Mad River Information & Links
[updated 12/11/98]

Streamline Planning Consultants [Bob Brown], Pacific Affiliates [Paul Kraus], Birdseye View [Terri Branstetter], consultants to the operators on the Mad River have worked with Bill Davis, attorney, and others to compile historic data, cross sections, aerial photos, and other information collected over the last 8 years under the Mad River monitoring program.

Some of that information was presented to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors earlier this year when the operators requested approval of gravel extraction volumes above those recommended by Humboldt County's staff.  In addition to the formal request documents and all the preseason cross sections, aerial photos and other information submitted prior to the hearing before the Board of Supervisors, the operators provided information at the hearing which included items that may in some cases be accessed at this site:

• A presentation by Bill Davis, attorney, describing the Humboldt County Mad River PEIR and why the request for extraction volumes by the operators was consistent with the PEIR.
  
• Portions of a 1969 Topographic Map, prepared Humboldt County by licensed civil engineers.  The map segments are not posted here at this time.  They were submitted to the Board of Supervisors to show the locations of the areas and sites described in the 15 Exhibits that followed the map segments.
  
• 15 Exhibits containing photos, cross sections, text and other information depicting the lower Mad River.  At this time you can go to the text of exhibits linked below.

Exhibit 1 -  Hammond Bridge.   This old railroad bridge is located downstream of Highway 101 Bridge.  Earlier this year the County proposed demolishing the bridge and building a new foot bridge for recreational uses.  In reviewing the proposal the County determined that there had been no significant degradation at the location of the bridge for the last 100 years.   The recently discovered Army Corps 1971 cross section at this site supports the view that there has been little or no change in the riverbed elevation since that time.

Exhibit 2 -  Downstream of Hammond Bridge.  There has been no significant degradation at this stretch of the lower Mad River since at least 1969 and 1971 based upon the 1969 Topo Map and the 1971 Army Corps cross sections.

Exhibit 3 -  101 Bridge.   A 1929 cross section was referenced in the Humboldt County Mad River PEIR to support the conclusion that there had been significant bed degradation at the location of the Highway 101 Bridge.  The 1929 cross section, based upon the recently located 1969 Topo Map and other evidence cannot be an accurate depiction of the riverbed elevation in 1929.  The surrounding alluvial plain has an elevation of 16 - 25 feet above sea level.  The 1929 cross section shows a bank top elevation of approximately 40 feet above sea level - which is impossible given the surrounding farmland elevations.  The 1969 Topo Map and other evidence supports the conclusion that the 1929 cross section is a depiction of a fill or footing [still observable in the 1969 Topo Map] placed in and adjacent to the river channel to support a bridge footing.

Exhibit 4 -  Kadle Hole.   At this location, just up river from the 101 Bridge, a rock "groin" appears in a 1958 aerial photo.  This feature is still visible and indicates that the river bed, at this location, has not changed significantly since 1958.

Exhibit 5 -  REA Culverts.   Culverts at the Redwood Empire Aggregates site were installed in the late 1950s.   The low flow of the Mad River still flows through these culverts as it has done since they were installed; indicating there has been no significant change in bed elevation or form since the late 1950s at this location on the lower Mad River.

Exhibit 6 -  1969 Arcata Readimix site.  The 1969 Topo Map and recent cross sections indicate that there has been little or no change in the Mad River bed elevation at this location since the 1969 Topo Map was produced.

Exhibit 7 -  299 Bridge.   A 1941 cross section was relied upon in the County PEIR to support the conclusion that there had been 22 feet of bed elevation degradation since 1941 at this site.   Review of the cross section indicates that it depicts the bottom of the river bed as a straight line, which is more consistent with a measurement in 1941 of a water surface elevation.  Other evidence and study of the bridge footings and adjacent upstream weir indicate that scour is localized, caused by bridge footing design and location and the upstream weir, and that there is no evidence of bed elevation degradation as alleged in the PEIR.

Exhibit 8 -  Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District.  Based upon the 1971 Army Corps cross section and other evidence it appears there has been no significant degradation of the riverbed elevation in at least a portion of the Water District site.

Exhibits 9 - 15 and some of the supporting photos and cross sections will be added to this site in the near future.

For further information send that above mentioned parties an email by clicking on their names or call Terri Branstetter 707- 442- 6264, Bob Brown 707- 445- 2433, Paul Kraus 707- 445- 3001,or Bill Davis 415- 331- 4473.  You can also visit Streamline Planning's webpage, click here.