A coalition of state and local government agencies, led by the State Water Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife inspected 15 marijuana farms in January along Sproul Creek in Humboldt County. The inspection tour was authorized by a pilot program aiming to curb the environmental impacts of marijuana cultivation.
Sproul Creek is a tributary of the South Fork of the Eel River. The three days of inspections began Jan. 21 along the creek which runs about five miles west of Highway 101 near Richardson Grove. The group had targeted 14 properties but an additional property owner requested to be included at the last minute. The properties ranged from 40 to 100 acres and although there were no giant grows identified, most seemed to have a plant count in the hundreds.
According to Scott Bauer, a staff environmental scientist at CDFW operating out of Eureka, CDFW fielded three environmental scientists and six to eight game wardens depending on the day. There were also personnel on the inspections from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the agency in charge of water quality; the State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights, meant to inspect for illegal diversions; Humboldt County’s Environmental Health Department and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
“We found lots of water diversion, lots of sediment issues; and what was kind of a big concern for us, was how the fish habitat was being affected,¨ said Bauer. He noted that Sproul Creek was chosen for the high density of marijuana grows, because it went dry in the summer of 2014, and because it is home to five endangered salmonid species.
Bauer described the main sources of problems as grading and road construction, although fertilizers and poorly maintained diesel tanks were also identified as problems.
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