Recent from talks
Rice Fork
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Rice Fork
The Rice Fork is a 22.7-mile-long (36.5 km) tributary of the Eel River in Lake County, California. The Rice Fork begins on the upper northwest side of Goat Mountain, on the Colusa-Lake County line, at an elevation of over 6,000 feet (1,800 m). It quickly descends the steep western slope of the mountain, then bends northward, and flows northwesterly down a narrow winding steep walled canyon for about 18 miles (29 km), crossing two forest roads and adding many tributaries, ending its journey at the southern tip of Lake Pillsbury, at a varied elevation around 1,800 feet (550 m), depending on the lake level. Before the construction of Scott Dam in the 1920s, which formed Lake Pillsbury, the Rice Fork ran directly into the Eel River. It is one of Lake County's longest streams.
The many tributaries to Rice Fork are Salt Creek, French Creek, Parramore Creek, Bevans Creek, Bear Creek, Packsaddle Creek, Willow Creek, Deer Creek, Rice Creek, and Soda Creek.
In the 1860s, there was a very dry year in the Sacramento Valley. A man by the name of Rice and some neighbors brought horses and mules up to Rice Valley, and used it and adjoining territory for the fine pasture. Rice Valley was their headquarters. Rice was active in that area for only a few years, but Rice Valley, Rice Creek, and the Rice Fork took his name.
At one time, an Indian trail went from the hot springs down the Rice Fork canyon to the mouth of the river where it entered Gravelly Valley, then crossed the river at the upper end of the valley, then went up Squaw Valley Creek to the north of Big Squaw Valley and over the ridge to the Indian village at Bloody Rock. A portion of this trail is now under Lake Pillsbury.
Snow Mountain-West at 7,038 feet (2,145 m) dominates the landscape on the east side of the Rice Fork watershed. Its massive west ridge drops down to Lake Pillsbury and divides the Rice Fork from the Eel River watershed, and its southern ridge connects with 6,121-foot (1,866 m) Goat Mountain about 9 miles (14 km) southeasterly to separate Rice Fork from the South Fork Stony Creek (Sacramento River) waters.
To the west of Snow Mountain-West, the ridges of 4,057-foot (1,237 m) Pine Mountain, 4,688-foot (1,429 m) Horse Mountain, and 4,191-foot (1,277 m) Elk Mountain connect to form the western boundary of Rice Fork's watershed, while French Ridge joins with 3,420-foot (1,040 m) Little Horse Mountain and the west ridge of Goat Mountain to define the southern limit, with all the waters flowing into Lake Pillsbury, the Eel River and on to the Pacific Ocean.
The average slope of Rice Fork is 200 feet per mile (38 m/km), and 2,110 feet per mile (400 m/km) between 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and 5,000 feet (1,500 m) elevation. The Rice Fork drains 33 percent of the total drainage area of Lake Pillsbury, and may contribute a like percentage of the amount of inflow. The Rice Fork arm contains 7 percent of the surface area and 6 percent of the total volume of the reservoir. Most of the sediment in Lake Pillsbury is deposited in the upper reaches of the Eel River and Rice Fork arms.
Rice Fork defines the southern boundary of the 975-acre (395 ha) Hale Ridge Research Natural Area (RNA), and parallels the east side of Forest Road 17N04 (Twin Valley Road), as it flows along the western boundary of the RNA for about one mile. A designated critical habitat for the federally protected northern spotted owl, and a winter range for black-tailed deer, the RNA was established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1987 to represent the knobcone pine forest for the North Coast Ranges. Within the RNA, dense stands of knobcone pine and mixed conifer forest, dominated by Douglas-fir, also provides a dispersal habitat for a Forest Service-listed sensitive species, the northern goshawk.
Hub AI
Rice Fork AI simulator
(@Rice Fork_simulator)
Rice Fork
The Rice Fork is a 22.7-mile-long (36.5 km) tributary of the Eel River in Lake County, California. The Rice Fork begins on the upper northwest side of Goat Mountain, on the Colusa-Lake County line, at an elevation of over 6,000 feet (1,800 m). It quickly descends the steep western slope of the mountain, then bends northward, and flows northwesterly down a narrow winding steep walled canyon for about 18 miles (29 km), crossing two forest roads and adding many tributaries, ending its journey at the southern tip of Lake Pillsbury, at a varied elevation around 1,800 feet (550 m), depending on the lake level. Before the construction of Scott Dam in the 1920s, which formed Lake Pillsbury, the Rice Fork ran directly into the Eel River. It is one of Lake County's longest streams.
The many tributaries to Rice Fork are Salt Creek, French Creek, Parramore Creek, Bevans Creek, Bear Creek, Packsaddle Creek, Willow Creek, Deer Creek, Rice Creek, and Soda Creek.
In the 1860s, there was a very dry year in the Sacramento Valley. A man by the name of Rice and some neighbors brought horses and mules up to Rice Valley, and used it and adjoining territory for the fine pasture. Rice Valley was their headquarters. Rice was active in that area for only a few years, but Rice Valley, Rice Creek, and the Rice Fork took his name.
At one time, an Indian trail went from the hot springs down the Rice Fork canyon to the mouth of the river where it entered Gravelly Valley, then crossed the river at the upper end of the valley, then went up Squaw Valley Creek to the north of Big Squaw Valley and over the ridge to the Indian village at Bloody Rock. A portion of this trail is now under Lake Pillsbury.
Snow Mountain-West at 7,038 feet (2,145 m) dominates the landscape on the east side of the Rice Fork watershed. Its massive west ridge drops down to Lake Pillsbury and divides the Rice Fork from the Eel River watershed, and its southern ridge connects with 6,121-foot (1,866 m) Goat Mountain about 9 miles (14 km) southeasterly to separate Rice Fork from the South Fork Stony Creek (Sacramento River) waters.
To the west of Snow Mountain-West, the ridges of 4,057-foot (1,237 m) Pine Mountain, 4,688-foot (1,429 m) Horse Mountain, and 4,191-foot (1,277 m) Elk Mountain connect to form the western boundary of Rice Fork's watershed, while French Ridge joins with 3,420-foot (1,040 m) Little Horse Mountain and the west ridge of Goat Mountain to define the southern limit, with all the waters flowing into Lake Pillsbury, the Eel River and on to the Pacific Ocean.
The average slope of Rice Fork is 200 feet per mile (38 m/km), and 2,110 feet per mile (400 m/km) between 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and 5,000 feet (1,500 m) elevation. The Rice Fork drains 33 percent of the total drainage area of Lake Pillsbury, and may contribute a like percentage of the amount of inflow. The Rice Fork arm contains 7 percent of the surface area and 6 percent of the total volume of the reservoir. Most of the sediment in Lake Pillsbury is deposited in the upper reaches of the Eel River and Rice Fork arms.
Rice Fork defines the southern boundary of the 975-acre (395 ha) Hale Ridge Research Natural Area (RNA), and parallels the east side of Forest Road 17N04 (Twin Valley Road), as it flows along the western boundary of the RNA for about one mile. A designated critical habitat for the federally protected northern spotted owl, and a winter range for black-tailed deer, the RNA was established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1987 to represent the knobcone pine forest for the North Coast Ranges. Within the RNA, dense stands of knobcone pine and mixed conifer forest, dominated by Douglas-fir, also provides a dispersal habitat for a Forest Service-listed sensitive species, the northern goshawk.
Recent media