City Council Endorses Letter of Support for Lower Elk Creek Wetland Enhancement Project

by ROGER GITLIN

The Crescent City Council has approved drafting a Letter of Support for the Smith River Alliance in its proposal to develop and restore 420 acres of the Lower Elk Creek basin.

The Elk Creek River divides Crescent City before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

A Look Back

European settlement reached the area in the 1850s, shortly after California achieved statehood. By 1928, downtown Crescent City had expanded, completely filling the former Elk Creek channel and estuary that once flowed between city blocks. The creek was relocated into narrow, excavated channels along the southeast portion of the lower valley.

Periodic dredging created a series of ponds—now known as Oxbow Pond—which served for decades as log-storage areas for the Hobbs, Wall and Company Sawmill.

Following the devastating 1964 tsunami that nearly wiped out downtown Crescent City, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City constructed an 800-foot earthen buffer around the harbor shoreline, reinforced with a rip-rap seawall. This barrier limited sandbar formation and further altered the estuary’s natural flow.

The Hobbs-Wall Sawmill closed in the 1960s, followed by the McNamara and Peepe Sawmill in the 1980s.

The Current Proposal

Today, the Smith River Alliance has engaged Stillwater Sciences to carry out the Lower Elk Creek Wetland Enhancement Project, aimed at expanding off-channel aquatic habitats, enhancing wetlands and riparian areas, improving coastal resiliency, and exploring options for greater public access.

The project area lies primarily within the Elk Creek Wildlife Area, property of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, adjacent to Crescent City limits.

Stillwater Sciences presented three potential alternatives:

• Trail Option A – Light Touch (No Trail): Retains the current topography with minimal grading.
• Trail Option B – Out-and-Back Trail: Deepens channels and connects them to Elk Creek at existing points, divided into east and west grading zones.
• Trail Option C – Loop Trail: Expands both east and west channels, creating a wider and deeper loop configuration.

While the Smith River Alliance has not endorsed a specific option, it contends the project would strengthen coastal resiliency and provide a buffer against future tsunamis.

No cost estimates were provided by Stillwater Sciences or the Smith River Alliance. Funding is expected to come from a combination of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the City of Crescent City, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Letter of Support passed unanimously.