50 Years Later – The Legacy of the
1964 Flood Mary Ann Madej
LANDSLIDES
Landslides strip soil and trees off hillslopes
(1978 Photo)
Redwood Creek
1964 flood caused massive landsliding on the North Coast
6 million cubic meters in Redwood Creek alone
Arcata Marsh: 307 acres-
Entire Arcata Marsh:
Could be covered by 17 ft. of sediment
(McKinley statue)
from Redwood Creek alone
Simon Creek
1966
1978
Long-term loss of soil productivity
WOOD
Formation (and persistence) of large log jams
BRIDGES
Log jam on Van Duzen River, 1964
From Rumney and Stockton, 2014
CHANNEL SEDIMENT
Trees killed by gravel deposits
Height of flood deposits
FLOODPLAIN
SEDIMENT
Palm Cafe
Orick
1964 Flood Deposits in Orick Valley: Sand and Silt
From Ricks, 1995
Overbank flood deposits
High water mark
NEAR-SHORE
DEPOSITS
Near-shore sediment deposition – Preservation of flood events
Several studies of Eel River shelf
FLOOD CONTROL
LEVEES
Construction of flood control levees in 1968 dramatically changed circulation patterns in estuary
POLICY, LAWS
100-year flood inundation map for Orick valley(Data from USGS, NOAA, USDA, NASA and more)
Revised FEMA mapping
Increased recognition of impacts of logging helped lead to: 1) establishment of Redwood National Park in 1968 2) California Forest Practice Rules, 1973.
1964: G. I. Joe enters the market