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Highlighting Great Coastal Treasures: Lake Earl
Restore Lake Earl to its natural state! 
Where is Lake Earl? Up near the Oregon border lies one of California's most spectacular coastal resources, Lake Earl. Located just a few miles above Crescent City and Point Saint George in Del Norte County, Lake Earl is the largest shallow water coastal lagoon in the Western US, outside of Alaska. Why is Lake Earl important? Lake Earl is an important wetland, a natural wonderland that hosts almost 300 bird species, 15 species of fish, at least 50 species of mammals, and nearly 250 kinds of trees, flowers, and grasses. Lake Earl is also a place where wildlife can find refuge. Why is Lake Earl threatened? California has already destroyed more than
91% of its wetlands, making permanent protection of Lake Earl all
the more important. Yet Lake Earl is threatened by an undeveloped
subdvision called Pacific Shores. Pacific Shores subdivided floodlands
in Lake Earl decades ago, and although no homes were ever constructed,
1,500 lots were created and streets were constructed. Flooding and
nonexistent sewage capacity have prevented Pacific Shores from being
developed thus far. Today, developers and ranchers are still trying
to drain Lake Earl and turn it into a mud puddle. Water levels in
Lake Earl fluctuate; when the lagoon is high, it covers approximately
5,000 acres and is nearly 60 miles in circumference. Photos above courtesy F.L. Hiser, Jr. and Bob Mize (from top). Up to Top |
As one of the prime stopover spots along the Pacific Flyway, Lake Earl hosts as many as 100,000 birds during seasonal migrations. The rich diversity of life around Lake Earl also includes coyote, mink, beaver, otter, shrew, the occasional mountain lion, elk, and black bear. The lagoon is a refuge for seven threatened and endangered species, including Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Brown Pelican, Snowy Plover, Tidewater Goby, and Oregon Silverspot Butterfly. Del Norte county is small (it has a 42-mile long coast), but the county has a birdlist of more than 400 bird species, more than 18 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces and territories. The hundreds of bird species recorded around the coastal lagoon indicate that Lake Earl is the heart of Del Norte County bird diversity.