Little River (Humboldt County)

{{short description|River in California, United States}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Little River

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| name_other =

| name_etymology =

| image = LittleRiverEstuaryUpstreamOfHighway101.png

| image_caption = Little River Estuary upstream of Highway 101

| image_size = 300

| map = LittleRiverMap.png

| map_size = 300

| map_caption = Map of the Little River region

| pushpin_map =

| pushpin_map_size =

| pushpin_map_caption=

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = United States

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = California

| subdivision_type3 = Region

| subdivision_name3 = Humboldt County

| subdivision_type4 =

| subdivision_name4 =

| subdivision_type5 =

| subdivision_name5 =

| length =

| width_min =

| width_avg =

| width_max =

| depth_min =

| depth_avg =

| depth_max =

| discharge1_location=

| discharge1_min =

| discharge1_avg =

| discharge1_max =

| source1 =

| source1_location =

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|40|58|51|N|123|53|41|W|display=inline}}{{gnis|227344|Little River}}

| source1_elevation =

| mouth = Pacific Ocean

| mouth_location =

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|41|01|37|N|124|06|40|W|display=inline,title}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|0|ft|abbr=on}}

| progression =

| river_system =

| basin_size =

| tributaries_left =

| tributaries_right =

| custom_label =

| custom_data =

| extra =

}}

The Little River is a river in the U.S. state of California, whose drainage basin is the largest on the Pacific coast between the Mad River and Big Lagoon. The {{convert|19.6|mi|adj=on}} river drains the forested Franciscan assemblage of the California Coast Ranges.{{Cite web |url=http://humboldtgov.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1366 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-04-29 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060226/http://humboldtgov.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1366 |url-status=dead }}

The lowermost mile of channel is through Quaternary alluvium and dune sand of an estuarine floodplain typical of coastal inlets along the Cascadia subduction zone.Strand, Rudolph G. Geologic Map of California:Weed Sheet (1963) State of California Resources Agency Land seaward of U.S. Route 101 forms Little River State Beach and Clam Beach County Park. Little River State Park was established in 1931.Jarausch, Klaus P.Financing Land Protection in Rural Communities: Assessing the Feasibility of an Open Space District in Humboldt County, California The floodplain upstream of the Highway 101 bridge is cleared as grazing pasture, and the upland portion of the drainage basin, including the former company town of Crannell, is in private ownership growing forest products.