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That “strong atmospheric river” we were warned about on Friday arrived in full force this morning, bringing heavy rain and flooding to much of the North Coast. The downpour is expected to continue through Wednesday.

Folks living out in the Mattole Valley will bear the brunt of the storm, with three to four inches of rain expected in Honeydew and Petrolia, according to estimates from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Eureka. The Hoopa Valley is also projected to receive about three inches of rain.

Update, 3:31 p.m.: The NWS reports that a preliminary new daily maximum record for rainfall of 2.03 inches was set in Woodley Island today, beating the old record of 1.76 inches from 1917. There’s still plenty more rain to fall in the coming hours, so expect that stat to rise even more.

The weather service has issued numerous flood advisories and warnings for flood-prone areas around Humboldt Bay, including the Eel River at Fernbridge. 

“The river is expected to rise to above flood stage around 9 PM this evening to a crest of 20.6 feet just after midnight tonight,” according to a Facebook post from the NWS. “It will then fall below flood stage Wednesday morning. Never drive your car into water of unknown depth. Most flood deaths occur when people drive their vehicles into flood waters.”

In an update posted Tuesday afternoon, the NWS said the Eel River reached 13.9 feet at 3:15 p.m. “The river is still expected to rise above flood stage this evening, reaching a crest of 21.9 feet early Wednesday morning. It is then forecast to fall below flood stage around 11 AM Wednesday (2/25).”

The following highway closures are in effect as of Tuesday evening:

• The Hookton Road offramp on Hwy. 101 is closed due to flooding. 
• Avenue of the Giants (Hwy. 254) is closed north of Redcrest due to flooding. There is no estimated time of reopening. 
• A small slide has closed one lane of Hwy. 299 west of Willow Creek. Alerts from CHP indicate the crews are on-site, clearing the road. Update: Hwy. 299 is open!

Humboldt County Public Works says the following roads are flooded, as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday:

• Fernbridge Drive
• Berta Road
• V Street at Hwy. 255
• Old Arcata Road between Graham Road and Jacoby Creek Road
• Waddington Road between the 2400 and 2500 blocks
• Port Kenyon Road (Market to California Street)
• Ambrosini Lane 
• Cannibal Island Road
• Elk River Road at mile marker 3.34
• Mad River Road at Miller Lane
• Shelter Cove Road at Bear Creek
• Eel River Drive is closed at Hookton Road due to flooding
• Freshwater Road is closed between Howard Heights and Garfield School
• Coffee Creek Road is closed
• Meridian Road is closed between mile markers .5 and .9
• Wilder Ridge Road is closed between mile markers 6.76 to 7.16
• Camp Kimtu Road is closed
• Crannell Road is closed near the intersection of Dows Prairie Road

You can sign up for county road updates here. More information on local highways can be found on the Caltrans QuickMap.

If you encounter a flooded road, remember this little nugget of advice from our friends at NWS: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads! Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”

We’ll keep this post updated with additional road closures. Stay safe out there, folks!

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PREVIOUSLY

• Amazon Confirms Plans for a Distribution Warehouse in McKinleyville

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Press release from the office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta:

California Attorney General Rob Bonta last night filed a request for a preliminary injunction in California’s existing case against Amazon for price fixing. Attorney General Bonta’s 2022 lawsuit alleged that the company stifled competition and caused increased prices across California through its anticompetitive policies in order to avoid competing on price with other retailers.

New evidence paints a clearer and more shocking picture. The motion for a preliminary injunction comes after a robust discovery process where California uncovered evidence of countless interactions in which Amazon, vendors, and Amazon’s competitors agree to increase and fix the prices of products on other retail websites to bolster Amazon’s profits.

Time and again, across years and product categories, Amazon has reached out to its vendors and instructed them to increase retail prices on competitors’ websites, threatening dire consequences if vendors do not comply.

Vendors, bullied by Amazon’s overwhelming bargaining leverage and fearing punishment, comply — agreeing to raise prices on competitors’ websites (often with the awareness and cooperation of the competing retailer), or to remove products from competing websites altogether.

Amazon’s goal is to insulate itself from price competition by preventing lower retail prices in the market at the expense of American consumers who are already struggling with a crisis of affordability.  

“Amazon doesn’t have cheap prices because of its good business sense. Amazon’s ‘cheap’ prices are the result of intimidation and illegality that drove up prices for consumers across the marketplace. My office has uncovered evidence that Amazon bullied vendors to hike up the price of their products sold at other shops, or secured the removal of these products altogether, to ensure Amazon was the cheapest place consumers could find products,” said Attorney General Bonta.

“In other words, while consumers face a crisis of affordability, Amazon blatantly worked to ensure that consumers could not find cheaper products out in the marketplace, all the while raking in unlawful profits from Americans who genuinely thought they were getting the best deal. Let me be clear: In California, we welcome competition and innovation. We welcome companies that succeed by offering better prices and better service. What we have here is a greedy, behemoth corporation intentionally increasing prices in the marketplace to get richer and richer off the backs of consumers who are struggling with affordability. While most of the evidence in our filing is redacted from the public, my office is working hard to ensure it comes to light. Amazon’s scheme is neither subtle nor complex. It is price fixing, plain and simple, black and white, and we’re asking the court to immediately halt this conduct while the underlying case proceeds. California looks forward to holding Amazon accountable at our January 2027 trial. Consumers and small businesses deserve justice.” 

When faced with a competitor offering a lower price, Amazon does not compete fairly. Instead, Amazon insulates itself from competition by strong-arming its vendors into raising prices offered by its competitors, sometimes with the explicit or implicit agreement of the competing retailer. These are not general discussions about price — these are explicit agreements to increase retail prices; all so Amazon can maintain its profit margins at the expense of consumers.  

The new evidence uncovered shows that Amazon’s agreements to raise prices are typically implemented using one or more of the three price fixing schemes below:

• When Amazon and a competitor are price-matching one another, resulting in a downward pressure on price, either Amazon or the competitor agrees, through their common vendor, to increase the retail price or make the product temporarily unavailable, so that the other retailer can match the increased market price, increasing the price for consumers. 
• A competitor offering a discounted price on a product will increase its retail price at Amazon’s request (a request made through the vendor), so that Amazon can then match the increased retail price, thereby increasing the price for consumers. 
• The vendor removes a product from a competing retailer who is offering a lower price than Amazon, so that the lower price is no longer available in the market and Amazon then raises its retail price, resulting in a higher price for consumers. 

As part of the motion for preliminary injunction, Attorney General Bonta asks the court to stop Amazon’s unlawful conduct including: engaging in explicit price fixing with its vendors and its competitors; communicating with vendors about other retailers’ pricing; and coercing its vendors to serve as the go-between with its competitors by demanding money to make Amazon whole for price matching a lower-priced retailer.  

BACKGROUND: 

Amazon is the dominant online retail store in the United States with close to 200 million Prime members nationwide. By its own account, Amazon is a driving retail force as 92% of consumers say they are more likely to buy products from Amazon than other e-commerce sites while 56% of consumers say they visit Amazon daily or at least a few times a week. Amazon continues to be the first place consumers look for product information, with 75% of consumers saying they check prices and product reviews on Amazon before making a purchase.

Because of this, Amazon is a must-have distribution channel for merchants. Indeed, more and more third-party sellers join Amazon every day, despite the fact that the total cost of selling on Amazon far exceeds that of selling in other online stores. As one seller put it, “We have nowhere else to go and Amazon knows it.” Another said, “There is no viable alternative to Amazon for my business.” 

Amazon has orchestrated the substantial market power it now enjoys through agreements at the retail and wholesale level that prevent effective price competition in the online retail marketplace. Merchants must agree not to offer lower prices elsewhere — including competing sites like Walmart, Target, eBay, and, in some cases, even on their own websites — and to accept drastic penalties like loss of the “Buy Box” on Amazon or to “compensate” Amazon if other online stores do lower their prices. Merchants that do not comply face sanctions such as less prominent listings and even the possibility of termination or suspension of their ability to sell on Amazon. Without basic price competition and different online sites trying to outdo each other with lower and lower prices, prices artificially stabilize at levels higher than would be the case in a competitive market. This occurs not because Amazon competed successfully or because it is a more efficient retailer and marketplace, but because Amazon is breaking the law. 

The Attorney General’s lawsuit seeks an order from the San Francisco Superior Court that stops Amazon’s anticompetitive behavior and recovers the damages to California consumers and the California economy. The trial is expected to start next January.  

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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Nineteen hours after leaving Coachella Valley, Oscar Deleon Jr. stepped off a bus with four bags of clothes, $800, admission to Chico State University, and no idea where he was going to live or work. All he knew was that he was taking his agriculture professor’s advice from College of the Desert and transferring to a university to continue his education.

He checked into a hotel. Two days later, at orientation, he learned about the Rapid Rehousing program at Chico State. The program’s community partner, True North Housing Alliance, a nonprofit that addresses homelessness in Butte County, paid for Deleon’s hotel bill. The university transferred Deleon to student housing for the school year and helped him secure financial aid to cover most of the cost.

“When I needed somewhere to go, they were willing to help me out, no questions asked. ‘Let’s get you situated,’ you know? You don’t forget that kind of help,” Deleon said.

Since the program launched in 2020, the College Focused Rapid Rehousing program has helped over 9,000 students facing housing insecurity or homelessness. Through partnering with local community-based organizations, Rapid Rehousing provides students with emergency housing, rental subsidies, case management and advising.

Rapid Rehousing operates at all 10 University of California campuses, 25 community colleges and 18 California State University campuses. Students in the program reported higher GPAs and improved mental health and nutrition, according to an evaluation of the program in 2025 by the Center for Equitable Higher Education at Cal State Long Beach. As of 2025, California spends $31 million annually on Rapid Rehousing programs in higher education. The governor’s proposed budget for 2026-27, released in January, also includes $31 million.

Rapid Rehousing came to the rescue

Following the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, Butte County lost over a third of its housing stock, impacting students at Chico State.

“A whole town was lost of housing,” said Emma Jewett, the senior basic needs case manager at Chico State. “Our students are often struggling to get housing and find sustainable housing as it is, because they don’t have the qualifying factors, such as making three times the rent.”

But students everywhere were having a hard time finding affordable housing. In 2018, 10.9% of 27,805 students surveyed across the Cal State system reported they had experienced homelessness in a Student Basic Needs survey commissioned by the chancellor’s office. In a separate survey of California community college students, 19% of nearly 40,000 respondents had experienced homelessness between 2016 and 2018.

Meanwhile, off-campus housing costs across the state increased by more than 30% between 2018 and 2022, according to California Competes, a research organization focused on higher education and workforce issues.

In response, the state Legislature included $10 million for a rapid rehousing pilot program in the state Budget Act of 2019, with $3.5 million going to UCs and $6.5 million to Cal States. Universities applied within their systems to receive grants to participate.

Left to right, Emma Jewett and Leah Slem, staff leaders of the Basic Needs Center at Chico State, stand inside a Rapid Rehousing home in Chico on Feb. 5, 2026. Photo by Salvador Ochoa for CalMatters

First: A room with multiple beds at a Rapid Rehousing home at Chico State in Chico. The beds accommodate students in need of emergency housing. Last: The living room of a Rapid Rehousing home to accommodate students in need of emergency housing provided by the Basic Needs Center at Chico State in Chico on Feb. 5, 2026. Photos by Salvador Ochoa for CalMatters

Chico State was one of the Cal State campuses initially awarded funds in 2020, alongside Long Beach, Pomona, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and San José. The state expanded the program to include Northridge in 2021. All UC campuses participated in the pilot as well.

Moving from kitchen to garage to student housing

Rapid Rehousing felt like a “support system,” said Eli Reyneveld, a third-year communications major and soccer player at Sacramento State. He didn’t always want to be a student athlete, but after playing soccer at Modesto Junior College, the opportunity presented itself. “I scored a lot of goals,” he recalled.

When he received a Division I scholarship offer to cover his tuition at Sacramento State starting in spring 2024, he had just two days to accept. He worried whether he would be able to afford moving from his parents’ house in Modesto.

“I wasn’t ready to move anywhere, but I had to just take the jump,” Reyneveld said.

At first, Reyneveld moved into a house with five guys on the soccer team. He slept in the kitchen and paid $550 a month for his share of the rent.

It felt far from a home. It was hard for Reyneveld to get enough sleep, and there were tensions among his housemates. He moved into a different house shared by more of his teammates, where he slept on a mattress in the garage for $800 a month. A full night of rest was just as hard to get as the sound of cars never stopped.

Being a student athlete required Reyneveld to juggle school, traveling for games, training and maintaining a healthy diet. But his living conditions made it hard to eat and sleep consistently.

He avoided telling trainers and staff about his living situation, recalling being “too prideful to tell anybody,” until his athletic performance deteriorated. By September 2024, his trainer pulled him aside at practice and Reyneveld told him everything.

Eli Reyneveld, a member of the Sacramento State men’s soccer team, on the university’s soccer field on Jan. 27, 2026. Photo by Aliza Imran for CalMatters

That week, Reyneveld met with Basic Needs Center staff and, that night, he was transferred into a hotel that Rapid Rehousing fully covered. Three days later, he moved into student housing where he would pay just $500 a month for five months, meals included.

“As soon as I got moved into a room, I think my coach and trainer could tell you, like, my performance is 180. I was a whole new player,” Reyneveld said.

Reyneveld moved out of student housing in February into his own apartment, where Rapid Rehousing is now paying him $200 a month for five months to help with his rent.

“I was about to turn down the scholarship to a D1 because I didn’t have the necessary means to move, but I just took a risk and (it) ended up working out because people are helping me,” he said.

Local organizations help campuses assist students

All campuses with Rapid Rehousing partner with community organizations that connect students to case managers, housing assistance, and academic and mental health support.

Long-term case management makes a big difference, according to Jessica Wolin, a public health lecturer at San Francisco State, who led the Cal State Long Beach evaluation of the program.

“Our evaluation showed the more meaningful outcomes for students who are experiencing homelessness is through this longer term, higher touch, more holistic intervention,” Wolin said. “And those needs are not met with (just) an emergency voucher.”

At Sacramento State, all students in the Rapid Rehousing program pay $500 per month toward their housing costs until they are ready for the next step. Other campuses, such as Chico State, determine students’ costs based on what they can afford. On-campus teams also work with financial aid offices to incorporate emergency grants into students’ aid packages.

Rapid Rehousing also teaches students about managing personal finances, understanding lease agreements, handling roommate conflicts, and planning for housing after graduation. Community partners work with students one semester prior to their graduation date to find housing they can afford or find relatives they can live with after graduation.

“Because these programs are (tied to enrollment), we have to make sure that we structure them so that students have some sense of urgency about the importance of working with us to find their next more permanent and stable housing that will be more long-term,” said Sacramento State Campus Wellness Director Emily Tupper.

The Riverview Hall student housing complex at Sacramento State University on July 13, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Since 2020, Chico State’s Rapid Rehousing Program has provided over 600 students emergency shelter, transitional housing, or grants.

“A lot of students were thinking about dropping out of school and, after, they report that Rapid Rehousing has helped them stay in school,” said Chico State Basic Needs Director Leah Slem. “Our program is a lifeline to these students who possibly would have dropped out had they not received this assistance.”

When R.S., a student at Chico State who requested anonymity due to her international student status, first heard from her parents that they were on the verge of going bankrupt, she immediately went to the university’s International Student and Scholar Services office. In less than a month, she moved out of her off-campus apartment into on-campus student housing, which has been fully covered since November 2024.

With the help of her case manager, R.S. was referred to work on campus at Chico State’s Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, which helped pay for her tuition.

International students often face unique challenges in college, Wolin said. In addition to not being able to access family support nearby, they are also not eligible for benefits like CalFresh.

“I was kind of going through a lot, but I didn’t really reach out for anything until the water almost got into my nose, and I’m like, ‘Oh no, you know, if I don’t help myself, who can help me?’’’ R.S. recalled. She urges all students to put themselves “out there” and to not be scared to ask for help.

Even with programs like Rapid Rehousing, housing insecurity still affects students across the state. As of April 2024, 1 in 5 community college students, 1 in 10 Cal State students and 1 in 20 UC students face homelessness, whereas 1 in 12 face homelessness in the general California population, according to California Competes.

From formerly homeless to doctoral dreams

The Cal State Long Beach evaluation of the Rapid Rehousing program at eight Cal States and two community colleges revealed how homelessness and housing insecurity disproportionately impacts certain student groups.

Of Cal State students, 4% identify as Black or African American, compared to 18.5% of Rapid Rehousing students. One-third of Cal State students are transfers, but transfers made up nearly half of Rapid Rehousing participants. Three-quarters of Rapid Rehousing students were first-generation, compared to a quarter systemwide. Foster youth made up 17% of the program, versus less than 1% of all students at Cal State.

Wolin said the findings reveal that “the program is reaching who they need to reach.”

As a formerly incarcerated, first-generation and transfer student at Chico State, Deleon recalled how “even having an associate’s (degree) was a big thing” for his family. He enrolled at College of the Desert to earn a 25-unit certificate in agriculture. On his first day, he recalled his professor telling him, “if you’re here for the certificate, you may as well stay for the degree.”

Oscar Deleon Jr., a student and Rapid Rehousing beneficiary, at Chico State in Chico on Feb. 5, 2026. Photo by Salvador Ochoa for CalMatters

He completed his associate’s degree in agriculture, delivered his class graduation speech, and got accepted by all five Cal State universities he applied to. But after he left a long-term relationship at the end of that school year, he found himself homeless and couch surfing.

At Chico State, Rapid Rehousing helped Deleon remain in student housing throughout the 2024-25 school year while he worked on campus at Project Rebound, a program that supports formerly incarcerated students. In June, he moved into a shared off-campus apartment.

This fall, Deleon will be starting a master’s degree in agriculture at Chico State, and he hopes to later obtain a doctorate. If it weren’t for Rapid Rehousing, he said he doesn’t know if he would have had “the courage to stay in school.”

Deleon just returned from his first plane ride and research trip in Puerto Rico, where he saw plantain, mango, coffee berry and pineapple farms. Agriculture is what led Deleon back to school, he recalled, but Rapid Rehousing kept him in it.

“I’m planting those seeds of getting a Ph.D. now,” Deleon said. “(As) someone that’s formerly incarcerated, messed up his life before he got it back together … now that I have a second chance of getting my life right, look what I’ve done with it, with the opportunity I was given.”

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Khadeejah Khan is a contributor with the College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. CalMatters higher education coverage is supported by a grant from the College Futures Foundation.

Max was born on his aunt’s birthday, June 22, 1980. He was a 5th generation Humboldt County native. Max attended Marshall Elementary School where he was elected school treasurer, with his slogan, “Million is my middle name!” He then went to St. Bernard’s Middle School and Eureka High School. Max loved soccer and played on the St. Bernard’s Middle School team when they won the league championship. He ran in several Clam Beach and Foggy Bottoms Milk Runs with his father and sister. In high school he ran Cross Country, Track and was the co-captain of the wrestling team.

After high school, Max attended CR for a year and then enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He trained at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and spent time in Okinawa, Japan and fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom, receiving a Ground Combat Ribbon. At the time of his discharge, he had attained the rank of Sargeant. Following his duty, he spent two years in the National Guard.

He returned to CR and transferred to Cal Poly Humboldt with the Veterans Upward Bound program. While at HSU he was on the Men’s crew team. He also participated in the Tour of the Unknown Coast Bicycle race. He graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology. He had worked at the Henderson Center Veterans Program and was a cross-country coach for Sunny Brae Middle School and a wrestling coach for Ferndale High School.

Max is survived by his parents, Michael and Barbara Saul; his sister Molly Saul Cloutier and her husband Nick and their two daughters Maya and Ellie and son Calvin. He is also survived by his aunts and uncles — Sharon and Doug Melohn, Ken and Joyce Canepa, Kenneth and Kathleen Cook, Cheryl Cook and Patty Canepa. He also leaves his cousins Robert and Megan Canepa and their family, Cathy Canepa and Cody Hills, Janel and Greg Hebert, Jeff and Chris Canepa, Julie and Lang Jorstad and Joanna and Charles Nath and their families.

Arrangements are being handled by Ayres Family Cremation.

Elaine Rindahl Palmer
March 21, 1939 - January 26, 2026

Elaine Rindahl Palmer left this world on her own terms on January 26, 2026, at her home in Fortuna surrounded by three generations of her family. She was 86 years old.

Elaine Palmer was born on March 21, 1939 in Bellflower, California to Beula Olive Wilson and Johannes Rindahl. The oldest of four siblings, she had one brother and two sisters, and all of them grew up surrounded by generations of extended family. When her father had a devastating accident and sustained serious injuries, her family rallied together and got them through that difficult time.

Elaine was a diligent student, and she knew the value of preparing for her future. After graduating high school, she attended community college, earning an Associate of Arts degree, before beginning her first stint working for Sears & Roebuck Company.

In 1960, Elaine married George Arthur Palmer III in Compton, California, and shortly thereafter moved to Arcata to help care for her ailing mother-in-law. After George’s mother died in 1961, they decided to stay in Humboldt County.

Elaine had three children: George Arthur (b. 1963), Stephen Michael (b. 1964), and Kevin Eugene (b. 1967). They purchased a home on Park Street in Eureka, California, previously owned by George’s aunt in 1963, and the family lived there until Kevin became an adult.

While she raised her children, Elaine was active in Cub Scouts, PTA and Little League Baseball. She was a den mother, helped start the Lafayette Elementary School library, served as PTA President and score keeper for the Orioles Little League team. She was an avid homemaker who cooked, baked, sewed and cross-stitched. She even scrapped and repainted her house when it suited her.

In 1976, Elaine and George divorced, and she returned to work at Sears & Roebuck Company, starting out in the catalog department and promoting through the credit department into personnel, eventually becoming the personnel manager. She worked for well over 30 years, earning the friendship and respect of many colleagues, and securing her own retirement.

After retirement, Elaine returned to volunteer work. She helped at the Lafayette Elementary School library where her grandchildren attended, and then she moved on to the Humboldt County Library. She sewed projects for her grandchildren and started a holiday Lefse-baking tradition that involved the whole family. Elaine cherished her time with her grandchildren. She spent countless hours with them playing games, spending time with them on picnics at the park, reading to them, cooking with them and always showing them how much she loved them. You could always find her at her grandchildren’s sporting events. One year, she attended 62 baseball and softball games including four in one day — two in Fortuna and two in Eureka.

Elaine was known for her big, generous heart. She felt deeply and showed it through letters, gifts, phone calls, emails, baked goods and always remembering birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other events important to those she loved. Family,  friends and the love for them were what was most important to her.

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, her brother John Rindahl (Sue), her sister Loriene Brummel (Marshal), and her longtime friend Dana McVay.

Elaine is survived by her three sons: George Arthur (Kari), Stephen Michael, and Kevin Eugene (Debbie); her sister Karen Rindahl; daughters-in-law Nancy Smith and Missy Jackson; grandchildren Kyle (Lauren), Eugene, Dalton (Izabella), Shannon, and Holden (Kendra); great grandchildren Tatum and Navie ; nephews Travis Rindahl & Marshal Rindahl; and niece Jennifer Rindahl.

Special thanks to the nurses and nurse’s aides at Sequoia Springs who provided exceptional care throughout her stay and to Micky Zigenbien for her visits, phone calls, love and support throughout their lifelong friendship.

A celebration of life will be held the day after her birthday, on March 22, 2026 at the Monday Club, located at 610 Main Street, Fortuna from 1 to 4 p.m. Mom’s wishes were to have a potluck in her honor. So a potluck it is. Please bring a dish of your choice to the celebration of life. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in her honor to the charity of your choice.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Elaine Palmer’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Gordon Ernest Clapp, born April 1, 1947, in California, passed away surrounded by the love of his family. He was the beloved son of Marie La Fae and Clarence Melvin Clapp. Raised in a military family, Gordon moved frequently throughout his childhood, an experience that helped shape his resilience, adaptability and deep appreciation for service and country. He lived a life defined by service, faith and deep devotion to those he cared about most.

Gordon proudly served his country during the Vietnam War and was awarded two Purple Hearts for his courage and sacrifice. He carried that same strength and resilience into every chapter of his life — never seeking recognition, but always deserving of it.

Following his military service, Gordon continued serving his community in meaningful ways. He worked as postmaster in Willow Creek and later in building inspections on the Hoopa and Covelo reservations. In each role, he was known for his fairness, work ethic, and steady presence. He believed in doing the job right and treating people with respect.

Above all, Gordon was a family man. He is survived by his loving wife, Sheri Clapp; his siblings, Janet Hughes, Joan Campbell, and Matt Clapp; his daughters Becky Allen, Jessica Rice, Amanda Cloud, Tiah Sherrill, Genesis Mink, and Riki Mitzel; and 20 cherished grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He was a steady, dependable father, a proud grandfather, and a guiding presence to generations who will carry forward his example of loyalty, hard work, and integrity.

His faith in God anchored his life. He cared deeply about his community and believed in showing up for others — not just with words, but with action. Whether helping a neighbor, supporting his family, or serving his country, Gordon lived with quiet strength and conviction.

His legacy lives on in the family he built, the lives he shaped, and the values he instilled. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

A celebration of Gordon’s Life will be held on April 4, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building, 1426 Main St, where family and friends will gather to remember his life and legacy.

An ambitious 984-acre project to address historic flooding issues in the Elk River system and restore the area for fish cleared a hurdle Thursday night at a Humboldt County Planning Commission meeting.

The first phase of work aims to replace dysfunctional tidal infrastructure in an area that’s been partially reclaimed by saltwater, and restore habitat in part of the valley that has existed as ranchland for decades.

Commissioners approved a conditional use permit from CalTrout and partners unanimously Thursday night, with one absence.

“I like this project,” remarked Commissioner Iver Skavdal. 

He pointed to the Elk River Estuary Restoration Project plans for restoration, nuisance flooding control, adding new public access to the area and the support of the area’s 13 property owners.

Photo: Humboldt County Planning

In a presentation, Humboldt County planner Andrew Whitney said the Elk River is the largest tributary to Humboldt Bay, and one of the largest intact estuary habitats in the state. 

“The project is essentially a large ecosystem-wide restoration project of the Elk River estuary,” said Whitney, adding that the project aims to restore portions of the estuary and surrounding lands to conditions that resemble those before settlement.

The valley has a long history of human habitation, with a historic Wiyot village at the mouth nearby.

But after white settlement, dairy farmers dug straight drainage ditches to get water off the lands. Ditches and culverts that manage the water have since become silted up, with help from muddy runoff from the historic logging industry and willow trees trapping sediment.

Plus, sea level rise is reclaiming land with saltwater, turning green pastures back to a kind of wetland.

These conditions have caused farmlands and nearby roads to be subject to nuisance flooding.

Darren Mierau, North Coast Director of environmental organization California Trout, said during a presentation the project’s been conceptualized for over 12 years. It has involved sediment studies, outreach to property owners, work with the water board and efforts to obtain grant funding.

He said the broad view is part of a managed retreat strategy of sea level rise — letting the sea “reclaim what we claimed,” and to enhance the adaptive capacity of the land.

The plan also aims to protect remaining viable agricultural lands and community infrastructure, like roads, waterlines and utilities.

There’s 43 parcels in this phase — some will be entirely reworked, like adding new sloped “eco-levees” using sediment that now clogs channels. Habitat would be added for birds and fish. Some tributaries will be fenced off from livestock. Other parcels will stay largely the same, like agricultural land expected to be protected from saltwater inundation.

The project aims to add about a dozen new tidal gates that fish can pass through. Work to improve habitat is planned, and fences, berms and culverts will be removed.

During recent king tides, CalTrout took a photo of a flooded tide gate. Photo: CalTrout

Humboldt County planning staff were in support of approval of the permit. A concern noted by some commissioners was the loss of agricultural land, though from CalTrout’s perspective, the land has already been lost.

Commissioner Todd Fulton emphasized “once you lose ag ground, you’ll never get it back.”

County planning rules aim to prevent the loss of prime agricultural land to development. But county staff believed since the work will prevent destruction of further agricultural lands from sea level rise, the project as a whole is saving agricultural lands.

According to CalTrout, some areas that once were pasture have been gradually becoming unusable for grazing.

“The landowner that sold it to us stopped their ag use on the land over a decade ago because of the intrusion of sea water onto the property,” said Mierau, speaking of parcels by Swain Slough that will see a bundle of tidal changes.

According to a county planning staff report, 136 acres of historical agricultural land within the Coastal Zone would become a natural landscape or riparian corridor. About 51 acres of this are turning back to tidal wetlands anyway, the report said.

Fulton called for some plan to be put in place for maintenance of the tidal infrastructure, shared by other commissioners who later added a condition for a future maintenance plan to be added.

The project involves removing derelict infrastructure, including “six tide gates, 32 culverts, fences, several derelict farm buildings, sections of farm roads, portions of an abandoned gas line, a portion of an abandoned railway prism, ditches, and levees,” a county staff report said.

It also includes regrading of ditches, fixing up beds, making seasonal brackish ponds, replacing 13 tide gates with fish friendly gates, and other ecological-minded changes.

New public access points will be added. Two non-motorized boat launches are planned in Swains Slough and the mainstem Elk River, plus overlooks, new wildlife viewing platforms and trails.

The project ranges from Highway 101 to Showers Road.

A bundle of entities are involved — including individual property owners, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (which will take over a few CalTrout parcels to add to the Elk River Wildlife Area), and the Wiyot Tribe, which similarly owns a parcel of land.

The effort to restore the river includes restoration near to the Elk River’s mouth, following a 175-acre purchase of former ranch land in 2025.

According to the staff report, the timeline of the project is up to ten years and will be dependent on the applicant’s ability to secure funding. CalTrout hopes to begin construction in the summer of 2026, using funding from the NOAA coastal zone program. 

A Coastal Commission permit is required.

The commissioners approved the first phase of the project. According to CalTrout, the organization is proceeding into the next planning area upriver.