Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership

It’s what WE make of it.

Ray

Brock,

I am not too sure I am all that excited by this announcement

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District Sotoyome Resource Conservation District University of California (UC) Research and Extension Center’s Hopland GIS Lab and UC Cooperative Extension.

The agencies noted above have been complicit in supporting programs (e.g Salmon Coaltion) by giving validation to actions that seek only regulatory relief (absolution) without really addressing deficient habitat conditions – including flows for fish. In many cases these groups are money troughs that exist only to allow continued activities that are limiting factors to riverine and salmonid recovery. From these groups you may see outcomes that testify to BS science that cows are good for streams, water temperature is not an issue, and fish do not need water (this last one a bit of exaggeration).

In fact folks from Sotohyome and Gold Ridge spoke in favor of the BS landowners plan (you saw my review of the testimony) to address the frost protection for water use issue – and flows.  Please do not hurt the landowners – they have worked so hard to come up with a voluntary plan (that does nothing and is unenforceable). Hell they work for Dennis Murphy and the Farm Buruea – what do you think you are going to get.

Dependence on restoration for recovery – will never do a bit of good (except employ some folks) unless land use issue is confronted and flows are restored to fish.

Where are these groups on flow issues. Only Adina Merelender (and Matt Deitch) from UC is available for confronting issue – and the RCDs seem capable of dismissing her concerns.

Process will get you nowhere. Only actions will provide results.  More benefits are derived from doing nothing than some of the BS restoration projects and fish plantings that I have seen.

I also must say that TU (though holding hands with the Grape folks) has set up and done a lot of valuable work – that our challenges should and do rely on.

Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration – I do not know about this group – who is in it??

More process = less fish.

This holding hands thing is a bunch of CRAP.

Alan

Hi fish & flow folks,

On behalf of all the partners organizations, I wanted to let everyone know about the roll out of the new website for the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership!

Here is the link – http://www.cohopartnership.org/

The site is just up and so your feedback is desired…

Some info from the homepage to whet your appetite:

In response to the precipitous decline of coho salmon in the Russian River watershed, the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership (Partnership) is developing a systematic approach to improve streamflow and water supply reliability in five Russian River tributaries critical to the recovery of endangered coho salmon.

The Partnership is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Partners include:

Center for Ecosystem Management and Restoration Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District Sotoyome Resource Conservation District Occidental Arts and Ecology Center WATER Institute Trout Unlimited University of California (UC) Research and Extension Center’s Hopland GIS Lab and UC Cooperative Extension.

Initial efforts will focus in five first-priority streams — Dutch Bill Creek, Grape Creek, Green Valley Creek, Mark West Creek and Mill Creek — where streamflow is believed to limit salmonid survival and where cooperative projects could provide significant opportunities for both salmonids and water users.

Just as the Mediterranean climate of the Russian River watershed can place pressures during the dry season, it can provide opportunities to ameliorate those pressures during the rainy winter. Using a suite of tools ranging from innovative conservation strategies to increase off-stream storage opportunities for use during critical flow periods, the multi-disciplinary team of the Partnership is committed to working with landowners and water users to address complex issues related to salmonid recovery and provide well-developed, long-term solutions for communities and the environment.

The long-term goals of the Partnership are to:

Restore a more natural flow regime during the dry season; Increase viability, and ultimately numbers, of coho salmon in the Russian River watershed; Increase water reliability for water users in each watershed; Develop governance mechanisms to carry out these efforts; Develop tools and methods for others to use. To meet the needs of the landowners, the regulatory agencies, and fish and other natural resources, we will employ a science-based approach to identify the areas that have the greatest opportunity for implementing alternative water management strategies and work with landowners to identify, study, permit and finance solutions that improve streamflow.

For more info with targeted watershed maps please visit the website – http://www.cohopartnership.org/

O-fishally Yours, Brock