State regulators will consider escalating enforcement this week against a landowner accused of years of illegal dumping, grading and unmanaged cattle grazing along Little River, where fecal bacteria levels have remained high for more than a decade.The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board will meet on Thursday in Crescent City to decide whether to refer the case to the California Attorney General’s Office, a rare step that could lead to judicial civil enforcement after years of violation notices and warnings.“We’ve known that there are elevated fecal bacteria levels in Little River for many, many years,” said Jen Kalt, executive director of Humboldt Waterkeeper. “It’s been documented for 15 years with various agencies giving notice of violation, and yet the landowner continues to act like they can do whatever they want, even though the river belongs to all of us.”Little River, which flows directly into Moonstone Beach, has been listed as an impaired water body under Section 303(d) since 2015 due to fecal pathogens. The designation requires state regulators to identify pollution sources and develop a plan to reduce contamination, a process that can take years and often involves multiple agencies.Humboldt Waterkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation have repeatedly raised concerns about contamination at the river mouth, where children routinely play in the water year‑round, and hundreds of local youth have learned to surf.The North Coast Regional Water Board, the California Coastal Commission, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Humboldt County Department of Environmental Health have issued numerous violation notices over the past 15 years for illegal dumping, grading and unmanaged grazing on a 226‑acre property upstream of Moonstone Beach.Kalt said the pattern of violations has persisted despite repeated directives to stop the damage and restore the riverbanks.“Something else needs to be done other than just sending letters with fines and requirements,” Kalt said. “Humboldt Waterkeeper completely supports the regional board’s proposal to refer the matter to the attorney general’s office and finally get some action on this.”Moonstone Beach remains one of Humboldt County’s most heavily used recreation sites, hosting surf camps, weddings, memorials and year‑round family gatherings. Kalt said the ongoing pollution threatens both public health and the river’s ecological value, noting that Coho salmon still spawn in Little River.The Water Board’s Thursday hearing marks the first time the agency has considered referring the matter to the Attorney General’s Office for judicial civil enforcement.The meeting begins at 9 a.m. and can be attended remotely. It will be held in person on Thursday at Elk Valley Rancheria, 2332 Howland Hill Road, Crescent City. The meetings are streamed at https://cal-span.org/Read Original Article
