Little River (Humboldt County) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little River |
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Little River Estuary upstream of Highway 101
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Map of the Little River region
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Region | Humboldt County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | 40°58′51″N 123°53′41″W / 40.98083°N 123.89472°W |
| River mouth | Pacific Ocean 0 ft (0 m) 41°01′37″N 124°06′40″W / 41.02694°N 124.11111°W |
The Little River is a river located in the state of California in the United States. It flows into the Pacific Ocean. This river is special because its drainage basin is the largest on the Pacific coast between two other important water bodies: the Mad River and Big Lagoon.
A drainage basin is like a giant funnel. It's all the land where rain and snowmelt collect and then flow into a particular river or lake. The Little River's basin covers a large area of forested land in the California Coast Ranges.
Contents
The Little River's Journey
The Little River is about 19.6-mile (31.5 km) long. It starts in the California Coast Ranges, which are mountains along the coast. As it flows, it collects water from the surrounding forests.
Where the River Meets the Ocean
The last mile of the Little River flows through a special area called an estuary. An estuary is where a river meets the ocean, and fresh water mixes with salty sea water. This part of the river flows over Quaternary alluvium and dune sand. Alluvium is a type of soil and rock deposited by flowing water, and dune sand is, of course, sand from sand dunes.
This estuarine area is typical of coastal inlets along the Cascadia subduction zone. A subduction zone is a place where one of Earth's tectonic plates slides beneath another. This process can create mountains and affect how rivers flow into the ocean.
Nearby Parks and Land Use
Near where the Little River meets the ocean, you'll find some great places to visit. The land closer to the sea, past U.S. Route 101, includes Little River State Beach and Clam Beach County Park. Little River State Park was created way back in 1931 to protect this beautiful area.
Upstream from the Highway 101 bridge, the flat land next to the river is used for grazing animals. Further up in the hills, the land is privately owned and used for growing trees for wood products.
River Health and Water Quality
Rivers are very important for nature and people. It's important to keep them clean and healthy. In 2014, a group called the North Coast regional water board looked at the Little River's water quality.
They found that the Little River was an "impaired waterway." This means the water wasn't as clean as it should be for certain uses, like swimming or fishing. The main reason for this was too much E. coli bacteria in the water. E. coli is a type of bacteria that can make people sick. Scientists and local groups often work together to find out why rivers become impaired and how to make them healthy again.
