Lake Earl is a
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into '' coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons ...
on the extreme northern
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
coast, just south of the Oregon border. A navigable body of water, it lies partly within
Tolowa Dunes State Park and partly within Lake Earl Wildlife Area in
Del Norte County, California
), in California
, seat_type = County seat
, seat = Crescent City
, parts_type = Largest city
, parts = Crescent City
, unit_pref = US
, area_total_sq_mi = 1230
, area_land_sq_mi = 1006
, area_water_sq_mi = 223
, elevation_max_footnote ...
and the third-most important seabird area on the West Coast after the
Farallons and the
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
.
[McHugh, Paul]
Lake Earl is pearl of northernmost coast
19 July 2007, San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
, accessdate 3 January 2013
Lake Earl has two principal lobes separated by "the Narrows." The smaller lobe, which is also closer to the ocean and the sand bar breach site, is called Lake Tolowa or Lake Talawa by the
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protec ...
. The larger lobe of the lagoon is Lake Earl. Lake Earl is mostly freshwater while Lake Tolowa has a higher salt content. As opposed to an
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
, which is typically open to the ocean and fresh water constantly, a lagoon seals up seasonally and fills with a predominance of fresh water. The lagoon, located on the coast of California about south of the border with
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, is manually breached when the water levels rise to to
mean sea level (MSL). Though references to levels on USGS charts are made relative to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) leading to difficulty over the management of the lake's levels. If allowed to breach naturally, the water surface would rise to to .
At MSL there is approximately of water surface in the lagoons and of wetlands; at MSL, the surface waters area is approximately . At MSL, the combined surface area is a mere of open water
[Intensive habitat study for Lake Earl and Lake Talawa, Del Norte County, California.](_blank)
Final Report to the USACE, San Francisco District, Tetra Tech, 2000 surrounded by of wetlands.
Lake Earl is largest coastal lagoon in California.
, The Crescent City/Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, 2012, accessdate 3 January 2013 Due to the remoteness and natural environment of the area, the lake is often used for
birders
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
and is locally popular with
duck hunters. Fishing for cutthroat trout is also a common use. The lake is lightly used by
kayakers.
Water skiing
Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffic ...
is prohibited.
Endangered Species Act
The lagoon is home to numerous California state- and/or federally listed threatened or
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
. To permit the breaching, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
consulted with
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
to determine the effects of water movement on several species. Species affected included the
California brown pelican
The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mou ...
,
Western snowy plover,
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
,
Oregon silverspot butterfly, and
tidewater goby
''Eucyclogobius newberryi'', the Northern tidewater goby, is a species of goby native to lagoons of streams, Marsh, marshes, and creeks along the coast of California, United States. The Northern tidewater goby is one of six native goby species to ...
. The Corps formally determined that the project would have no effect on the
western lily.
Coho salmon
The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family (biology), family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientif ...
have not been observed in the lagoon since 1989, seven years after the Department of Fish and Game stopped planting them.
History
There is a native legend or metaphor of the Great Snake that abides in the lagoon and escapes to the ocean periodically. It goes when the Snake wants.
The name derives from ''rrł'', a
Yurok place name, rather than from someone named Earl.
The
Achulet Massacre
The Achulet Massacre refers to the 1854 massacre of an estimated 65-150 Tolowa Indians at the hands of European-American settlers. The incident occurred at the village of Achulet (Tolowa: ‘Ee-chuu-le’), near Lake Earl in Del Norte County), Cal ...
took place at a
Tolowa village near Lake Earl in 1854
as did feuds between cattlemen and loggers, and eventually between government and private property advocates.
Lake Earl is a significant component in the Flood Control Plan for the County of Del Norte. The breaching of the lake's sandbar is vital to the functioning of sewers and wells, and for the management of runoff from storms and seasonal rains.
The California legislature directed and provided funding to the California Department of Fish and Game to begin purchasing properties for the Lake Earl Wildlife Area under the Keen-Nejedly Act of 1975.
The Department of Fish and Game owns most of the area directly affected by the rising waters of Lake Earl in the Lake Earl Wildlife Area and the Tolowa Dunes State Park. Other properties are owned by various
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
s and private citizens. The Department of Fish and Game plans to purchase the remaining properties at
fair market value
The fair market value of property is the price at which it would change hands between a willing and informed buyer and seller. The term is used throughout the Internal Revenue Code, as well as in bankruptcy laws, in many state laws, and by sever ...
, though some landowners feel that Fish and Game is managing the lagoon to flood their land and drive the price down.
Notes
External links
* Nicholas C. Kraus, Kiki Patsch & Sophie Munger
Barrier beach breaching from the lagoon side, with reference to Northern California Shore and Beach, Volume 76, Number 2, Spring 2008, accessdate 6 January 2013
Current water levels in the lagoon California Dept of Water Resources
*Steven L. Funderburk and Paul F. Springer
Wetland Bird Seasonal Abundance And Habitat Use At Lake Earl And Lake Talawa, California California Fish and Game 75(2);85-101, 1989, accessdate 6 January 2013
{{coord, 41.825669, N, 124.188693, W, region:US-CA_type:waterbody_source:gnis, display=title
Bodies of water of Del Norte County, California
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particu ...