Little Sur River
| Little Sur River | |
| River | |
 View of Little Sur River outlet from Highway 1
|
|
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | California Central Coast |
| County | Monterey County |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Skinners Creek (North Fork), Comings Creek (North Fork), Puerto Suelo Creek (North Fork), Launtz Creek (South Fork) |
| - right | Ventana Creek (North Fork) |
| Source | Ventana Double Cone |
| - elevation | 4,853 ft (1,479 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°17′49″N 121°42′49″W / 36.29694°N 121.71361°W |
| Mouth | Pacific ocean |
| - elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| - coordinates | 36°20′05″N 121°53′22″W / 36.33472°N 121.88944°WCoordinates: 36°20′05″N 121°53′22″W / 36.33472°N 121.88944°W |
| Length | 14.3 mi (23 km) |
The Little Sur River and its South Fork tributary comprise a 25.4 miles (40.9 km) long river on the Central Coast of California. They drain a watershed of about 40 square miles (100 km2) of the Big Sur area, a thinly settled region of the Central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The South Fork and the North Fork both have their headwaters in the Ventana Wilderness, straddling Mount Pico Blanco. Portions west of the national forest and Old Coast Road lie within the El Sur Ranch. The forks converge about 2 miles (3.2 km) before the river empties into the Pacific Ocean.
The river's steep canyons and high chaparral-covered ridges are host to a number of rare species including the Santa Lucia Fir, Dudley's lousewort, and virgin stands of old-growth redwood.
In 1973 the California State Legislature, recognizing the river's "extraordinary scenic, fishery, wildlife, (and) outdoor recreational values" and to protect its "free-flowing and wild status," added the river to the California Protected Waterways System. Responding to the state's request, in 1981 Monterey County added the river to its Protected Waterways Management Plan and encouraged the state in its Big Sur Coast Land Use Plan to designate the Little Sur area as a "coastal resource of national significance."
The Little Sur River watershed provides habitat for mountain lion, bear, deer, fox, coyotes and wild boars. The upstream river canyon is characteristic of the Ventana Wilderness region: steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges separating valleys. Because the upper reaches of the Little Sur River watershed is entirely within the Ventana Wilderness, much of the river is in pristine condition. The California Department of Fish and Game says the river is the "most important spawning stream for steelhead" on the Central Coast. and that it “is one of the best steelhead streams in the county.” The Little Sur River is a key habitat within the Central California Steelhead distinct population segment which is listed as threatened.
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Wikipedia