Eel River (California) - Ecology

Ecology

The river provides wildlife habitat for preservation of rare and endangered species including warm and cold freshwater habitat for fish migration and spawning. Major fishes of the Eel River include Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Cutthroat trout, Pacific Lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), River Lamprey, Pacific brook lamprey, Sacramento sucker, threespine stickleback, staghorn sculpin, coastrange sculpin and prickly sculpin.

The non-native Sacramento pikeminnow is also present and competes with and preys on young salmonids.

The Eel River has never contained true eels, but is named for the Pacific Lamprey, an eel-shaped parasite that attaches itself to other fish during its ocean lifecycle. Like salmon and steelhead, lampreys are anadromous, meaning they live part of their life in the ocean but return to fresh water to spawn. They are Cyclostomes (Circle mouths), a primitive fish-like creature, and are not related to eels.

Aquatic mammals include beaver (Castor canadensis), muskrat, raccoon, river otter and mink. Beavers are confirmed in Outlet Creek (tributary to mainstem Eel north of Willits), but may occur in other areas as well. That beaver were once native to the Eel River watershed is supported by the Beaver Creek place name, a tributary of the Middle Fork Eel River.