We're all downstream.

Ecologist's motto adopted by Margaret & Jim Drescher, Windhorse Farm, Nova Scotia

Accomplishments

2010

We implemented Clean Creeks, Clean Campus Project in collaboration with Healdsburg High School.
We strengthened and expanded restoration and education efforts at Riverkeeper Stewardship Park and Foss Creek Community Restoration Project.
We partnered with a top creative team, Creekmore-Behasa, to develop and launch this informative and dazzling new website.
We welcomed 2 new valuable Board Members.
We led effort to minimize Syar gravel mining impacts thru advocacy and public debate.
We maintained our “On the River” presence to deter polluters and document conditions.
We filed protest to permanently reduce flows in the river and led the effort to ensure that a thorough and independent science review is conducted.

We completed our five-year Strategic Plan that will guide our efforts to protect and restore the Russian River.
We protected the River from the NSCARP proposal to use 2.2 billion gallons of treated wastewater on North County vineyards that would have degraded our surface and roundwater quality.
We worked to establish the Marine Protected Area in the Russian River estuary and beyond to protect salmon and the ecosystem.
We launched a new urban restoration project on Foss Creek in Healdsburg.
We submitted testimony in support of recently adopted Santa Rosa/ Sonoma County stormwater permit that will require new controls on development to reduce stormwater pollution.
We participated in public meetings, non-profit gatherings, and the media to protect the River at every opportunity.
We conducted over 60 inspections of pollution sites and responded to 39 public complaints.

We worked to protect fisheries in and around the Jenner Estuary under California’s Marine Life Protection Act.
We continued the ongoing battle to end gravel mining in the River and its aquifers.
We worked to protect groundwater and surface water from wastewater pollutants that affect fish and the River ecosystem.
We continued removing invasive vegetation, planting native plants and developing interpretive trails at Riverkeeper Stewardship Park in Guerneville with help from volunteers including employee groups from Marmot Mountain and Medtronic.
We improved water quality in the Russian River by achieving a settlement with Redwood Empire Sawmill in Cloverdale for storm water pollution prevention measures and the payment of mitigation funds to help restore local waterways.

We exposed and stopped the daily discharge of 250,000 gallons of toxic processed water from Syar gravel plant.
We documented the highest readings ever for muddy water from a construction site that was fined and led to increased construction site pollution enforcement.
We gave testimony in Sacramento that lead to the Mandatory Water Conservation Order that favored a flowing River over green lawns in cities.
Riverkeeper Stewardship Park in Guerneville benefited from over 850 volunteer hours!

We stopped Syar gravel mining permit for Healdsburg area due to lack of mitigation and poor past performance on previous projects.
We published Russian River Citizens Survey of Pesticides in Urban Creeks detailing declining levels of Diazinon and presence of Diazinon replacement products in our creeks.
We stopped the largest bank armoring project in the watershed proposed by Vino Farms.
We graduated 2006 class of Creekkeeper Volunteers.

Russian Riverkeeper with Trout Unlimited launched the Foss Creek Community Restoration Project.
Riverkeeper gets donation of 5-acre riverside parcel in Guerneville and will manage demonstration native plant revegetation and creation of natural community park.
We launched the Creekkeeper Academy to train 24 Creekkeepers each year to serve two years monitoring a section of the watershed.
We joined the California Coastkeeper Alliance of all 12 California Waterkeeper programs creating a statewide voice for all our waters.
We changed our name from FORR to Russian Riverkeeper!

We outlined a study plan that was later funded by the county to independently review "Low Flow" proposal to improve habitat for endangered fish. Study found no evidence to support the hypothesis that lowering flows will help the struggling fish populations.
We were awarded State contract for largest study in the watershed of pesticide concentrations in urban creeks.

Russian Riverkeeper catches mining firm dumping waste material into stream channel under un-approved revegetation project,
Hosts " Pipe Schemes" at the Raven Theater: a forum on Santa Rosas wastewater plans for the Russian River.
Riverkeeper becomes technical coordinator for the Russian River First Flush citizen monitoring program monitoring 36 sites in urban creeks across the watershed with over 200 trained volunteers.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially launches the Riverkeeper boat & speaks at an evening fundraiser.
Our first River Patrol case is enforced.

Russian Riverkeeper Project launched under direction of our first Riverkeeper, Don McEnhill.

FORR published white paper on Sonoma County Water Agency's practices and Sonoma Counties Aggregate Resource Management Plan.
Joined Friends of the Eel River in a lawsuit on a new county water plan that ignored grave impacts from Eel River diversion.

FORR board worked with grape growers to craft agricultural practices standards to protect habitat values and prevent erosion when hillsides are converted to vineyards, which lead to Sonoma Countys' Hillside Vineyard Ordinance.

FORR organized a two-day "Steelhead Expo" with Trout Unlimited featuring talks on steelhead's "threatened" ESA listing by National Marine Fisheries Service.

Filed notice of intent to sue state of California over violations of the Public Trust Doctrine in the Russian River, leading to the creation of Watershed Council of stakeholders to work on a comprehensive watershed management and fishery restoration plan.

"Russian River In Peril" conference, 300 attended day-long discussion of the rivers ecology, threats and regulatory structure with scientists electeds & federal, state and local agency officials.