Sotoyome RCD Instream Habitat Enhancement Programs
Sonoma County Water Agency Biological Opinion Projects
The Sotoyome RCD is currently working with the Sonoma County Water Agency, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game to enhance fish passage and habitat in tributaries to Dry Creek as part of the
Reasonable and Prudent Alternative for the Russian River Biological Opinion.
The Sotoyome RCD will be working to complete three of the projects identified in the Biological Opinion, located on Crane Creek,
Grape Creek
and Mill Creek.
Gird Creek Fish Habitat Enhancement Project
The Sotoyome RCD is currently working with the Russian River Property Owners Association, with funding through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to identify and implement fish habitat improvement projects in Alexander Valley tributaries to the Russian River. In Summer 2010 we will be installing boulder structures in a highly channelized reach of Gird Creek. These structures will create slow water areas for fish to rest during their migration to high quality habitat higher up in the stream system.
Lower Austin Creek Migration Improvement Project
The Sotoyome RCD is currently working as part of a unique partnership between gravel mining interests, government agencies, local residents and non-governmental organizations to improve migration and rearing conditions in lower Austin Creek. This partnership includes NOAA Fisheries, the Department of Fish and Game, the California Conservation Corps, Trout Unlimited and Bohan & Canelis Aggregates.
The project involves installation of instream log and boulder structures and creation of alcoves via gravel extraction, with the goal of improving conditions for endangered coho salmon as well as threatened steelhead trout and Chinook salmon. The project was started in 2003 and has been supplemented and modified on an annual basis. The RCD is managing the current phase of this work with funding through the California State Coastal Conservancy.
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