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Aerial view of Humboldt Bay and the city of Eureka

Humboldt Bay is located in Humboldt County along the rugged North Coast of California, United States. The regional center of Eureka and the college town of Arcata are located adjacent to the bay, which is the second largest in California. In addition to being home to more than 200 bird species, the bay is also the site of the state's largest commercial oyster harvesting operation.^[1]

Humboldt Bay is the only deep water bay between San Francisco, California and Coos Bay, Oregon. Thus, the Port of Humboldt Bay is the only protected deep water port for the same distance. Despite being the best harbor along the approximately six hundred miles of coastline it went undiscovered for some time because it is extremely difficult to see from the ocean. It opens to the sea through a very narrow and treacherous passage. Contributing to its isolation was the coastal mountain range which extends from the ocean approximately one hundred and fifty miles inland.

Humboldt Bay and its tidal sloughs are open to fishing year-round, and the bay is home to a national wildlife refuge complex for the protection of wetlands and bay habitats for migratory birds. In the winter it is not unusual for the bay to serve as a feeding and resting site for more than one hundred thousand birds. The Humboldt Botanical Garden is now under construction near the Bay, with the intent of preserving its native plants.

Unfortunately, most of the dunes in Humboldt Bay are home to Ammophila arenaria, a non-native beach grass. The California Conservation Corps, with the Bureau of Land Management, work year-round to combat this invasive species.

The bay is a source of subsistence and sport fishing for a variety of salt-water fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Dungeness Crab are fished commercially, and oysters are commercially farmed in the bay.

The bay itself has been invaded by the European Green Crab, a voracious predator that is known to prey on the young of native crab species, as well as native mussels, oysters, and clams. European Green Crab were first documented in Humboldt Bay in 1995, and have been blamed for a decline in clam harvesting.

Streams and sloughs that enter into Humboldt Bay are listed north to south (in a clockwise fashion) with tributaries entering nearest the bay listed first. The primary streams of major watershed areas east of the bay are in bold.^[2][3]

• Mad River Slough
  • Liscom Slough
• Janes Creek (enters the bay as McDaniels Slough)
• Jolly Giant Creek (enters the bay as Butcher Slough)
• Campbell Creek (partially channeled to Gannon Slough)
• Fickle Hill Creek
• Gannon Slough
  • Grotzman Creek
  • Beith Creek
• Little Jacoby Creek
• Jacoby Creek
• Washington Gulch Creek
• Rocky Gulch Creek
• Eureka Slough
  • Fay Slough
    • Cochran Creek
  • Freshwater Creek
    • Little Freshwater Creek
  • Ryan Slough
    • Ryan Creek
  • First Slough
  • Second Slough
  • Third Slough
• Clarke Slough
• Elk River (California)
  • Martin Slough
• Willow Brook/White Slough
• Salmon Creek (Northern Humboldt County)
  • Deering Creek
  • Little Salmon Creek

In 1849, an expedition of seven men led by Josiah Gregg attempted to find an overland route to the Pacific ocean. They left from the gold town of Weaverville for the 150 mile trek to the sea. Because of the density of the redwood forests and because Gregg stopped frequently to measure latitude and the size of the trees the expedition averaged only two miles a day. The party was near starvation when they emerged on the coast. After stocking up on food the party walked to San Francisco to report their discovery of the bay. In March 1850 two ships, the General Morgan and the Laura Virginia, were sent to the bay from San Francisco. After considerable initial difficulty due to sand bars and ocean swells the ships entered the bay. The sailors from the Laura Virginia named the bay after Alexander von Humboldt, a famous naturalist.

1. ^ Fisheries: State of the Industry Report 2007
2. ^ Klamath Resource Information System (KRIS), KRIS Humboldt Bay, URL retrieved November 11, 2007
3. ^ Humboldt Bay Harbor District, Wetlands, Streams, Riparian Areas, and Watershed Areas, URL retrieved November 12, 2007

• Map of Humboldt Bay Region: Beaches and Dunes
• Official site: Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation & Conservation District

Coordinates: 40°45′13.53″N 124°12′54.73″W / 40.7537583, -124.2152028