eNewsletter | February Edition
|
|
In this month's edition:
- Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership - pioneering positive change
- TEAM elementary program returns to the farm this spring!
- Sustainable Equine Management Webinar Mar. 5
|
|
Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership
Pioneering positive change through collaboration for over a decade
|
|
2022 marks the end of a chapter for the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership, an effort that the RCD has proudly been part of since its inception in 2009. Read on for background about the Partnership, the reasons it was formed, and its lasting impacts.
Salmon and streamflow in the Russian River watershed
Salmon are a keystone species, inextricably linked to the health of our coastal ecosystems, yet over the past two centuries their populations have experienced devastating declines.
Central California Coast coho salmon and steelhead are at a fraction of their historic abundance. Rigorous species recovery efforts were launched in the late 1990s to prevent the extirpation of Russian River coho salmon, including a conservation hatchery program and broad-scale habitat restoration. While these actions prevented coho from local extinction, our endangered salmon and threatened steelhead still face a formidable bottleneck—insufficient streamflow.
This is due to the cumulative effects of watershed-scale land use impacts, which have resulted in altered drainage patterns and stream morphologies, impaired hydrologic function, reduced aquifer recharge, and intensive withdrawal of surface and groundwater by the myriad of water users who inhabit the landscapes surrounding the streams where Russian River coho rear.
Climate change is compounding the problem, leading to more frequent and severe droughts and an extended dry season. In recent years, low summer, spring, and even winter streamflows have had significant detrimental effects on rearing salmonid fry, outmigrating smolts, and adults returning to spawn.
Significant streamflow enhancement efforts must be implemented in order to recover a self-sustaining population of Russian River salmonids. The complexities of flow restoration in the face of increasing climate volatility, combined with the sociopolitical tensions surrounding human water use, highlight the need for a multidisciplinary team dedicated to this endeavor.
|
|
Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership
The Partnership unites a wide range of expertise from the following organizations:
The experience of working collaboratively in dynamic, complex natural and social systems for over a decade has allowed us to develop the enduring relationships, innovative approaches, and adaptive strategies required to work effectively to reduce impacts to streamflow in the face of increasing climate volatility. The Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership is a collaboration of experts dedicated to improving water reliability for fish and people.
|
|
Graphic above: The Partnership has relied on grant funding for all of our work. From 2009 through 2022, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided primary financial support for the Partnership, with matching funds from Sonoma Water and additional sources. By working collaboratively, compounding efforts, and maximizing resourcefulness and efficiency, we were able to leverage these funds to nearly quadruple the impact in the watershed.
|
|
“Partnership flow enhancement projects have proven to be an effective tool for enhancing drought resilience in some of our most critical coho salmon rearing streams. The Partnership has devised an innovative approach to enhancing streamflow for people and fish, building a
long-term, successful collaboration that can serve
as a blueprint for future efforts in California.”
David Hines
Senior Environmental Scientist
CA Department of Fish & Wildlife
|
|
Acknowledgements
The Russian River watershed lies in the ancestral and unceded land of the Pomo, Wappo and Coast Miwok peoples. We acknowledge the deep and enduring connection to this land by these original inhabitants and their descendants, and draw inspiration from their thoughtful stewardship of this space.
We are grateful to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Sonoma Water, who recognized the need for this work, believed in our potential, and provided the financial and structural foundation on which the Partnership was built. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the private landowners, community members, small businesses, and local organizations who make this effort possible through their enduring support and stewardship. We are aware that salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration will only be achieved through the engagement and commitment of all stakeholders, and are grateful to be part of such an amazing and dedicated community.
|
|
Final Partnership reports released |
The Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership: Lessons learned for streamflow enhancement in California report (bottom left) summarizes the lessons learned by the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership (Partnership) and its many partners through more than a decade of work on streamflow restoration in the Russian River watershed (Sonoma County, California). The report describes the reasons the Partnership has been successful, with a focus on transferability, provides our perspective on conditions that will facilitate future instream flow enhancement on the California coast.
The report is a companion to a second publication, The Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership: Dedicated to improving water reliability for fish and people (bottom right), which summarizes the Partnership’s specific activities and accomplishments.
|
|
NFWF-funded Accomplishments and Agency Partner Visions for the Future |
As work was being concluded from our NFWF funding period, the Coho Partnership held a meeting on January 19, 2022 providing an overview of Coho Partnership NFWF-funded accomplishments and lessons learned from 12 years of work together in the Russian River. The Partnership also invited a guest panel of agency partners to share their visions for the future of streamflow and salmonid restoration in the Russian River and nearby watersheds. Click video >>> |
|
TEAM program back on the land - 3rd and 4th grade classes! |
|
For more details visit our TEAM program webpage here. Please contact Christine Kuehn, Education and Communications Manager at ckuehn@sonomarcd.org if you are interested in participating or learning more. There is no charge for these field trips, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.
|
|
Community Wildfire Protection Plans Public Review
Shared from Permit Sonoma
|
|
Permit Sonoma invites you to participate in a Public Review Meeting of the newly updated 2022 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). A CWPP is one of the best tools we have to make progress in adapting our county to a wildfire-prone environment. To review the CWPP and provide comments, or register for any upcoming public meetings please visit the CWPP website.
|
|
Fire Safe Sonoma - Fire Safe Alliance Meeting
Shared from Gold Ridge RCD's eNewsletter
|
|
This presentation will be given by David Henry of Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon is a primarily military veteran volunteer force that stands ready to respond when disaster strikes. Team Rubicon is a non-profit organization that is supported by generous individual and corporate donors and is ready to serve any community. Register here!
|
|
Workshops | Resources | Careers |
|
 |
North Coast Region: Compost Use in Agriculture Workshop Series
Feb. 18 | 10 AM - 1 PM | Virtual
Feb. 25 | In-person | SOLD OUT
|
Virtually we'll explore:
- compost use in California agriculture
- compost impacts on soil and water properties
- compost quality
- reading compost test results
- compost regulations and incentives
Click the flyer or more details and how to register.
|
|
|
|
Sustainable Equine Management Webinar
March 5th | 9:30 AM - 1PM | Virtual
|
Join us in learning pasture management, composting, erosion control, confinement area innovations, manure and mud management, natural insect and weed control, drainage, integrated habitat restoration, fire preparedness, and more! Webinar hosted by Daily Acts and sponsored by the Sonoma RCD. Questions? tcequine@earthlink.net
Funding for this project has been provided in full or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board under the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (Clean Water Act Section 319). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the foregoing, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
|
|
|
|
Past Event: Soil Biology and Soil Health webinar |
February 10 | 9 - 10:30AM| Virtual
Interested in learning more about the diverse biology in your soil and how it impacts plant health and production? Join us as we hear from Dr. Jennifer Moore, Research Soil Scientist at USDA-ARS, about soil microbial community composition, the impacts of drought and heat on soil organisms, and how soil organisms respond to different management practices. A panel of researchers will take questions and discuss the most current thinking and research, following Dr. Moore’s presentation.
|
|
Attend a technical workshop to receive the latest science-based information on how to best manage your soil, water and wildlife on
your property.
|
|
With a tax deducible donation you can support conservation projects that protects water resources, improves soil health + restores habitat for endangered species.
|
|
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletters and hear about innovative projects, read our newest publications, funding opportunities and upcoming events.
|
|
|
Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
