[Update] Unknown Substance Turns Redwood Creek White, Reaches South Fork Eel River

A bluish-white, opaque substance has been turning Redwood Creek milky near Briceland Road, and photos confirm it has now reached the South Fork of the Eel River — a waterway where people swim, fish, and pull water for household use. No one has yet officially identified what caused the milkiness.

A Cal OES Hazardous Materials Spill Report filed Tuesday evening lists the substance and its source as unknown. The report covers a stretch of Redwood Creek between Seely Creek and the Eel River along Briceland Thorn Road just west of Redway and was filed around 7:30 p.m. June 2. Community members say the discoloration first appeared the previous Saturday before clearing, then returned.

According to the report, the substance covers the water from shore to shore and is completely opaque. A community member collected photos and a water sample. No dead fish or wildlife impacts had been observed as of the report’s filing, and no odor was detected. Whether the spill continues or whether it has been stopped, and whether drinking water supplies are adversely affected, remains unknown.

For residents who live along Redwood Creek and the South Fork Eel River — drinking from it, storing it in tanks, and swimming in it — what’s in the water right now matters. Turbid water — water clouded by suspended particles like silt, clay, or organic matter — isn’t automatically dangerous, but it isn’t something to ignore either. Those suspended particles can shelter bacteria and other microorganisms from disinfection, raising the risk of gastrointestinal illness, particularly for people who are elderly, very young, or have weakened immune systems.

For people storing water in tanks, sediment from turbid water can settle and build up over time. The South Fork Eel also supports fish habitat, and high turbidity reduces the light that underwater plants need to survive, can clog fish gills, and may carry metals or other pollutants that bind to particles and settle into creek beds. The cause of the turbidity here is still unknown, it could be something as natural as a landslide or clay deposit, or something that warrants a closer look.

A sudden increase in turbidity in a previously clear body of water is generally considered a cause for concern.

At least a dozen state and federal agencies were notified of the incident, including Humboldt County Environmental Health, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Lands Commission, State Parks, and county public works and health departments.

Redheaded Blackbelt reached out to Humboldt County Environmental Health, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, and CDFW for comment Wednesday. Environmental Health staff redirected the inquiry to their public information officer. The Water Board did not respond by publication time. CDFW is authorizing a statement.

Theories about the source have ranged from a dumped substance such as paint to a natural cause like a landslide, clay deposit, or water release from a pond in the area. No agency has confirmed any cause or issued any public guidance. In the meantime, the plume continues moving downstream.

A water sample has been collected and is reportedly being tested.

Redheaded Blackbelt will update this story as information becomes available.

Update 3:30 p.m.: 

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has responded. Josh Curtis, NCRWQCB Assistant Executive Officer, said the agency is aware of the reports and has initiated an investigation. Field staff have been on site, and water samples have been collected for laboratory analysis, though Curtis said the agency is still confirming the timing and details of that sampling.

Curtis said the NCRWQCB does not currently have evidence that the discoloration is causing significant harm to aquatic life, and no fish kill has been observed at the location. As of now, there is no official directive to stop pumping water from the river or to halt recreational activities — but Curtis urged caution.

Curtis said that because the exact nature of the material has not yet been confirmed, he would personally “hold off if possible” on using the water until more information is available. Results are expected within at least 24 hours of the lab receiving the samples.

Meanwhile, Humboldt County Environmental Health, listed as the administering agency on the Cal OES spill report, says the incident is not under their jurisdiction. When Redheaded Blackbelt first inquired Wednesday afternoon, DEH communications staff redirected the inquiry to the Water Board. When we followed up — pointing out that the Cal OES report specifically lists DEH as the administering agency — Christine Messinger of the DHHS Communications Group said the designation is standard practice. “This is standard wording on all CalOES reports of this nature in Humboldt County,” Messinger wrote. “DEH is listed as the administrative agency to ensure that a local agency is assessing accessing* these reports.”

That response left the question of who, if anyone at the county level, is responsible for advising the public about potential health risks unanswered.

*Note: Messinger requested a change to her quote to correct an error in the email correspondence sent to Redheaded Blackbelt.

Update: 

• Drilling Slurry Believed Source of White Plume in Redwood Creek; Agencies Investigating
• In a Push to Connect Rural California, Broadband Drilling Fouled Southern Humboldt’s Waterways
• Drilling Halted in Southern Humboldt Over Slurry Disposal; County Demands Plan Before Work Resumes