundred thousand birds. The Humboldt Botanical Garden is now under construction near the Bay, with the intent of preserving its native plants.

Unfortunately, most of the dunes in Humboldt Bay are home to Ammophila arenaria, a non-native beach grass. The California Conservation Corps, with the Bureau of Land Management, work year-round to combat this invasive species.

The bay is a source of subsistence and sport fishing for a variety of salt-water fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Dungeness Crab are fished commercially, and oysters are commercially farmed in the bay.

The bay itself has been invaded by the European Green Crab, a voracious predator that is known to prey on the young of native crab species, as well as native mussels, oysters, and clams. European Green Crab were first documented in Humboldt Bay in 1995, and have been blamed for a decline in clam harvesting.

Bay tributaries and sloughs

Streams and sloughs that enter into Humboldt Bay are listed north to south (in a clockwise fashion) with tributaries entering nearest the bay listed first. The primary streams of major watershed areas east of the bay (draining 250 square miles) are in bold.^[3][4][5]

• Mad River Slough
  • Liscom Slough
• Janes Creek (enters the bay as McDaniels Slough)
• Jolly Giant Creek (enters the bay as Butcher Slough)
• Campbell Creek (partially channeled to Gannon Slough)
• Fickle Hill Creek
• Gannon Slough
  • Grotzman Creek
  • Beith Creek
• Little Jacoby Creek
• Jacoby Creek
• Washington Gulch Creek
• Rocky Gulch Creek
• Eureka Slough
  • Fay Slough
    • Cochran Creek
  • Freshwater Creek
    • Little Freshwater Creek
  • Ryan Slough
    • Ryan Creek
  • First Slough
  • Second Slough
  • Third Slough
• Clarke Slough
• Elk River (California)
  • Martin Slough
• Willow Brook/White Slough
• Salmon Creek (Northern Humboldt County)
  • Deering Creek
  • Little Salmon Creek

See also

• California State Route 255 - only bay crossing and sole access to Eureka's Woodley Island Marina.
• Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation & Conservation District - the authority charged with managing the bay.

Notes

1. ^ Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, Discover Humboldt Bay, URL retrieved July 14, 2008
2. ^ Fisheries: State of the Industry Report 2007
3. ^ Klamath Resource Information System (KRIS), KRIS Humboldt Bay, URL retrieved November 11, 2007
4. ^ Humboldt Bay Harbor District, Wetlands, Streams, Riparian Areas, and Watershed Areas, URL retrieved November 12, 2007
5. ^ Humboldt Baykeeper, The Geography. Url retrieved September 30, 2008.

References

External links

• Map of Humboldt Bay Region: Beaches and Dunes
• Official site: Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation & Conservation District

Coordinates: 40°45′13.53″N 124°12′54.73″W / 40.7537583, -124.2152028