Sotoyome Resource Conservation District page 3

ANNUAL REPORT 2000-2001

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The District has developed programs to encourage participation by landowners to play an active role in improving water quality and habitat for endangered species and preserving their natural resources within the watershed they live in.

Creek Stewardship Program

The Russian River Creek Stewardship Program allows for landowners and residents in a watershed to participate in an assessment of their watershed and monitor water quality, siltation, creek channel form, rainfall and stream flows, road erosion and biological resources. From this assessment, restoration and repair projects are identified and funds sought to implement the projects agreed to by the community. The program also continues monitoring to set up long-term records of watershed conditions, health and improvements. The program is focused on identifying solutions and projects not on pointing fingers at any one. The theme is to work together and recognize everyone is both part of the problem and part of the solution. All projects and monitoring activities are implemented with the cooperation of residents and property owners.

Watersheds include:

• Fife Creek
• Hobson Creek Hulbert Creek
• Copeland Creek
• Maacama Creek
• Matanzas Creek
• McNab Creek
• Parsons Creek
• Upper Mark West Creek

There 372 individuals involved in the various creek stewardship groups. Participants are collecting data, allowing access to their property, attending workshops to become better informed and implementing restoration projects.

Fish Friendly Farming Program

The Fish Friendly Farming Program is a voluntary certification program for grape growers who implement land management practices that restore and sustain fish habitat on their property. The Fish Friendly Farming program, in contrast to regulatory programs, is incentive based. The program was developed by a diverse group of grape growers, agencies, environmental groups and scientists. The program sponsors workshops to assist farmers in completing farm conservation plans for their property using the program’s best management practices (BMPs) for soil conservation, slopes, chemical use, water conservation, erosion repairs and an assessment and restoration of creek and river riparian corridors. Many landowners participating find that through the assessment they are already implementing BMP’s outlined in the program such as using cover crops, or no till methods, and IPM for reducing pesticide use. When a project is identified such as restoring the riparian corridor, bank stabilization or gully repair, the District has acquired funds to offset costs. Thirty grape growers from the Russian, Navarro and Salmon creek watersheds have completed farm conservation plans. Twelve restoration projects identified in this process will be implemented in 2001-2002.

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