By Jim Clark, Co-Chair of the Conservation Committee
Third Slough, also known as Myrtletown Gulch, is the third tributary from the mouth of Freshwater Slough (aka Eureka Slough), the estuary of Freshwater Creek. Our chapter is seeking to enhance environmental services in the specific area consisting of a little over seven acres of land between Harrison and Myrtle Avenues at 2769 Lucas Street, just east of the Eureka city limits. It is made up of about three acres of spruce and redwood forest adjacent to Lucas Street and along the eastern boundary, with the remaining four acres consisting of riparian woodland. Based on the condition of the remaining stumps, the spur ridge next to Lucas Street appears to have been logged early in the logging era. Unlike many similar parcels, it was not cleared for pasture and not extensively filled. Some filling took place with the construction of Lucas Street around 1958. Typical of mid-20th century development, the stream was culverted and filled. Photographic evidence suggests that filling activity took place concurrently on the adjacent parcel to the west, possibly after passage of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1972. Some portions of the stream have been pushed eastward due to this filling.
The property has been degraded by neglect. Waste and debris from encampments accumulates and is removed. Part of the upland area has been used as a BMX course, and social trails cross wetlands and cause soil degradation. Invasive ivy and Himalayan blackberry are pervasive.
Near the middle of the wetland there are large willows and alders and a couple of snags with nesting cavities. The main stream flows year round, and local users haul out trash and junk voluntarily. Basically, the natural attributes have been moderately impaired and people use it appropriately and inappropriately. Our goal, along with Humboldt County, is to clean up the trash and garbage, re-establish native vegetation, and discourage inappropriate use.
Because we need to avoid nesting season, the tentative target date for the first public cleanup event is September 12, 2026. This will provide time for approval by the Board of Supervisors of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as well as time to meet with participating organizations and agencies and work out the details and scheduling of enhancement activities. For example, we will address issues such as how we minimize damage when people and material need to cross wetland areas during cleanup events. Our obligation is to comply with the conditions in the MOU that we will have with the county, including—when fiscally feasible by the county—fencing off certain locations to control access and discourage illegal dumping.
Our goal is to restore, to the greatest extent feasible, the natural environmental services of the property by improving water quality and wildlife habitat and increasing native vegetation while reducing invasive plants.
This is the nutshell version of the project; we’ll delve into more interesting details of TSEP in the future.
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