| Lake Earl | |
|---|---|
 Lake Earl from the Air | |
  Lake Earl | |
| Coordinates | 41°49′32″N 124°11′19″W / 41.825669°N 124.188693°W |
| Type | fresh water to saline lagoon |
| Primary outflows | Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 6,900 acres (28 km2) |
| Surface elevation | 14 m (46 ft)[1] |
| References | [2] |
Lake Earl is a lagoon on the extreme northern California coast, just south of the Oregon border. A navigable body of water, it lies partly within Tolowa Dunes State Park and partly within Lake Earl Wildlife Area in Del Norte County, California and the third-most important seabird area on the West Coast after the Farallons and the Channel Islands.[3]
Lake Earl has two principal lobes separated by "the Narrows." The smaller lobe, which is also closer to the ocean and the sand bar breach site, is called Lake Tolowa or Lake Talawa by the California Department of Fish and Game.[4] The larger lobe of the lagoon is Lake Earl. Lake Earl is mostly freshwater while Lake Tolowa has a higher salt content.[5] As opposed to an estuary, which is typically open to the ocean and fresh water constantly, a lagoon seals up seasonally and fills with a predominance of fresh water. The lagoon, located on the coast of California about 11 miles (18 km) south of the border with Oregon,[6] is manually breached when the water levels rise to 8 feet (2.4 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m) mean sea level (MSL). Though references to levels on USGS charts are made relative to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) leading to difficulty over the management of the lake's levels.[7] If allowed to breach naturally, the water surface would rise to 12 feet (3.7 m) to 14 feet (4.3 m).[1] At 10 feet (3.0 m) MSL there is approximately 4,900 acres (20 km2) of water surface in the lagoons and 4,950 acres (20.0 km2) of wetlands; at 8 feet (2.4 m) MSL, the surface waters area is approximately 4,200 acres (17 km2). At 2 feet (0.61 m) MSL, the combined surface area is a mere 2,191 acres (8.87 km2) of open water [8] surrounded by 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of wetlands.
Lake Earl is largest coastal lagoon in California.[9] Due to the remoteness and natural environment of the area, the lake is often used for birders and is locally popular with duck hunters. Fishing for cutthroat trout is also a common use. The lake is lightly used by kayakers. Water skiing is prohibited.
- ^ a b Draft Environmental Impact Report, Lake Earl Wildlife Area SCH Number 1989013110, June 2003
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Earl
- ^ McHugh, Paul, Lake Earl is pearl of northernmost coast, 19 July 2007, San Francisco Chronicle, accessdate 3 January 2013
- ^ Final Report Intensive Habitat Study for Lake Earl and Lake Talawa Del Norte County, California, California Fish and Wildlife, March 2000
- ^ Tolowa Dunes and Lake Earl Visit Oregon South Coast, 2009, accessdate 3 January 2013
- ^ measured straight line in Google Earth
- ^ Permit #27850 from Army Corps of Engineers, dated 25 February 2005.
- ^ Intensive habitat study for Lake Earl and Lake Talawa, Del Norte County, California. Final Report to the USACE, San Francisco District, Tetra Tech, 2000
- ^ Canoeing the Lake Earl Wildlife Area Archived 2013-05-03 at the Wayback Machine, The Crescent City/Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, 2012, accessdate 3 January 2013
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