Over the past two years, we've worked with the City of St Helena, Sustainable St Helena, various schools and community groups, and the general public to plant native oaks and redwoods in the Napa Valley Community Forest, located in the effluent spray fields at the St Helena Wastewater Treatment Plant along Zinfandel Lane.

But... why? It all started with Napa RCD Board Member Paul Asmuth, his love for redwoods, and an idea for a community forest. In 2012, Paul worked with the City of St Helena to plant 400 redwood trees as a trial run to see if the idea of using effluent spray to irrigate trees would work. It did! Napa RCD got involved in 2021 when Paul asked for our help to get volunteers and crews out to plant another 400 trees, and by the end of 2022 about 1,800 redwoods were in the ground.

Read more about the Napa Valley Community Forest on our website!

Want to help? Join us as we celebrate Arbor Day on April 29! Register HERE today!

March Rainfall Summary

Paul Blank, Napa RCD Environmental Scientist

March brought 11 storms and sixteen days of measurable rainfall to the Napa Valley. Rain totals observed at the County ALERT monitoring stations (napa.onerain.com) were well above average for the month, ranging between 9.0 inches in the City of Napa and 15.9 inches at Mt. Veeder. These totals represent approximately 35% of mean annual precipitation. On average, we get 13% during the month of March. On the season, we have now received 125% of our annual rainfall, officially making 2022-23 an above-average water year. Seasonal totals range between 33.4 and 56.1 inches.

What do YOU want to hear about?

Each month, Napa RCD staff produce this newsletter to share highlights of our work with you. We try to select topics that we think you want to hear about.

This month, in a stroke of genius- if we do say so ourselves- we decided to ask all of YOU what you'd like to hear about! Take a moment to review the projects listed in the dropdown menus on our website, and give a little feedback!

Rotary Screw Trap - Update

Thanks to an above-average water year (see Paul's Rainfall Summary, above) the Napa River has been FLOWING- and yes, we meant that in all capital letters!

The Rotary Screw Trap (RST) is one way we monitor fish in the Napa River- it's a big metal funnel that is partially submerged in the water and is turned by the current of the river. With flows so high, the RST has experienced a few rough weeks and has some damage that needs to be fixed before it can safely catch fish. Our staff are working on it, and we'll keep you updated.

We hope to reschedule our Rotary Screw Trap Open House for late May, but that will be dependent on the fish, flows, and the repairs of the RST. Stay tuned and we'll keep you informed!

Earth Day Napa- See You There!

SUNDAY, April 23

Join Napa RCD and our partners for the Earth Day Napa Community Cleanup, followed by the Earth Day Napa Festival at Oxbow Commons!!

We’ve got cleanup sites throughout the City of Napa, and even one in Yountville, so we’re sure you’ll find a spot that works for you! Visit our website to view the sites and find a link to registration.

Bring your own bucket, gloves, and trash grabber if you have them, and we will have some to share at each site! Wear sturdy shoes, dress in layers, and bring a full water bottle. We will be done just in time to head to the Earth Day Napa Festival at the Oxbow Commons from 11am-4pm!

Hold the Date: The Climate-Friendly Garden Tour is May 13 in Napa!

We are excited to share that the Climate-Friendly Garden Tour will be taking place on May 13 in Napa and Yountville! We're going back to basics, and hosting a traditional garden tour that will look much like the tours from years past- gardens will display water-wise, native, and drought-tolerant landscaping that is beautiful and functional. There will also be workshops, a compost and mulch giveaway, and more!

Additional programming in American Canyon will be announced soon, so stay tuned.

Clear as Mud Workshop Series for Ag Professionals

Join the North Coast Soil Hub and other technical assistance providers at Shone Farm for a half-day focusing on soil health assessment and collaborative approaches to technical assistance. We will discuss in-field soil health assessment, selecting appropriate lab tests, pairing field evaluation with lab analyses, and explore tools for communicating about soil health.

This workshop is first in a five-part series created for ag professionals. Attendance by ag professionals will be prioritized, and the event will open to producers as space allows.

CANCELLED!

Invasive Plant Removal Workday at Newell Open Space

April 8 | 9am - 12pm

Sudden Oak Death Blitz Community Science Opportunity

April 15 | 9am - 11am

Earth Day Napa

Community Cleanup

April 23 | 9am - 11:30am

Fire History and Fire Adapted Ecology Webinar

April 26 | 6 - 7pm

Invasive Plant Removal Workday at Westwood Hills

April 29 | 9am - 12pm

Arbor Day Redwood Planting

April 29 | 9am - 12pm

Connecting to Resilient Forests Field Day at Linda Falls

May 6 | 9 - 11:30am

Pollinators & Wildflower Hike at Newell Preserve

RESCHEDULED!

Now on May 7 | 9:30am - 12pm