Humboldt Lagoons State Park
Encyclopedia
Humboldt Lagoons State Park is a state park
located in northern California
. The state park includes access from U.S. Route 101
to three lagoons on the Pacific
coast between Eureka, California
and the Oregon
border. Big Lagoon
is the largest and southernmost lagoon. Stone Lagoon
is the middle lagoon; and Freshwater Lagoon
is the northernmost and smallest lagoon. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands where coastal wave action has formed a sand
y bar separating each lagoon from the Pacific Ocean
. The lagoons are resting areas for migratory waterfowl
using the Pacific Flyway
between Lake Earl
on the Smith River
estuarine
wetland
s 40 miles (70 kilometers) to the north and Humboldt Bay
on the Mad River
estuarine wetlands 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the south. Studies around Humboldt Bay indicate tectonic activity along the Cascadia subduction zone
has caused local sea level changes at intervals of several centuries. The alluvial plain forming each shallow lagoon may support fresh water wetlands or Sitka Spruce
forests following uplift events and salt marsh
or inundated shellfish
beds following subsidence events.
to the north and Little River
to the south.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The state park includes access from U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
to three lagoons on the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast between Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
and the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
border. Big Lagoon
Big Lagoon (California)
Big Lagoon is the southernmost and largest of three similar lagoons along the Humboldt County, California coast between Trinidad to the south and Orick at the mouth of Redwood Creek to the north. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands where coastal wave action has formed a sandy bar...
is the largest and southernmost lagoon. Stone Lagoon
Stone Lagoon
Stone Lagoon is the second of three similar lagoons along the Humboldt County, California coast between Trinidad to the south and Orick at the mouth of Redwood Creek to the north. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands where coastal wave action has formed a sandy bar separating each...
is the middle lagoon; and Freshwater Lagoon
Freshwater Lagoon
Freshwater Lagoon is the northernmost and smallest of three similar lagoons along the Humboldt County, California coast between Trinidad to the south and Orick at the mouth of Redwood Creek to the north. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands where coastal wave action has formed a...
is the northernmost and smallest lagoon. The lagoons are shallow bays between rocky headlands where coastal wave action has formed a sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y bar separating each lagoon from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The lagoons are resting areas for migratory waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
using the Pacific Flyway
Pacific Flyway
The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south route of travel for migratory birds in America, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading to breeding grounds, or travelling to...
between Lake Earl
Lake Earl (California)
Lake Earl is a navigable body of water in Del Norte County, California, in the United States, partly within Tolowa Dunes State Park and partly within Lake Earl Wildlife Area...
on the Smith River
Smith River (California)
The Smith River is a river on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains a rugged area of the Pacific Coast Ranges west of the Siskiyou Mountains just south of the Oregon border and north of the watershed of the Klamath River. The catchment area is...
estuarine
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s 40 miles (70 kilometers) to the north and Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay
Humboldt Bay is a natural bay and a multi-basin, bar-built coastal lagoon located on 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 adjoin the bay, which is the second largest enclosed...
on the Mad River
Mad River (California)
The Mad River is a river in upper Northern California. It flows for in a roughly northwest direction through Trinity County and then Humboldt County, draining a watershed into the Pacific Ocean north of the college town of Arcata near Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville...
estuarine wetlands 30 miles (50 kilometers) to the south. Studies around Humboldt Bay indicate tectonic activity along the Cascadia subduction zone
Cascadia subduction zone
The Cascadia subduction zone is a subduction zone, a type of convergent plate boundary that stretches from northern Vancouver Island to northern California. It is a very long sloping fault that separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates.New ocean floor is being created offshore of...
has caused local sea level changes at intervals of several centuries. The alluvial plain forming each shallow lagoon may support fresh water wetlands or Sitka Spruce
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...
forests following uplift events and salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
or inundated shellfish
Bivalvia
Bivalvia is a taxonomic class of marine and freshwater molluscs. This class includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and many other families of molluscs that have two hinged shells...
beds following subsidence events.
Dry Lagoon
Dry Lagoon, at the southern end of Stone Lagoon, is separated from Stone Lagoon by what may become an island if sea level rises. Dry Lagoon is presently a wetland representing natural conditions of similar land used for a sawmill near Big Lagoon, or converted to agricultural purposes around the estuaries of Redwood CreekRedwood Creek (Humboldt County)
Redwood Creek is a river in Humboldt County, California. The river's headwaters are in the Coast Range at about and it flows roughly northwest until it empties into the Pacific Ocean near the small town of Orick, the only development in the -watershed....
to the north and Little River
Clam Beach, California
Clam Beach is an locality in Humboldt County, California. It is located north of Arcata, at an elevation of ....
to the south.