Navarro River

Water use

The river provides wildlife habitat including cold freshwater habitat for fish migration and spawning. It also provides recreation and navigation including 26 mi of whitewater suitable for rafting and kayaking upstream of Rancheria Creek. Near Philo the river runs through Hendy Woods State Park, a state park of more than 800 acre, featuring two virgin redwood stands. Near the coast the river runs through Navarro River Redwoods State Park. The river recharges groundwater for agricultural and industrial water supply for residents living along the western portion of California State Route 128. Its 315 sqmi watershed includes the Anderson Valley, a well-known wine-growing region in Mendocino County.

History

Prior to colonial contact, the Navarro River watershed fed water sources for Northern California Native communities, including the Pomo people, who relied on salmon and riparian vegetation for cultural and subsistence practices. In 1848–1850, the California Gold Rush brought non-native settlers to the valley who forced the Pomo people up the Eel River northward to Round Valley Reservation, in an approximately 40 mile forced march known as Bloody Run, so called because the river ran red with blood.

A sawmill was constructed at the mouth of the river in 1861. The mill was capable of cutting 35,000 board feet of lumber per day by 1883. A railroad extended 14 mi upriver to bring logs to the mill. The original mill burned in 1890 and a replacement bandsaw mill burned in 1902. A replacement sawmill was built near Wendling on the North Fork Navarro River and operated until September, 1927. The Wendling sawmill operation included logging railway branches along the North Fork connecting over Keen's Summit to shipping facilities at Albion via an isolated segment of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. Rail service was discontinued in 1930 and the railway was dismantled for scrap in 1937.

References

References

1. {{gnis. 234534. Rancheria Creek
2. {{gnis. 233415. Anderson Creek
3. {{Gnis. 229433. Navarro River
4. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed March 9, 2011
5. (1979). "Atlas of California". Academic Book Center.
6. State of California ''Water Quality Control Plan North Coastal Basin 1B'' July 1975 p.13
7. Allen, Elsie.. (1992). "Pomo Basketmaking: A Supreme Art for the Weaver.". Naturegraph Publishers, Inc.
8. [https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-06/documents/ppn_wpp_with_signatures.pdf Sampsel, Zachary. “Restoring Ya-Mo Bida.” 500B Pinoleville Drive, Ukiah, CA, 30 Sept. 2014.]
9. (December 2010). "Making Indian Land in the Allotment Era:: Northern California's Indian Rancherias". The Western Historical Quarterly.
10. Carranco, Lynwood. (1982). "Redwood Lumber Industry". Golden West Books.
11. Stindt, Fred A.. (1978). "The Northwestern Pacific Railroad: Redwood Empire Route". Fred A. Stindt.